JNHT conducts survey and assessment of sunken city of Port Royal
June 7, 2012
Port Royal, May 30, 2012 - The Jamaica National Heritage Trust has conducted a survey and assessment of the Sunken City of Port Royal. The survey and assessment is part of preparation for the nomination of the Sunken City of Port Royal as a World Heritage Site.
While the focus of the nomination is the underwater heritage, the assessment conducted from May 23 to 29 included both marine and terrestrial components.
Port Royal was the trade hub of the Caribbean and the most economically important English port in the Americas. It was consumed by an earthquake in 1692 during which two-thirds of the town sank into the sea. The Sunken City has remained as it was on the day of the earthquake. In contrast the terrestrial area has been affected by catastrophic events including fire and a series of hurricanes.
The survey and assessment, conducted with the assistance of UNESCO, has confirmed the boundaries of the site. The survey and assessment has also proposed boundaries for the terrestrial area.
The JNHT Executive Director, Mrs Laleta Davis-Mattis, said the boundaries will be "key in the development of conservation and management strategies for Port Royal."
According to Mrs Davis-Mattis, "the establishment of boundaries is not aimed at preventing development and other activities in Port Royal. The boundaries are tools that will help the JNHT, working with stakeholders in the community, to regulate the type of activities that take place - so that we can preserve the heritage for generations to come."
The survey and assessment was conducted by a team of local and international experts including: Professor Donny Hamilton of the Nautical Archaeology Programme and the Anthropology Department at Texas A&M University; Dr. Robert Grenier, Chief of the Underwater Archaeology Service for Parks Canada; Dr. Margaret Leshiker-Denton, Chair of the Society for Historical Archaeology UNESCO Committee; Dr. Angela Rojas, Expert Member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites; Mr. Patrick Stanigar Consultant on Historic Architecture; and Mr. Dorrick Gray, Technical Director of Archaeology, Jamaica National Heritage Trust.
The Jamaica National Heritage Trust is an agency of the Ministry of Youth andCulture.
For more contact:
Oliver Watt, Director of Communications
Jamaica National Heritage Trust
Mobile: 564-9198 | oliver.watt.jm@gmail.com
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