ECU archeologists find four shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina

[Buster's Uncle]

ECU archeologists find what they believe to be four shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina
Lauren Beachy
WNCT Greenville
Mon, August 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM EDT
2 min read





GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — At the Office of State Archaeology Conservation Lab scientists with East Carolina University are preserving what they believe could be remains from four different shipwrecks — including one that may be the historic Spanish privateer La Fortuna, which exploded off the North Carolina coast in 1748.

The discovery was made near Carolina Beach earlier this year. The Maritime Studies Program with ECU archaeology say the remains unexpectedly washed ashore, with parts of the shipwreck looking like they had just wrecked the day before.

“Something happened to it… and the shipwreck was ripped from the muddy riverbed and deposited on the beach,” said ECU staff archaeologist Jeremy Borrelli.

Though not confirmed, researchers believe some of the remains found could be La Fortuna based on the location, 18th-century ship features, and the type of wood, a rare cypress species found only in California and Central America at the time.

La Fortuna has deep ties to Cape Fear history. After it was destroyed, experts say colonists salvaged goods and sold captured Spanish sailors of African descent into slavery. That money funded the construction of St. Philip’s Church in Brunswick Town and St. James Church in Wilmington.

ECU has a strong partnership with the Office of State Archaeology. They say they plan to digitally reconstruct the wreck to learn more about if it could be La Fortuna. They’ve also started the process to preserve the remains, which they say will take years.

“These kinds of things belong to everyone,” said Kimberly Kenyon with the Office of State Archaeology. “Once they’re gone, we cannot bring them back.”

The team over at ECU also received a grant to help them find the other half of the possible La Fortuna shipwreck. They’re continuing to work in the lab and in the field as part of the ongoing Brunswick Project.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ecu-archeologists-believe-four-shipwrecks-164614690.html