Entre cañones y barcos desarbolados. Arqueología de la batalla de Trafalgar

Abstract

Español: El Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico, a través de su Centro de Arqueología Subacuática, inició en el año 1999 el proyecto denominado Trafalgar, encaminado al estudio y localización de los naufragios acontecidos a consecuencia de la Batalla Naval de Trafalgar, que tuvo lugar a principios del siglo XIX en el litoral de Cádiz (España). El objetivo general del mismo se centró en efectuar, desde la perspectiva arqueológica, el análisis, estudio y evaluación de los restos sumergidos vinculados a este evento histórico, buscando establecer las medidas necesarias para una correcta investigación, protección, conservación y difusión de una parte importante de nuestro pasado histórico (García Rivera, 2005, 6) Inglés: The Centro de Arqueología Subacuática of Instituto Andaluz del Patrimonio Histórico began project ‘Trafalgar’ in 1999 in order to study the ships wrecked during the Battle of Trafalgar, which was fought off the coast of Cadiz (Spain) in the early 19th century. The project’s general targets were to archaeologically study the underwater remains of this historical event and to set out the necessary research, protection, preservation, and dissemination measures (García Rivera, 2005, 6).The battle was framed by the long-standing conflict between France, Spain, and Great Britain, and pitched a British squadron commanded by Admiral Nelson against a combined Spanish-French fleet led by Admiral Villeneuve (a total of 66 ships), off Cape Trafalgar on 21October 1805. The battle, during which only one ship was sunk, lasted for several hours, but the struggle to bring the battered ships to port, after a large southwest gale broke out, lasted for nine additional days. In this time, the British captured seventeen ships and tried to tow them to Gibraltar, their main base in the western Mediterranean, while the shattered combined fleet tried to shelter in Cadiz. The storm sunk fifteen ships, wrecked off the coasts of Cadiz and Huelva (García Rivera, 2005, 5-6)