ROBERT STENUIT
Robert Pierre Andre Stenuit, a former cave diver and the test diver who made at sea the first ever experimental, deep water saturation dives (on heliox), has for many years been devoting his full time to maritime history and underwater archaeology. In 1970 he founded the ‘Groupe de Recherche Archeologique Sous-Marine Post Medievale’ (GRASP) which he has directed since, together with his daughter, the archaeologist Marie-Eve Stenuit. GRASP has devoted their activities to the search for, the survey and the excavation of the wrecks of these ships the traffic of which constituted the great inter-oceanic commercial currents that followed the 15th and 16th century geographical discoveries in Africa, the Americas and Asia. On the one hand the ships include the wrecks of Portuguese naus and carracks of the Carreira da India and of the galleons and naos of the Spanish Carrera de Indias which, for three centuries, did import in Europe not only the riches and goods of the West Indies, the Americas and Asia, but also the knowledge of their exotic cultures. And, on the other hand, the wrecks of the ships of the East India companies (English, Dutch, French, Danish, Swedish, of Ostende, of Trieste etc.) which simultaneously were re-exporting to Asia the larger part of the riches that had come from the West, together with Europe’s own produce, in exchange for which they would in turn bring back home the riches and produce of the Orient. Under the direction of Robert and Marie-Eve Stenuit, the members of GRASP have located, excavated and published the wrecks of 17 ancient merchant vessels. In addition a number of warships whose guns were keeping open the great commercial lanes of the four oceans. In its 35 years GRASP has discovered, surveyed, excavated and published the wrecks of the following ships: • Frigate Wendela, Danish Asiatic Company, 1737, Fetlar, Shetland • Flute Lastdrager, V.O.C., 1653, Yell, Shetland • Slot ter Hooge, V.O.C., 1724, Porto Santo, Madeira • Witte Leeuw, V.O.C., 1613, St Helena, South Atlantic • De Boot, V.O.C., 1738, South Devon, UK • Winterton, E.E.I.C., 1792, Salary, Madagascar • Saint Jean Baptiste, French East India Company, Banc de l’Etoile, Madagascar • Steamer Mei-Kong, 1877, Somalia • Nao Nuestra Se�ora de la Asumpcion Y Las Animas, 1681, Carrera de Indias, Panama • Galleass Girona, Invincible Armada, 1588, Northern Ireland • Frigate Ath�nienne, RN, 1806, Esquerquiz, Mediterranean • Cutter Sprightly, RN, 1777, Guernsey • Curacao, Admiraliteit Amsterdam, 1729, Unst, Shetland • Pink Evstaffi, Russian Imperial Navy, 1780, Griff Skerry, Shetland • Frigate Thetis, RN, 1830, Cabo Frio, Brazil • Nau Nossa Senhora Do Monte Do Carmo, Royal Portuguese Navy, 1775, Salary, Madagascar Robert and Marie-Eve Stenuit are Belgian and are based in Brussels.