Report of the Archaeological Investigations of the New Castle Court ...

4.4.2 CORAL
NEW CASTLE COURT HOUSE PLAZA
NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
4.0 ARTIFACT ANALYSIS
Unexpectedly, a large amount of coral was recovered from Feature 20 (Plate 22), with lesser
quantities documented from Feature 23 and SUs B and C. From all contexts, approximately 170
pounds of coral were recovered. Fragments ranged from half dollar to basketball-sized pieces
weighing nearly 11 pounds. Three varieties of coral were identified: “brain coral” (diploria
strigosa), a bulky and frond-like coral (acropora palmata), and a species called monatstrea
annularsi.
JMA consulted with Dr. John M. Pandolfi, Research Paleobiologist and Curator of Fossil Corals
at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History regarding possible environmental and
locational information for the Court House corals. Dr. Pandolfi identified the location of origin as
the Caribbean. Dr. Pandolfi explained that it is difficult to determine what environment (barrier or
fringing reef) that the coral may have been harvested from. It is equally difficult to determine
what islands the corals may have come from. Given New Castle’s strong ties to Dutch-occupied
islands, Dr. Pandolfi suggested that the Dutch Antilles islands of Curaco, Aruba, and Bonaire
may be possible sources for the Court House corals (John Pandolfi, personal communication,
April 12 and 14, 2004).
Coral is often reported from archeological excavations at waterfront sites and docks from places
such as New York City, and Providence, New Hampshire (Cantwell and Wall 2001:227; Pendery
1980). In these places the coral has been interpreted as a remnant of ships’ ballast, brought from
the Caribbean; in New York excavations ballast has also included coralline sand (Cantwell and
Wall 2001:234; Geismar 1987:52). However, the presence of the coral in the New Castle Court
House deposits is unusual on terrestrial colonial archeological sites in the Middle Atlantic,
especially considering the quantity that was found.
Previously in New Castle, four fragments of coral (one brain coral and three elkhorn corals) were
recovered from Level I of the archeological excavations at Immanuel Church (John Milner
Associates, Inc. 1984:180; hereafter JMA). Level I contained artifacts dating from the early
eighteenth century until 1860 (JMA 1984:165). One fragment of brain coral was also recovered
from a circa 1750 feature in the Area F excavations at Independence Hall in Philadelphia (Juliette
Gerhardt, personal communication, August 2004). Coral has also been reported from the
excavations at the John Read House in New Castle (Lu Ann De Cunzo, personal communication
February 2006).
As it was explained in the report of the Immanuel Church investigations, “the presence of the
coral in local beach sand cannot be attributed to natural processes of currents, tides, and wave
action but probably represents discarded ship’s trash or ballast dumped at or near New Castle
before proceeding up the river” (JMA 1984:180). The additional finds of coral at the nearby
Court House tends to confirm this earlier conclusion. It is likely that the primary purpose or
function of the corals could have been as ships’ ballast, as construction material (a source of lime
for mortar), or as a road “cobbling” material. Ultimately, the secondary role of the coral was as
backfill for the features on the grounds of the Court House.
An example of early eighteenth-century mining of coral and limestone for use as ships’ ballast
has been reported as occurring on Water Island located one-half mile south of St. Thomas in the
US Virgin Islands (Anderson 1998). A fragment of coral has also been recovered from the
excavation of the Puddle Dock at Strawberry Bank in Providence, New Hampshire. Providence
carried on a significant trade with the West Indies from circa 1690 until the trade was disrupted
69