Nantucket Shipwreck Identity a Mystery After Clues Don't Add Up

Archaeologists have revised their assessment of a shipwreck exposed on Nantucket's shore, determining that the wreckage is not the Warren Sawyer, a three-masted schooner that sank in 1884, but an unidentified merchant vessel from the late 19th or early 20th century.

The initial belief was that the weathered wooden beams, revealed by a powerful nor'easter in late September, belonged to the Warren Sawyer. Remains of this schooner had previously been documented in the same area in 2022 and 2023. The Warren Sawyer sank on December 22, 1884, carrying 1,115 bales of cotton and 28 tons of scrap iron from New Orleans to Boston.

However, an assessment on October 7 by state archaeologists led to a new conclusion. David Robinson, director and chief archaeologist of the Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (BUAR), noted several discrepancies. He observed that the wooden ribs of the newly discovered wreckage were larger than those of the Warren Sawyer. Additionally, the types of wood used and the iron fastenings appeared to date to a period after the Warren Sawyer's sinking.

"So those clues led us to believe that this probably was not from the same vessel and not Warren Sawyer," Robinson stated. He suggested the wreckage might be from a schooner barge, a common type of merchant vessel used for cargo transport along the East Coast during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, he cautioned that the vessel might not have been a schooner barge, as such ships were more likely towed through Nantucket Sound than exposed to the open ocean south of the island.

The identified section of wreckage measures approximately 50 feet by 11 feet and represents a portion of a ship's hull. Robinson described its size as unusual for wreckage that emerges along the Massachusetts coastline. The exact identity of the vessel remains unknown, and researchers are now examining historical records to potentially identify it. "About the best we can hope for is to maybe narrow down a list of possible candidates and apply a weight of evidence approach to see what conclusions can be drawn from the available historical and archaeological evidence," Robinson said.

The Nantucket wreckage is also the first in Massachusetts to be tagged under a shipwreck monitoring program. This program allows the public to assist researchers in tracking shipwreck remains as they move along the coastline. Robinson emphasized the historical significance of shipwrecks, stating, "Each of these shipwrecks that we see has a story to tell. Therefore, it's important for us to study, document and learn as much as we can from them and to treat them with the considerable care and respect that any elder would deserve."