From a Watery Grave: The Discovery and Excavation of La Salle’s Shipwreck, La Belle

On a frigid, stormy day in February of 1686, a small French sailing ship lost control and ran aground in Matagorda Bay. Pounded in the Texas bay by gale-force winds and storm surges, La Belle slipped beneath the water and sank to the bottom, where she would remain for centuries. More than 300 years later, Texas Historical Commission archeologists discovered La Belle’s resting place. Using cutting-edge technology and scientific innovation, investigators excavated the shipwreck and salvaged from its watery grave more than a million artifacts, including bronze guns, muskets, trade beads, axes, rings, bells, dishes, medicines - everything a New World colony needed for survival. Authors James E. Bruseth and Toni S. Turner use vivid photographs and engaging descriptions to share the excitement of discovery as they piece together both the ship and its tragic story. For those interested in history, archeology, or the quest for clues to the past,
From a Watery Grave
tells a riveting tale of nautical adventure in the seventeenth century and reveals modern scientific archeology at its best.