The Infamous Pirate City Of Port Royal, Jamaica
Texas A&M UniversityA diver exploring the sunken remains of Port Royal, Jamaica.
Once referred to as the “Wickedest City on Earth”, part of Port Royal, Jamaica sank after a disastrous earthquake in 1692. The ruins scattered in the Kingston Harbor, and currently, the remains of the city encompass 13 acres at depths of up to 40 feet.
Port Royal was famous around the world as a hub of piracy, prostitution, and rum. It was a place run by pirates; in 1675, the city named a deadly buccaneer called Henry Morgan their Lieutenant Governor, giving him a deadly reign over the wickedest city on earth.
Few tears were shed when, on June 7, 1962, a massive earthquake rocked the island, causing its buildings to crumble and crash down to the earth. Tsunami waves crashed against the shore almost immediately after, pulling the shattered ruins of the city into the water.
By the time it was over, 33 acres of the city had been submerged into the sea and 2,000 people died.
At the time, the destruction of Port Royal was seen as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah: a city of sin justly destroyed. The stories written didn’t mourn their deaths; instead, they wrote that “your heart would abhor to hear of the depredations, robberies and violences” that ensued in the chaos of the city’s destruction.
But since 1981, the sunken city has been become an archaeologist site and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with investigations led by the Nautical Archaeology Program of Texas A&M University.
Port Royal has become a treasure trove of history, a place where historical documents, organic artifacts and a vast amount of architectural debris have been discovered, submerged in a city under the sea.
