Accession Number

1986.008.0823

Alternate object names

Anchor

Creation Date

circa 1620

Description

Spanish, 1 ton anchor of typical form. Large flukes, absent shank.

Exhibition Label

Object/Case Caption (2023): 

Sheet Anchor
Wrought Iron (c.1550)
Gift of Jamestown Inc.
1986.008.0823

The broken shank of this anchor attests to the force of the storm that struck the 1622 Fleet. Part of the reason that this one broke might be the proportion of the shank to the flukes. Flukes of this size needed a thicker shank to withstand hurricane conditions, but the design is typical of Spanish anchors in this period.

While the larger bower anchors, two of which are located in the museum’s courtyard, would have been the galleons’ main resource, sheet anchors were used when the bower anchors were not enough to hold the ship.