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Throughout each year, the Conservation Research Laboratory conserves material from a number of different archaeological projects. The purpose of these CRL reports is to showcase the conservation procedures used to treat some of the more interesting archaeological material. The reconstruction of the Belle's hull is presented in this report.  The Belle, one of the ships of French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur (Lord) de La Salle, was lost in Matagorda Bay, Texas in 1686.  It was excavated by the Texas Historical Commission.

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Webcam Update: In order to protect the ship during the conservation phase, we have built a protective cover over the treatment pool. While necessary, this has unfortunately obscured the camera's view of the ship. Therefore, the camera will be moved to document ongoing conservation of two coal cars from a mine in Jewett, Texas.

Click on the link below to see the latest images of La Belle.

VIEW THE COMPLETED RECONSTRUCTION OF LA BELLE

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SHIP HULL CONSERVATION

The excavation of the Belle by the Texas Historical Commission in 1996/97 was one of the most innovative and spectacular archaeological excavations of the decade. The THC took an underwater site and made it a land (more or less) excavation by constructing a cofferdam around the ship and pumping out the water. The finds on this fully loaded barque longue (frigate) belonging to the famous French explorer La Salle were nothing less than amazing. There is a massive array and quanity of material.

The single largest artifact is the remains of the ship herself.  It is estimated that approximately one-third of the ship survived. The remains of the ship were dissassembled in the field, and some 764 components (keel, keelson, frames, ceiling planking, mast step, pump box, outer planking, etc.) were sent to the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University for conservation. Because of the importance of this shipwreck, we are making equally innovating approaches in the conservation of the hull.

The complete conservation of the hull is being documented on this web site. It is proceeding in several stages:

• STAGE 1:  Proper storage and cleaning of the wood in preparation for reassembly (this stage has been going on for

  the past year)

• STAGE 2:  Construction of the concrete vat by C.F. Jordan Construction of College Station, Texas

• STAGE 3:  Construction of the lifting frame by Dynacon of Bryan, Texas

• STAGE  4:  Vat construction completed.  The vat was viewed by all interested parties at an Open House on

  November 12, 1999. Reassembly of the hull completed in October 2001. 

• STAGE 5:  The conservation of the hull begins. This is where we are now!

• STAGE 6:  When the conservation of the hull is completed, it will be removed for final preparation for exhibition.

• STAGE 7: The preserved hull will be partially disassembled and shipped to a museum where it will be displayed.

PHOTO GALLERY INDEX

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Citation Information:

Donny L. Hamilton

1998, Conservation of the Hull of the Belle, Conservation Research Laboratory Research Report #7, World Wide Web, URL, http://nautarch.tamu.edu/crl/Report7/hull.htm, Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M University; La Salle Shipwreck Project, Texas
Historical Commission, Austin, Texas.

E-mail: dlhamilton@tamu.edu

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	CRL PROJECT REPORTS
	LA SALLE SHIPWRECK PROJECT (TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION)

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This page is maintained by the staff at the Conservation Research Laboratory, Nautical Archaeology Program, Texas A&M University (crl@tamu.edu). 
Updated: January 7, 2002

The contents of this site - text, images, and data - are intended for personal information only. Downloading of information or graphic images contained herein for private use is not discouraged; however, written permission from either the Nautical Archaeology Program or the Texas Historical Commission is required for the publication of any material. Any use of this information should credit the Nautical Archaeology Program. For additional details, contact Donny L. Hamilton (dlhamilton@tamu.edu).