Wreckage identified as slave ship

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- A wreck found off the coast of East Caicos in the Turks and Caicos Islands has been identified as the slave ship Trouvadore, maritime archaeologists said.

Two archaeologists learned about the Trouvadore while tracing artifacts from the Islands sold to museums in the United States and Europe, said NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, which funded their work. While examining records, Don Keith and Toni Carrell of Ships of Discovery, an underwater archaeology research institute, found the account of the Trouvadore wreck.

The Spanish vessel Trouvadore participated in slave trade, outlawed in the British Indies, including the Turks and Caicos Islands. After the ship was grounded on a reef, Caicos authorities arrested the crew and most of the 192 African survivors settled on Grand Turk Island.

"What makes a people different and distinct is their unique history," Keith said. "The people of the Turks and Caicos have a direct line to this dramatic, historic event -- it's how so many of them ended up being there."

Carrell said he and other researchers were surprised to learn that Turks and Caicos residents "never heard of the shipwreck that brought their ancestors to the islands."

"It's rare and exciting to find a wreck of such importance that has been forgotten for so many years," said Frank Cantelas, marine archaeologist for NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. "By identifying the Trouvadore, Don and Toni have really made a contribution to history and given the Islands' people a better sense of place."