An Interdisciplinary Study on the wreck of the USS Kearsarge in Roncador Cay

Abstract

An Interdisciplinary Study on the wreck of the USS Kearsarge in Roncador Cay

William Gomez Pretel

Department of International Area & Cultural Studies, The Graduate School of Korea Maritime and Ocean University

Abstract

1. Roncador Cay is located in the western Caribbean within the Colombian maritime territory, a place with complex environmental conditions that have been a ship trap for centuries. On February 2, 1894, the United States Ship Kearsarge, a renowned warship for outstanding participation in the American Civil War, wrecked in the Cay. The ship was abandoned with the armament, and its memory lost for years. For the United States and Colombia, the remains of the USS Kearsarge are considered underwater cultural heritage with extensive historical data. However, the wreck site has not been studied to identify or localize the remains. This research aims to estimate the location of the wreck site in geographical information systems from an interdisciplinary study combining qualitative and quantitative data. Also, for a better understanding of the shipwreck and its relationship with the maritime cultural landscape, the environmental conditions and the sociocultural factors are characterized. As with most historical shipwrecks studies, the research design is subject to limitations arising from the geographical isolation of the site, ambiguous information, and the confidentiality of Colombian law; however, the study addressed different methods and assumptions to review the location.

2. Although this dissertation does not accurately localize the remains, it estimated the location by generating geographic points of an area of uncertainty within one square nautical mile. Finally, to determine the possible future of the remains an analysis of the legal framework of the flag state and coastal state was conducted. The data collected and findings are expected to be used in an international cooperation project looking for capacity building as a critical element for sustained development among maritime researcher. This study is an example of interdisciplinary research that demonstrates the relevance of fieldwork to identify the remains, protect the wreck site, and highlight the shared underwater cultural heritage.

Keywords: USS Kearsarge, shipwreck, Roncador, underwater cultural heritage, interdisciplinary study