
Solid ship ballast from the age of sail tells surprising stories about history - curtis
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/features/how-bomb-debris-from-bristol-england-made-a-road-in-nyc/
======
grumblepeet
The building I currently work at in central Bristol was built in one of the
areas that was largely destroyed in the war by bombing (Castle Park). There is
a BBC article about the rubble being transported here
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-
bristol-41700547/how...](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-
bristol-41700547/how-bricks-from-bristol-were-used-to-build-part-of-new-york)

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lostlogin
I’m struggling to find a source, but I’ve read in a few places that during the
the gold rush in New Zealand, ships returning to San Francisco took timber -
Kauri specifically - and it’s found in older houses there. Judging by the lack
or sources I can find this may be a NZ urban legend.

~~~
yoloswagins
Not an urban legend at all. Small amounts of Kauri made it to SF as
prefabricated houses.

[http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2010/08/12/san-francisco-kauri-
and...](http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2010/08/12/san-francisco-kauri-and-quakes/)

------
InitialLastName
> around 1000 BCE there was a short-lived Viking settlement at L’Anse aux
> Meadows at the northernmost tip of Newfoundland.

> around 1000 BCE

I'm certain they don't mean BCE here. That kind of bad editing makes me doubt
every fact in the piece. Not that they aren't necessarily true, but it makes
me suspect the whole endeavor.

Edit: They've fixed that, so my complaint no longer stands.

~~~
vikingpeople
I've let them know.

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zeristor
Coal from Fife to Holland, and they brought back tiles.

[https://www.shepherdroofingandslating.co.uk/history-fifes-
co...](https://www.shepherdroofingandslating.co.uk/history-fifes-coastal-
roofs/)

------
fourthark
I always wondered where all the material came from that they used to extend
Manhattan into the harbor. Largely ballast!

~~~
ryanianian
And whole ships!

[https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/World-Trade-Center-
Shi...](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/World-Trade-Center-Ship-Mystery-
Philadelphia-Buried-Treasure-Colonial-Era-269245151.html)

------
Shivetya
I am curious what critters hitched rides out of China. Being a collector of
antique porcelain in addition to glass I was amazed at how much porcelain
still sits on the floors of ocean areas including near some European ports.
There was so much of the stuff being shipped that it was used as ballast on
its journey to Europe.

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acjohnson55
I've heard it is conjectured that the Basques may have made it to North
America before the explorers reported "discovery" of the continent. It will be
really interesting if this sort of evidence ends up confirming (or, more
disappointingly, debunking) this legend.

But I find it interesting to consider that not all enterprising seafarers
would have considered it a good idea for knowledge of exploitable resources
across the sea to be publicized.

~~~
Naga
There's other rumours (is that the right word?) that English fishermen were
very familiar with the Grand Banks as well, and could have used North America
as a staging group

~~~
dotancohen
I think that "speculation" is the word you are looking for.

