Discovery of six shipwrecks in Nassau linked to the Golden Age of piracy

An international team led by archaeologists from the Bahamas Maritime Museum and Wreckwatch TV has discovered six shipwrecks in the harbor of Nassau, Bahamas. The investigation, conducted in late 2025 and reported in mid-2026, targeted vessels from the 'Golden Age of Piracy,' spanning roughly 1650 to 1730. Among the findings is a charred wooden hull accompanied by stone ballast, iron cannons, musket balls, and sharpening stones, supporting historical accounts that pirates often burned captured ships. Researchers are currently investigating whether one of these wrecks is the 'Fancy,' the flagship of Henry Avery, known as the 'King of Pirates.' Nassau was a notorious pirate stronghold between 1713 and 1718, home to figures such as Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Black Sam Bellamy. These discoveries provide new physical evidence of how pirates operated and maintained their base of operations on New Providence Island. The expedition, named New Providence Pirates Expedition, aims to further scientific and historical understanding of the era.