La Salle Shipwreck Project
The Belle is one of the most important shipwrecks ever discovered in North America. The excavation, conducted in a cofferdam in Matagorda Bay, lasted almost a year and produced an amazing array of finds, including the hull of the ship, three bronze cannons, thousands of glass beads, bronze hawk bells, pottery and even the skeleton of a crew member. The one million artifacts represent a kit for building a 17th-century European colony in the New World. The project has now shifted to the conservation phase, in which every artifact is carefully identified, cleaned and preserved. The hull of the ship has also been reconstructed and is undergoing chemical treatment to preserve it. Many Belle artifacts are currently displayed at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, and others will be exhibited in museums around Matagorda Bay. Follow the work of the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University where conservation work for the Texas Historical Commission is underway. Read the article about the Belle shipwreck that appeared in Smithsonian Magazine. Read about a new book on the Belle excavation. Belle Sailor Honored at Special Funeral Excavation Highlights and Artifacts
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