Last known US slave ship the Clotilda should stay under water, say experts

The investigation found the ship had corrosion, wood damage and other physical problems due to vandalism and severe weather, among other things.

State Archaeologist Stacye Hathorn said that while the Clotilda “retains significant archaeological integrity”, its structure was “severely compromised” by its sinking and “subsequent impacts, both natural and human”.

The report recommended to cover exposed pieces of the wreck with sediment to create a near-zero oxygen environment, instead of attempting to excavate the ship and risking deterioration.

The US banned the importation of slaves in 1808, and slavery itself was abolished in 1865.

Survivors of the Clotilda were freed after the American Civil War and 32 of them bought land in a town near where the ship was found that eventually became known as Africatown. Some descendants of Clotilda survivors still live in the town.

Descendants have been a major part of conversations about how to move forward following the discovery of the ship.