Latest news with #CulturalHeritageAgencyoftheNetherlands
National Geographic
3 days ago
- General
- National Geographic
We may finally solve the mystery of the shipwreck that lies beneath Ground Zero
The Museum of the City of New York is launching a new investigation into the remains of a vessel found beneath lower Manhattan during subway construction in 1916. Museum of the City of New York curator William M. Williamson and historian James A. Kelly examine timbers, possibly from the Tyger, on view in a 1954 exhibition Shipyards of New York. Photograph Courtesy Museum of the City of New York A shipwreck mystery buried under Ground Zero could soon be solved, with scientists set to investigate whether a doomed 17th-century vessel—captained by a Dutch explorer who settled Manhattan—lies deep beneath the former Twin Towers. Visitors flock to the World Trade Center site to see its 9/11 memorial and museum, and honor victims of the 2001 terrorist attack. But few would know Ground Zero was once nothing but ocean, before land reclamation expanded Manhattan, and that it hides clues to one of New York's oldest enigmas, which is linked to this year's 400th anniversary of the city's founding. Generations of U.S. and European researchers have attempted to locate a long-lost Dutch ship called the Tyger. It helped the Netherlands map America's northeast coast, and paved the way for New York's colonization by the Dutch, before it sank in 1613 roughly where the Twin Towers later stood. In the century after the Tyger disappeared, first the Dutch and then the British needed greater space to expand their Manhattan settlements. So they dumped dirt and garbage into the surrounding rivers, which created new land, and expanded lower Manhattan until buildings covered the location where the Tyger sank. Now the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is launching its first-ever major investigation to try to find out whether a shipwreck beneath Ground Zero, unearthed in 1916 during construction of a subway line, is indeed the Tyger. Its tests will focus on eight feet of ship keel and ribs unearthed in that dig, says Margaret Connors McQuade, MCNY Director of Collections. The earliest known map of New Amsterdam, circa 1639, showing Manhattan, Staten Island, Fort Amsterdam, Brooklyn, the Bronx, plantations, windmills, and Native American villages. Photograph by Everett Collection/Bridgeman Images To determine the age and origin of these timber artifacts, the museum's researchers may use tree species identification, analysis of chemical signatures in the wood, and examination of tree ring patterns. 'The quest to confirm the Tyger's identity is not just a scientific endeavor, it is a journey into the city's earliest days,' explains MCNY President Stephanie Hill Wilchfort. MCNY curatorial and collections staff will collaborate with outside experts in the fields of marine archeology and dendrochronology, including Martijn Manders, Founding Head of the Maritime Programme, Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, and Marta Domínguez Delmás, Senior Researcher at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. How the Dutch came to control Manhattan New York as we know it may never have existed if not for the Tyger and its captain Adriaen Block, historians say. He mapped the area for the Dutch, and then in 1614 became the first European to settle what is now Manhattan, which at the time was inhabited by the Lenape tribe (whose language gave the island its present-day name). Yet Block is a curiously anonymous figure in New York. The city has no statue of him, only a bronze plaque at 45 Broadway, which details how Block built Manhattan's first European settlement on behalf of the Dutch. In the 1600s, at the time of Block's arrival, the Netherlands was a maritime superpower, competing with Spain, Portugal and Britain to 'discover' and colonize lands the world over. Spearheading its global expansion were captains like Block. Between 1611 and 1614, he led four voyages to the Hudson River region, which now encompasses New York City, says McQuade. Several of these expeditions were on board the Tyger. In the process, Block charted many waterways from New Jersey north to Cape Cod, including near Rhode Island's Block Island, which is named after him and has become a popular summer getaway. 'His cartographic work corrected key geographic misconceptions and laid the groundwork for future Dutch colonization in the region,' McQuade says. (Was Manhattan really sold to the Dutch for just $24?) Block also cataloged geography and natural resources, and this information convinced the Dutch that Manhattan was ripe for settlements. So, in 1614, Block came ashore at southern Manhattan and built four houses. This outpost grew over the course of several decades into New Amsterdam, part of a Dutch colony called New Netherland, which soon covered parts of what are now New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Delaware. It wasn't until 1664, when the English seized Manhattan, that New York became its name. Timbers thought to be from the Tyger, on display at the Marine Gallery. Photograph Courtesy Museum of the City of New York After losing the Tyger to fire, Captain Adriaen Block constructed the "Onrust" with the help of the Lenape, depicted up in an illustration for Old Times in the Colonies by Charles Carleton Coffin. Photograph by Look and Learn/Bridgeman Images By then the Dutch had already built Fort Amsterdam, next to what is now The Battery, under the leadership of colonial governor Peter Minuit. New York may not have been founded by the Dutch in the 1620s if not for Block, says Jaap Jacobs, Dutch historian and expert on Dutch exploration of North America. Thanks to Block's detailed charting of the waters surrounding New York, the Dutch were able to create maps which let them gain a monopoly on shipping in this area. 'Without this development, the subsequent colonization by the Dutch West India Company from 1623 onwards would have been much more difficult,' Jacobs says. 'It may not have yielded the same result: the founding of New Amsterdam, and New York, in the 1620s.' (Colonial New York was rowdy, filthy, smelly) Tyger, Tyger, burning bright But when Block settled Manhattan in 1614, he was not sailing the Tyger, because that ship had sunk a few months earlier, McQuade says. The Tyger vanished after it caught fire accidentally while anchored in seas roughly where Ground Zero now stands. Three centuries then passed without any sign of the vessel. Then, in 1916, charred shipwreck timber was unearthed during subway construction at the corner of Greenwich and Dey streets, which now adjoins Ground Zero. 'Along with the timbers, they uncovered a Dutch broad-headed axe, trade beads, clay pipes, a length of chain, a small canon, and shards of blue and white pottery,' McQuade says. (When Henry Hudson first looked on Manhattan, what did he see?) At the time, amateur historian James A. Kelly swiftly reported these findings to several museums. It is possible that more remnants from that shipwreck are still buried beneath Ground Zero. Because the damaged vessel was never properly excavated, only a section of its keel and ribs were saved, McQuade says. Those timber artifacts spent decades gathering dust, first at the New York Aquarium and then at MCNY. But in 1955, fresh research supported the theory those materials came from the Tyger, McQuade says. Radiocarbon dating by Columbia University traced the timber to between 1595 and 1635, while an iron bolt from the same shipwreck was found to have been made about 1600 using a European smelting process. All of which hinted that the remains unearthed at Ground Zero may be from the Tyger. Yet it did not amount to proof. This 1651 engraving by Kryn Fredericks, shows 'The Hartgers View', the earliest known depiction of New Amsterdam, as it appeared in the 1620s. Photograph by Lebrecht History/Bridgeman Images So during the 1960s and 1970s, U.S. university researchers made new attempts to identify this shipwreck. Rather than clarifying the matter, those investigations only deepened the Tyger's enigma. One analysis concluded the Tyger might not have burned fully, and its materials may have been salvaged to build Block's replacement ship. Other studies suggested those remains could have been stolen by looters during the 1900s. Or that they are sitting in a museum storage facility somewhere in the U.S. just waiting to be rediscovered. Now, however, the MCNY hopes it can solve this puzzle by testing the shipwreck remains uncovered in 1916, says McQuade. Although the museum has held these artifacts for eight decades, this will be its most comprehensive investigation into their origins. Previous studies of the timber did not utilize tree ring pattern analysis. Also called dendrochronology, this is one of several scientific tools which may be used during the MCNY study, says McQuade. Dendrochronology lets researchers determine when and where a piece of timber was cut. Species identification, meanwhile, can reveal the type of tree a piece of timber came from. And isotopic analysis, which is also being considered by MCNY, studies chemical signatures in the wood to pinpoint its geographic origin. This shipwreck investigation is the museum's landmark project to mark New York's 400th anniversary, explains Wilchfort. 'Depending on the findings, they could be used in multiple future installations, including our permanent exhibition, New York at Its Core, the city's largest interactive timeline,' she says. For now, however, the mystery persists of which ship—the Tyger? Or another unknown vessel?—lurked for centuries beneath what would become one of the busiest places on earth, just waiting to be discovered and deciphered.
New York Times
03-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Before Buying an Artwork, Make Sure It Wasn't Stolen. Here's How.
TEFAF Maastricht, the European Fine Art Foundation's spring fair, is known for the high quality of artworks its dealers display each year, and for its extensive vetting procedure, which ensures that the treasures on offer have been verified as authentic. That process always includes a check on the work's provenance — the artwork's history of previous ownership. Even so, said Will Korner, TEFAF's head of fairs, there are always things that fall through the cracks. 'Objects are removed every year, at basically every fair, regarding issues of provenance,' he said. Any collector who is prepared to spend a considerable sum on a painting, sculpture or artifact should make sure that they do their own independent research, he added. 'They can feel confident that a standard has been applied that is leading in the market, but I would always encourage every single buyer to conduct their own checks,' he said in a phone interview. 'That's something that any art lawyer or art consultant would tell them to do.' Tainted beauties During World War II, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi art agents looted untold millions of artworks and cultural objects. Many artworks still have not found their way back to their rightful owners, or their beauty has been tainted by a history of theft. Collectors of the type of works that the Nazis favored, particularly old masters and Impressionist paintings, should be aware that what they are buying could have a wartime history. The same is true for artifacts and antiquities that may have been looted or stolen in other global conflicts, as well as ceremonial objects like masks and other heritage from formerly colonized nations. To avoid buying a work of art with a problematic history, and to guard against potential future claims, art provenance specialists say it is crucial to do some digging before you buy. Although new information comes to light every day, the best way to protect yourself is to ask the right questions, request as much data as possible, and independently verify that the information you get is accurate and up-to-date. The prospect of trying to discover the entire history of the 350-year old painting you want to buy might seem daunting. But Perry Schrier, a World War II cultural heritage adviser for the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, said collectors do not need to hire a private researcher or an art detective for this work — in most cases. Provenance research is a fast-growing field within the art world, and today there are many independent experts available for hire. But some preliminary research that you can do on your own might quickly rule out any need for such a specialist, or help you learn what kind of specialist you need. 'There's a fair amount you can already do from your living room, from your laptop,' Schrier said. 'Later, there may be some things you have to go find in the archives, and that will be a second level, but the websites are very convenient nowadays and a great place to start.' Many resources are available to the public for free, or for a small fee. A basic provenance check may take a couple of hours or about half a day, but it should include a few steps that either put the item in the clear or raise red flags. If anything strikes you as potentially fishy, it is time to engage with additional experts, Schrier said. If you do engage a provenance researcher, look for one who specializes in the area of research particular to the work you are buying — for example, Dutch old masters, German Expressionists or Congolese masks — and can speak and read the languages relevant to any archival research. The important thing is to make sure you do due diligence before you buy, said Amelie Ebbinghaus, a director of the Art Loss Register, a London-based organization that helps the art trade track lost, looted or stolen objects. And make sure you request all the documentation the dealer or owner already has about the artwork, including information about the sources they used, before putting any money on the table. 'That may seem obvious, but quite often people ask for it right after they buy the work,' she said, 'and that doesn't give them the same protection.' 'Start with the object' The first step will be to have a good look at the piece of art, both front and back. 'Always start with the object,' advised Richard Aronowitz, global head of restitution for Christie's international auction house. 'The back of the painting, or the stretcher, might bear some indication of its ownership history,' he said. 'You're looking for labels, stamps, inventory numbers, inscriptions,' as well as any sign that such labels have been removed. Nazi owners sometimes marked their works with a swastika or an eagle on the back, and that would be an obvious red flag. (Conversely, such signs can be misleading, Aronowitz said, as forgers have also used them to make a fake work seem genuine by suggesting that it has been through many hands.) More likely, you will find labels of the gallery owners who handled the work in the past. 'You're looking for clues, evidence,' Aronowitz said, 'but deciphering evidence is difficult.' If you notice something unusual, you can often look it up on the internet, or consult an expert. Next, Ebbinghaus recommended plugging a photo of the work into a search engine like TinEye, or an app like Google Lens, which will scour the internet for billions of images to find any potential match. 'You'd be surprised by what you can find there from what has recently been sold on the market,' she said. Ask questions Once you have found out what you can, ask the seller, or current owner, for all the information that is currently known about the work's previous owners. Most sellers at a big fair like TEFAF, or at one of the top auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's, can be expected to provide you with a list of all previous owners. Sometimes known as a provenance chain, the list will indicate where the work has been from its creation to the present, and the dates when it changed hands. In reality, provenance histories are often incomplete. Ask questions if there is no ownership history between the years 1933 and 1945, if the work changed hands multiple times during that period or if the prewar owners' names are not listed. If you are buying at a smaller fair, from an auctioneer or at a flea market, you will likely have to do this work yourself. And even if a lengthy provenance history provides you assurance that the seller has done his or her homework, Ebbinghaus said that it is wise to check this material to verify it for yourself. Do your research You can do this using key databases that list missing or stolen art. The Art Loss Register is the largest, with more than 700,000 items that people have listed as missing or stolen. A search on a single artwork costs $100, and yearly subscriptions are available for those aiming to check more items. The German Lost Art Foundation runs two databases that are useful in provenance research: its Lost Art Database lists 126,000 objects that were seized from Jewish citizens between 1933 and 1945; its Proveana database displays the results of its research projects related to Nazi persecution and theft of Jewish property. The Commission for Looted Art in Europe in London runs the Central Registry of Information on Looted Cultural Property 1933-1945, a website and database, also known as Looted Art, which offers an object search of more than 25,000 pieces. The ERR Database has an inventory of more than 40,000 art objects taken by Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the Nazi task force that looted art and archives, then took them to occupied Paris. And the German Historical Museum in Berlin, a museum devoted to German culture and history that describes provenance research as one of its core tasks, offers three databases focused on Nazi plunder. If your preliminary research uncovers anything suspicious, alert the seller, said Korner, the TEFAF fairs director. Always keep documentation of your research, because if an unforeseen claim arises in the future, you can demonstrate your due diligence. 'There isn't a register of all the art on the planet,' Ebbinghaus said. 'There are gaps, and as soon as an artwork has a gap in the provenance, there's a risk that it could be claimed at some point in time.' On the other hand, she added, the chance is not great: 'We check more than 400,000 items a year and less than 1 percent of those turn out to be problematic.'
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Devil's Money' Found in Ancient Netherlands Cult Burial
A metal detectorist discovered ancient gold coins in the Netherlands that turned out to be a cult ritual offering. Experts believe the money left at the location was 'devil's money,' an offering to pagan gods. The worship site likely had ties to summer and autumn equinoxes thanks to the discovery of seasonally aligned post holes. A metal detectorist recently came across a cache of more than 100 gold and silver coins buried underground in the Netherlands, prompting archaeologists to come further investigate the site. But knowing now what the coins were there for, perhaps the archaeologists should've left them alone. According to a new study published in Medieval Archaeology, the coins, which sat buried for 1,300 years in the Netherlands, were likely used in cult rituals, and further around the site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a seventh-century open-air cult site. It's more than plausible that the cache of coins was what was known as 'devil's money,' coin offerings common at pagan cult sites. The metal detectorists made the find near Hezingen, a hamlet near the Netherland's border with Germany. The coins are from around 700 A.D.—including some rare finds from the mints of the Frankish Empire—and were found along with metal jewelry in 2020 and 2021. There were a number of clues that helped the archaeologists deduce that the site where the coins were found was once the stomping grounds for a cult. There were rows of posts, evidence of a large residence in a clearing near an ancient road junction on a prominent elevated landscape, remnants of animal sacrifices, and more. They also determined that the gold coins and jewelry were placed there in intervals over 100 years and interspersed with the animal sacrifices, making it clear that the site once served as a ritual sacrifice location for pagan gods. The archaeologists, led by Jan-Willem de Kort of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, located the signs of an old structure, likely from the sixth century, as well as 17 postholes for wooden posts that aligned with spring and autumn equinoxes, which tied the site to seasonal harvest rituals. 'The cult site was probably linked to a nearby high-status settlement with an enclosed cult house or ceremonial building,' the study authors wrote. 'The offerings may have been linked to fertility rites as the posts were aligned with the rising and setting of the sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes.' In all, the gold and silver coins were discovered in three areas. One site had a single gold coin, while another had 24 fragmented or complete gold coins, along with silver and gold jewelry. The third site featured gold coins and jewelry. 'I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that preeminently with valuables,' de Kort said, according to 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious.' The use of the site by elites and the timing of it all raises questions about the rise of Christianity in the area. The site's use curtailed in the 700s A.D., the study claims, earlier than the rise of Christianity in the region, leading the study authors to theorize that the area's leaders could have turned to Christianity earlier than others. As prominent missionary texts spelled out, to have pre-Christian groups convert to Christianity, they would need to stop worshiping pagan gods and cease the sacrifice of the so-called 'devil's money.' Since Hezingen was abandoned by the early eighth century when Christianity began to spread, the study authors suggest the leaders of the town—wealthy, as shown by the value of the gold and silver—were some of the first in the area to convert to Christianity. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Devil's Money Found in Ancient Netherlands Cult Burial
A metal detectorist discovered ancient gold coins in the Netherlands that turned out to be a cult ritual offering. Experts believe the money left at the location was 'devil's money,' an offering to pagan gods. The worship site likely had ties to summer and autumn equinoxes thanks to the discovery of seasonally aligned post holes. A metal detectorist recently came across a cache of more than 100 gold and silver coins buried underground in the Netherlands, prompting archaeologists to come further investigate the site. But knowing now what the coins were there for, perhaps the archaeologists should've left them alone. According to a new study published in Medieval Archaeology, the coins, which sat buried for 1,300 years in the Netherlands, were likely used in cult rituals, and further around the site, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a seventh-century open-air cult site. It's more than plausible that the cache of coins was what was known as 'devil's money,' coin offerings common at pagan cult sites. The metal detectorists made the find near Hezingen, a hamlet near the Netherland's border with Germany. The coins are from around 700 A.D.—including some rare finds from the mints of the Frankish Empire—and were found along with metal jewelry in 2020 and 2021. There were a number of clues that helped the archaeologists deduce that the site where the coins were found was once the stomping grounds for a cult. There were rows of posts, evidence of a large residence in a clearing near an ancient road junction on a prominent elevated landscape, remnants of animal sacrifices, and more. They also determined that the gold coins and jewelry were placed there in intervals over 100 years and interspersed with the animal sacrifices, making it clear that the site once served as a ritual sacrifice location for pagan gods. The archaeologists, led by Jan-Willem de Kort of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, located the signs of an old structure, likely from the sixth century, as well as 17 postholes for wooden posts that aligned with spring and autumn equinoxes, which tied the site to seasonal harvest rituals. 'The cult site was probably linked to a nearby high-status settlement with an enclosed cult house or ceremonial building,' the study authors wrote. 'The offerings may have been linked to fertility rites as the posts were aligned with the rising and setting of the sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes.' In all, the gold and silver coins were discovered in three areas. One site had a single gold coin, while another had 24 fragmented or complete gold coins, along with silver and gold jewelry. The third site featured gold coins and jewelry. 'I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that preeminently with valuables,' de Kort said, according to 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious.' The use of the site by elites and the timing of it all raises questions about the rise of Christianity in the area. The site's use curtailed in the 700s A.D., the study claims, earlier than the rise of Christianity in the region, leading the study authors to theorize that the area's leaders could have turned to Christianity earlier than others. As prominent missionary texts spelled out, to have pre-Christian groups convert to Christianity, they would need to stop worshiping pagan gods and cease the sacrifice of the so-called 'devil's money.' Since Hezingen was abandoned by the early eighth century when Christianity began to spread, the study authors suggest the leaders of the town—wealthy, as shown by the value of the gold and silver—were some of the first in the area to convert to Christianity. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeolgists Find Treasure at Ancient Pagan Cult Site
Archaeologists recently stumbled across a medieval pagan cult site in the Netherlands where they found a bounty of treasure. The findings were published in the journal Medieval to the article, gold and silver coins located with metal detectors in the town of Hezingen 'prompted archaeological excavations that have brought to light the remains of a 7th-century open-air cult site possibly connected with immigrants.' Hezingen was erected within a massive circular structure with wooden posts surrounding a peculiarly designed building which experts hypothesize to be the home of an elite leader, known as a Herrenhof. At the site, researchers found gold coins and jewelry which they believe were 'deposited there at regular intervals over a period of about 100 years.' A phosphate analysis revealed that animals were very likely sacrificed on the land before the area was abandoned around 700 A.D., which was 'at least half a century earlier than the formal Christianization of the area."Because paganism was not a monolithic religion, meaning there was not one specific god or deity worshipped by believers, and practices varied by location and over time, this recent discovery presents a remarkably rare insight into the regional cultist rituals which predated the birth of Christianity in northern Europe. The presence of the gold and silver coins would indicate that the site was used by cultural elites, as lower-status citizens would not have access to such treasure. But despite the cultish and ritualistic nature of the area, scientists say there is nothing to indicate which specific gods were worshipped at Henzigen or that any supernatural forces were summoned. "I think that this cult site was mainly used by local elites to emphasize their own status, and of course, you do that pre-eminently with valuables,' lead author Jan-Willem de Kort, an archaeologist from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, told 'The finds at the other cult sites are probably more the result of personal offerings and thus less precious."Kort continued: "The research was also born out of necessity, as the site was threatened by nature [sic] development. This would involve removing the topsoil to encourage the original vegetation to come back." Experts believe that ritualistic ceremonies were conducted at Hezingen in an attempt to please the gods and ensure strong harvests for the forthcoming year. 'The gods that may have been worshipped in Hezingen can be learned from a Saxon baptismal promise, handed down in a 9th-century codex,' the authors explained. 'This vow mentions the gods UUôden (Wodan), Thunær (Donar), and Saxnōte (Saxnot), who the reader of the promise must renounce.'
