Wed., May 21: Civil War Blockade Runner Likely Found, Stolen Yemen Statue in London, Australian Brewery Site’s Glimpse to Past

In recent news, the boat remains of Civil War blockade runner Kate Dale may have been discovered in a river, a stolen Yemen statue has been found, and an old brewery site in Melbourne, Australia could bring forth some very interesting artifacts. Let’s get to the links…

Marine archaeologist Billy Ray Morris may have found Kate Dale, a Civil War blockade runner, at the bottom of Florida’s Hillsborough River. James McKay was the captain of 80 to 100 foot boat, and ran runs of cotton to Cuba for supplies.

According to the article, Hull of Civil War sloop likely found in Tampa river, McKay had a deal with the Union to go through the blockade.

That arrangement became too obvious, and Union troops were ordered to burn Morris’s boats, including the Kate Dale.

In other news, a stolen Yemen statue made of bronze depicting a dancing woman was found in a London auction house. According to a Yemen Observer source at the archeology prosecution,

"Sources in London reported that they found the stolen state in one of London’s auctions," said the source. "The statue was smuggled to Dubai then to London to show in the auction. The case is now in the court that investigating and questioning some suspects."

An old brewery site in Melbourne, Australia, could be a wealthy source of artifacts when archaeologist go looking later this year.

Relics left from the over 100 year-old brewery are of interest. And potentially better, artifacts from early city homes that may have been on the site first.

“We’re looking at a residential community, one of the first neighborhoods of Melbourne.

And it may have survived reasonably well. We think that when the brewery was built over the top of the site, there wasn’t a lot of below-ground disturbance," said Heritage Victoria senior archaeologist Jeremy Smith.

For more, read Brewery site a treasure trove of city’s past.