An image of a scuba diver holding a clipboard under water. He is hovering above a field of debris including plant material and cannon balls. In the background, three other divers are visible. The diver in the foreground is a Black man wearing white swim trunks and a clear and blue dive mask.

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About the Slave Wrecks Project

The Slave Wrecks Project conducts research on the history and legacies of global slavery through the lens of maritime archaeology.

two divers underwater sitting on a rock covered in kelp and coral. the two are both looking at notes in front of them.

From No Return: The Journey of the Slave Ship São José

Explore the global history of the slave ship São José and the work of the Slave Wrecks Project in its recovery in this digital exhibition

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With our partners, we work in

Africatown, U.S.A.
Biscayne, U.S.A.
Brazil
Mozambique
Senegal
South Africa
St. Croix, U.S.V.I.

Coordinating Office

Gabrielle Chantal
Miller

Co-Coordinator & Archaeologist, SWP
NMAAHC, U.S.A.

A woman smiles in the center of the frame, wearing a checkered black blazer and purple shirt. The background behind her is white. She has curly hair worn in a bob, and she wears gold hoop earrings and gold rimmed glasses.

Coordinating Office

Yariana
Rodriguez

Project Administrator, SWP
GWU, U.S.A.

Coordinating Office

Raquel
Machaqueiro,

Post-Doctorate Researcher
GWU, U.S.A.

A photograph of a white man from the torso up wearing a khaki shirt. He is smiling. The background is white with the edge of a piece of wood and cloth visible on the right side of the image.

Coordinating Office

Steve
Lubkemann

Co-Director
GWU, U.S.A

A man stands in the center of the frame, looking at the camera. The background is light gray. He is wearing a black blazer and blue button up shirt

Coordinating Office

Paul
Gardullo

Co-Director
NMAAHC, U.S.A.

Coordinating Office

Antonio
Austin

Researcher and Write
NMAAHC, U.S.A

Coordinating Office

Gracie
Wagnon

Program Assistant
NMAAHC, U.S.A

The Slave Wrecks Project brings together an interdisciplinary, global group of scholars, scientists, students, divers, and descendants to do our work around the world. Meet all of our global collaborators here.

Meet the team

The Latest From SWP

Reflecting on Teaching Difficult Histories in Portugal

Read Luís Graça reflections on the challenges of teaching difficult histories related to colonialism in Portugal

Woman standing in front of a a wall of art in a gallery. The central painting on the wall is of a black man facing away from the audience with a completely white ship balanced on his head

The Camargo: A History of Global Connections

In 1852, the brig Camargo arrived in Bracuí, Angra dos Reis, with more than 500 enslaved Africans onboard.

Preserving the Maritime Histories From Our Past

Angelo Ayedoun, a PhD candidate from Benin, reflects on the protection maritime histories and his time as an intern in Biscayne National Park.

Dispatch from Angra dos Reis, Brazil

I just wanted to share a quick dispatch from our unforgettable morning in Angra dos Reis, the site of the wreck of the slave ship, Camargo. You know how gorgeous the coast of Brazil is. And three hours or so from Rio, it’s rural and lush, achingly beautiful. The mountains fold around the bay here and drop right into the sea. The water is every shade of calm. But we’re here because of the history of this place.

Rituals of Collecting Sea Water

Written by AfrOrigens and Emerson Mec to explain the process of collecting water from the site of the Camargo for inclusion in the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition in Rio de Janeiro.

Man and women stand on the edge of a boat filling two clay vessels with water

In Slavery’s Wake and the Camargo

Descendants of the enslaved people from the Santa Rita do Bracuí farm now form the Quilombo do Bracuí and fight to remain on the land of their ancestors. The work of the Slave Wrecks Project and its partners in Brazil – AfrOrigens and the quilombo itself, ensures that this work is also about reclamation, about healing, and about empowerment.

Collection of people standing in front of a statue

Sea Paths: Routes and Memories on Mozambique Island

This project grew out of a desire to bring the public closer to these maritime stories, not just as historical data, but as a living part of the communities that continue to inhabit and care for the sea.

From the Shore to the Deep: My Journey as a Community Monitor from Mozambique Island

I often saw archaeologists, divers, and researchers coming from all over the world to the island to study our maritime cultural heritage I would watch them and think “what is the world was like beyond the coast?” I wanted to do the same. I didn't know that a seed was being planted in me.

Swim to Scuba: Student Reflections on the Power of Diving

The Africatown Swim to Scuba Program is a collaborative project aimed at empowering residents of Africatown to engage with underwater heritage through access to the water, specifically swimming and scuba diving proficiency.