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NEEDLE
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ST. JOHN'S BAHAMAS WRECK <<
RESEARCH
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Needle in
a Haystack?
Corey Malcom
April 2002
 During the cleaning of a
concreted conglomerate of ship’s spikes and olive jar sherds found on the 16th century St. John’s Wreck, a small bronze straight pin was uncovered. This is actually the second such pin found on the site, but being trapped in the hard marine concretion has kept this one in near-perfect condition. In fact it is so well-preserved that file marks can even be seen at
the point, from when it was sharpened by its maker. It is
also evident that the head of the pin is a separate piece,
coiled around the shank, and rounded to form. It has been photographed next to a modern steel straight pin for scale.
The study of the nearly 450 year-old St. John’s wreck has
very much entered the laboratory phase. Many of the recovered objects are actively being
conserved, and this will likely
be the case for another two years. As is demonstrated by this pin, many aspects of the ship
are yet to be discovered as this work continues.
For more information email Corey Malcom at
cmalcom@melfisher.org
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