Another important tool, the magnetometer, detects metallic remains underwater, but since ships of this period used little metal in their construction, they can "hide very well" in a search, he adds. Even then, what remains would be hard to find.Īrchaeologists use side-scan sonar as a primary tool to find shipwrecks on the sea bottom, but if a wreck is buried under feet of sediment, sonar can be "simply blind" to it, says Cook. "That bay has changed so much," he observes. Anne's Bay, Jamaica, describes coring though 20 feet of sediment to find evidence of the historic landscape. Greg Cook, an archaeologist who has searched for the remains of ships from Columbus's Fourth Fleet in St. "Ships lost in cold, dark, deep water have a much better chance of staying intact and maintaining their 'time capsule' value." The landscape has radically changed since Columbus's time.Ĭenturies of tropical storms, changes in land use, and deforestation have significantly altered the coastlines Columbus once navigated. Also known as shipworms and "termites of the sea," these creatures can devour an exposed wooden wreck within a decade and are the arch-nemesis of underwater archaeologists working in the region.Īny wooden vessel that resisted the predations of shipworms would also have to survive five centuries of tropical storms and hurricanes in shallow waters, observes Donald Keith, an archaeologist who has searched for Gallega, a ship from Columbus's Fourth Fleet which disappeared in 1503. The warm waters of the Caribbean are paradise for teredo worms, which are actually mollusks with a voracious appetite for wood. Here are some of the reasons why finding the remains of the First Fleet is so difficult: The conditions are lousy for ship preservation. While generations of school children have sung of the adventures of the " Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria too," the remains of Columbus' history-making First Fleet-as well as those of his subsequent three expeditions-remain undiscovered, despite decades of dedicated searching by archaeologists and shipwreck hunters alike. Instead, his crew sighted land in the Caribbean on October 12, 1492, setting in motion a series of events that would lead to the European colonization of the New World. Along with his wife Judy, Dennis wrote Five Thousand Miles to Freedom for National Geographic Children's Books, followed by their Witness to Disaster series.This year marks the 525th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's first Transatlantic expedition, a voyage that the Italian explorer expected would take him to Asia. He's completed two dozen Turning Points books for Marshall Cavendish. The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, co-authored with his wife Judy, was a Golden Kite Honor Book.ĭennis has collaborated with Larry Day on two picture books, Let It Begin Here! and Duel! with Walker Books. Bound for the North Star is his riveting collection of true slave escape stories. He has written biographies of Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Jane Addams and Louis Braille, among others. The Sea to Shining Sea series (Children's Press), launched Dennis's career as a full-time author.ĭennis Fradin has written children's books on topics as varied as astronomy, colonial history, the Underground Railroad, slave escapes and scientific discoveries. One such story caught the attention of an editor who asked him to write a series of books about the United States. In order to hold his second graders’ attention at the end of the day, he would spin stories about crayons in distress and birds with broken wings. The award-winning author of nearly 300 non-fiction books for children and young adults, Dennis Fradin is known for his meticulous research, attention to detail and smooth, graceful writing.įradin attributes his success in part to years of teaching in the Chicago Public Schools.
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