The Ship Beneath Ground Zero:
Unlocking the Mystery of the Tyger
Join maritime archaeologist Martijn Manders and historian Dennis Maika for an evening exploring one of New York's oldest mysteries.
February 3
7:00pm 0 8:30pm
The Netherland Club of New York
3 West 51st Street, NY, NY
Patron Members: Free - Basic Members: $20 - Guest of Members: $30
In 1613, Captain Adriaen Block's ship the Tyger caught fire while anchored off lower Manhattan. Block went on to build the first European settlement on the island and map the waters that would enable Dutch colonization. The ship itself vanished, until nearly three hundred years later workers tunneling near what is now Ground Zero unearthed charred timbers, a Dutch axe, trade beads, and pottery shards.
Manders, in New York to collaborate with the Museum of the City of New York on its first major scientific investigation of these artifacts, will discuss the research now underway—including tree ring analysis and isotopic testing that could finally confirm whether these remains are the Tyger. Maika will place Block's voyages in the broader story of Dutch exploration and the founding of New Amsterdam.
Moderated by Cultural Attaché Pauline Genee.
In 1613, Captain Adriaen Block's ship the Tyger caught fire while anchored off lower Manhattan. Block went on to build the first European settlement on the island and map the waters that would enable Dutch colonization. The ship itself vanished, until nearly three hundred years later workers tunneling near what is now Ground Zero unearthed charred timbers, a Dutch axe, trade beads, and pottery shards.
Manders, in New York to collaborate with the Museum of the City of New York on its first major scientific investigation of these artifacts, will discuss the research now underway—including tree ring analysis and isotopic testing that could finally confirm whether these remains are the Tyger. Maika will place Block's voyages in the broader story of Dutch exploration and the founding of New Amsterdam.
Moderated by Cultural Attaché Pauline Genee.
Martijn Manders is Professor of Underwater Archaeology and Maritime Heritage Management at Leiden University and heads the Maritime Programme at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands.
With over 30 years in the field, he oversees the management of nearly 1,600 Dutch shipwrecks around the world and serves on the board of the International Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICOMOS-ICUCH).
He is in New York to collaborate with the Museum of the City of New York on its investigation into the Tyger shipwreck.
Dennis Maika is Senior Historian and Education Director at the New Netherland Institute, where he leads research and educational programs on America's Dutch colonial history.
He holds a PhD in history from New York University and specializes in 17th-century New Amsterdam, with particular expertise in merchant networks and the city's early development.
His work includes the New Amsterdam Stories project, a collaboration with the NYC Municipal Archives and the Stadsarchief Amsterdam.
Pauline Genee is Head of Culture for the Netherlands to the United States at the Dutch Consulate General in New York, where she oversees Dutch Culture USA and cultural diplomacy initiatives across the country.
She studied French and Russian and trained as a diplomat.
She is also a novelist—her debut Duel met Paard was nominated for the Anton Wachterprijs and praised by the book panel of De Wereld Draait Door.
Presented by the NL Club NYC in partnership with the Museum of the City of
New York and Dutch Culture USA.
