The true story of the city of Port Royal in Jamaica. In 1692 an earthquake and tidal wave caused the city to sink beneath the sea. Robert F. Marx was one of the men caught up in the legends of buried treasure and this book describes the fulfillment of his childhood dream: a two-and-a-half year exploration of the historic Jamaican port. The first investigation of the site by a trained marine archaeologist, his expedition discovered thousands of perfectly preserved artifacts of life in the 17th century city: silver and pewter ware; brass, iron and wooden tools; and much more, including two hoards of classic buried treasure: Spanish pieces of eight.

From aerial survey to zoology, Part I of this two-part encyclopedia covers all aspects of underwater archaeology, treasure hunting and salvaging. For example, entries are included for different types of artifacts, notable treasure hunters, the various salvaging equipment, and techniques in mapping and excavating. Part II covers the shipwrecks themselves, dividing them into 13 geographical categories. Beginning with the northernmost category (Canada) and ending with the southernmost (South America), every known shipwreck - both identified and unidentified - receives an entry in alphabetical order under its appropriate geographical category. Entries are by name, such as Andrea Gail, Titanic, and Queen Ann's Revenge. Unidentified is used when a shipwreck's name remains unknown. Entries give the nationality (e.g., Spanish, British, American), type (schooner, frigate, brig are three), function (examples: slave transportation, piracy, fishing), location and history of the shipwreck.