Government has commissioned a team of archaeologists to examine the wreck which lies beneath the proposed berth of Dockyard's new cruise ship terminal.

As reported in The Royal Gazette, former Premier Dame Jennifer Smith insisted that developers undertake an archaeological survey prior to any construction. Dame Jennifer, who is chairman of the Historic Wrecks Authority, wrote to the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, saying: "Of concern is the plan to dredge an area of the seafloor below the projected berth of the cruise ship. The Custodian (Dr. Philippe Rouja) has surveyed this area and discovered that what has been termed an obstruction is in fact a historic wreck."

The 65ft long by 19ft wide iron vessel is thought to be one of the original tugs used to build Royal Naval Dockyard in the mid-19th century. And remnants of Prison Hulks and The Woodside, a 200ft iron and wooden ship, have also been discovered, raising concern about the impact of dredging and piling work during construction.

According to Bermuda's Historic Wrecks Act 2001, a wreck can only be removed with a permit from the Historic Wrecks Authority. Construction of the cruise ship terminal therefore hinges on the findings of the archaeological survey.

The team, headed by Dr. Nathan Richards and Dr. Bradley Rodgers of the Department of Maritime Studies at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, will arrive in Bermuda at the end of the cruise ship season in November.

A Government spokesman said yesterday: "To date no one has been able to definitively determine what the wreck is. Speculators have suspected anything from a sunken barge to a historically significant tug boat.

"In a dedicated effort to make a definitive and reliable determination, the Ministry of Tourism and Transport has enlisted the assistance of archaeological experts from overseas.

"Meantime, while the Ministry awaits the result of this prudent approach, no work on the future cruise ship pier is being conducted anywhere in the vicinity of the wreck. The Ministry is communicating with the Historic Wrecks Authority to ensure maritime heritage is properly protected during all phases of this project. All preliminary work currently being performed (test pile driving) will not impact the wreck."

Government Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque added: "This work is specifically required so that the work can be photographed and the effects on the marine environment can be observed, recorded, and made part of the Environmental Impact Study."

Dr. Edward Harris of the Bermuda Maritime Museum said: "This is the best approach to any matter such as this, where the facts are not known. We put the scientists, that is to say the archaeologists in this instance, onto the job and they will record and determine the nature of the wreck."

Plans for Phase One of the New Cruise Ship Pier, by the West End Development Corporation, are currently under review by Planning officers. The new terminal will accommodate Panamax and Post-Panamax size megaships, bringing thousands of tourists to the Island.

Construction requires stabilising 300 circular steel piles into the seabed in a yearlong operation. Test piling has already started to calculate the building materials needed and to monitor noise levels through the water — so as not to harm the dolphins at Dolphin Quest.