When the Spanish arrived in Jamaica in the 1500's, they discovered that the cay was an ideal spot for careening, that is, a place to clean and refit boats and scrape the hulls clean. It is not known whether the Taino established a permanent settlement here and more likely, they used the sand spit simply as a fishing camp. The excavation team found shards of Taino pottery, dated sometime after 1000 AD, and part of a stone metate, used to grind corn. Currently, the peninsula is one continuous strip although at various times throughout its history, the tip on which Port Royal stands was a cay completely surrounded by water.Įvidence of Taino activity on this cay was revealed by underwater excavations in the 1960s.
Port Royal is situated on the end of an 18-mile long sand spit known as the Palisadoes, 15 miles from the centre of Kingston, capital of Jamaica. The historical background is followed by a physical description of the underwater city and some of the important terrestrial remains found on the modern-day site. While, this submission focuses mainly on the underwater city, it is also necessary to mention the development of Port Royal, post-earthquake to the present day and to maintain context. The following is a historical description of the events that led to the growth, destruction and rebuilding of Port Royal. In contrast, after just 37 years of existence, the bustling city of Port Royal literall sank into the harbour in a matter of minutes, remaining perfectly preserved as it was on the day of the earthquake. Generally archaeological excavations represent a long period of time where buildings were constructed, renovated, added, fell into disrepair, were abandoned, collapsed and perhaps built over. The universal significance of Port Royal stems from the fact that it is distinctly different from most archaeological locations. Port Royal falls into the category of "catastrophic sites," places that are devastated by some natural disaster and in the act of destruction, preserved in situ. Port Royal lived out its days as a British naval station and remains as a small fishing village today.
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A series of fires and hurricanes followed and the town was never restored to its former glory. At the height of its glittering wealth, on June 7, 1692, Port Royal was consumed by an earthquake and two thirds of the town sank into the sea. It boats an intriguing and turbulent history as it rapidly grew to become the most important trading post in the New World. Port Royal, Jamaica, commonly referred to as "the wickedest city on earth" conjures images of marauding pirates, daring naval conquests, looting, riches, destruction and devastation.
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