#Underwater Archaeology

[ltwilliammowett]

Salvaged cannons from the wreck of the USS Revenge (a schooner with 10-14 guns), which had become entangled in a reef off Watch Hill in Westerly in 1811. Oliver Hazard Perry ordered his men to jettison the cannons, masts and anchor, but lightening the ship did not free it. It sank. The treacherous reefs, rocks and poor visibility ensured that the cannon and other artefacts remained hidden until 2005, when they were recovered.

[victusinveritas]

Over 100,000 ceramic wares from two Chinese shipwrecks, 1500 meters deep in the South China Sea. Discovered in May 2023. Ships dated to the Ming dynasty, 1506-1522

More: https://bio.link/museumofartifacts

[ancientorigins]

During archaeological excavations at the bottom of Lake Asveja in Lithuania, archaeologists made the astonishing discovery of the well-preserved remains of a medieval soldier who perished wearing leather boots.

This discovery shed light on life during the Middle Ages, offering clues to his connection to a significant castle nearby. The artifacts found alongside, including a sword and knives, helped date the soldier to the 16th century and provided clues to his storied past.

[clove-pinks]

Last post about the Franklin Expedition artifacts reminds me that there is no news yet of wreck dives going on this year. The people who track the research vessels who visit the sites haven't reported any movement north, and the season only lasts so long.

Looking into it, there has been heavy sea ice in the northwest passage this year. It's humbling that it can keep ships away even in the 21st century.

[chrysocomae]

See the Titanic wreckage without losing 250k or your life

[chaotic-archaeologist]

I've been listening to this super cool podcast called Into the Depths. It's about black scuba divers who explore the shipwrecks of slave ships, and it talks a bit about marine archeology and its just!! So cool! Archeology is absolutely fascinating, especially when you get into marine archeology. It's such a cool field, and it can do so much! I just wanted to share because I'm really excited about learning that marine archeology is a thing. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Good to know! I'll tag @tarivin because I know they do marine archaeology. I haven't heard about this podcast, but it's certainly and interesting topic.

-Reid

[pardoncaptainkidd]

The Quedagh Merchant was Captain Kidd’s last big capture. This ship had been missing since 1699, with only a burned rope tied to a tree left behind. It had been a mystery for centuries what had happened to this vessel and if it had housed treasure on board that Kidd had claimed on his voyage. Kidd had only reported supplies, guns/cannons and a few goods on the ship, however people did not believe he told the truth since he was accused and wanted for piracy. In 2007, cannons were discovered 25 meters off the shore line of Isle de Catalina in the Dominican Republic by a snorkeler. The Dominican Republic’s Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático (ONPCS) was contacted, who then contacted the Indiana University to have their archeology department come out and investigate the findings.

In 2008, the shipwreck was investigated and it was confirmed that this was the Quedagh Merchant’s wreck, thanks to cross referencing historical records, documents and data. One document they used was the written testimony from William Kidd himself, reporting a description of the Quedagh Merchant and its cargo:

“And that there is on board the same the Several Goods following first About one hundred and fifty bayles Seventy or eighty Tons of Sugar About ten Tons of Iron in short junks About fourteen or fifteen anchors Forty Tons of Salt Peter About Twenty Guns in the hold Thirty Guns mounted being the Guns lately belonging to the Adventure Galley There is no gold or silver on board that he knows of saith he The Ship is about four hundred tons in burthen built at Surrat by the Moors. All her seams are rabbeted.”

After surveying and identifying the contents at the shipwreck, it was confirmed that all of the non organic matter matched Kidd’s testimony. Having this evidence helps further argue Kidd’s honest intent with his return to the colonies. He did not want to hide or run, because he knew he had not committed any piracy.

You can read more about this shipwreck and its history in Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship: The Wreck of the Quedagh Merchant by Fredrick H. Hanselmann

[ancientstuff]

Absolutely fascinating study of the origins of the copper used in the Benin bronzes.

[a-solitary-sea-rover-backup]

"For some, these recovery efforts and archaeological studies document something more human than history alone can relate, because the story of the ship was never completed. These objects were not passed down through the ages, touched by countless hands, used, and discarded. To others, the discovery of a shipwreck collapses time. The years between the wreck and the subsequent recovery disappear, and readers are connected directly to the people whose lives were lost, whose stories were so abruptly ended."

- Claudia Pennington, The History of Shipwrecks (1999)

[hadrianandantinuous]

hey, don't cry *brings you up from the sea floor from a depth of thousands of meters causing you to explode due to changes in pressure*

[ltwilliammowett]

Roman Wreck

This roman merchant wreck from the 3rd century AD that sank off the coast of Marausa, Sicily has now been salvaged in its entirety. The wreck which is called Marausa II is in very good condition and about 12 metres long and 4 metres wide. Even the cargo, consisting of various amphorae, could be salvaged, including some very rare and unique objects found. However, the archaeologists have not yet said what they found.

The wreck itself is now to be conserved and restored in the Baglio Anselmi Archaeological Museum for public viewing and will later be exhibited alongside the other wreck, Masaura I.

[ancientorigins]

Underwater team finds 8,000-year-old stilt village in Lake Ohrid, Albania, possibly Europe's oldest, guarded by 100,000 wooden spikes.

[clove-pinks]

My post from over a month ago where I ponder no news of Franklin Expedition wreck dives this year continues to get occasional notes, although I haven't bothered to update it since true Franklinheads are well aware that there IS a dive season this year (albeit with a late start).

The sites that will be explored are still somewhat of a mystery. Research Vessel David Thompson switched off her location beacon in the vicinity of the wreck sites (Logan Zachary theorised that she is headed for Erebus).

I understand why the location beacon was turned off (the wreck sites are off-limits and have local Inuit guardians), but it feels eerie. You go near the wreck sites and you fall off the map, outside of time and space.

[fleurdufeu]

Tamara Thomson from the Wisconsin Historical society found Another ancient canoe in Lake Mendota!

From the article:

“The canoe is about 14.5 feet long and carved from a single piece of white oak. It is believed to be the oldest canoe discovered in the Great Lakes region by roughly 1,000 years.”

[victusinveritas]

A cabin aboard the steamship Aachen, torpedoed in 1915 and now at the bottom of the Baltic.

[southeastasianarchaeology]

580 pieces of relics retrieved from ancient shipwrecks-Xinhua

via Xinhua, 19 October 2023: 580 relics from Ming Dynasty shipwrecks in the South China Sea shed light on China's ancient Maritime Silk Road.

via Xinhua, 19 October 2023: Nearly 580 artefacts, including porcelain, pottery, and timber, have been discovered in two ancient shipwrecks in the South China Sea. These findings, announced by China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and were found about 1,500 meters below sea level. The relics offer concrete evidence of China’s historical…