Marine archaeologists working in the English Channel have announced the discovery of the wreckage of a large Jacobean ship off the coast of Dorset. They believe the vessel sank around 1620, possibly after being hit during a naval battle near Portland.
The oak-timbered ship was 40m (130ft) long and weighed around 600-tons making it one of the largest of its kind. The researchers, based at Bournemouth University in Dorset, have determined that the ship had an ornate exterior which included wood carvings and even precious gems. The ship was most likely either British or Dutch and could have been a warship or merchant vessel.
The wreck was discovered in late 2004, 7m (23ft) underwater in an area used by ferries to cross the channel. The excavation team has made several dives this year and recovered a number of artifacts including seven iron cannon, remnants of cargo barrels, pottery fragments, a copper skillet and a silver spoon. The most important find came last month when divers retrieved a 1.4m (4.5ft) wooden statue of a merman whose eye sockets once held precious stones. The archaeologists say the carving is of one of several statues that adored the vessel’s stern.
X-rays revealed that boreworms are eating the statue’s lower half. The worms were previously found only in the Mediterranean and the team says the presence of the worms could be due to global warming. That could spell trouble for the preservation of other historic ship wrecks in the English Channel.
Web Resources:
Telegraph article - Jacobean ‘Titanic’ discovered by archaeologists
One Comment
What a tragedy. Any theoretical reasons how the ship sank?