Maritime archaeology in Britain and Ireland 1993

The International Journal oJ Nautical Archaeology (1994) 23.2: 147-1 53

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Maritime archaeology in Britain and Ireland 1993

This compilation is formed from individual submissions, abstracts of longer reports and new items. It includes, for the first time, a summary of the sites visited by the Archaeo- logical Diving Unit who have recently produced an updated guide to historic wreck-sites. Forty sites in UK territorial waters are now designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 (Fig. 1). Since the first index of historic wreck-sites was produced in 1979 by the then Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Depart- ment of Trade, Stanley Clinton-Davis, a further 23 sites have been designated and two sites, the Colossus and the Rlzinns of Islay, have seen their designations revoked. The wreck of the Dartmouth, a fifth-rate naval vessel lost in the Sound of Mull in 1738 was temporarily de-designated, but is now re-instated. Since excavation of the site in the 1970s more of the vessel has come to light. The distribution of historic wreck-sites has changed little. There is still no site on the east coast between Orkney and the Thames. This is unlikely to be a reflection of the real situation.

The compiler is grateful to those representa- tives of specialist groups and contributors who provided reports, particularly: Alex Hildred, Mary Rose Trust; Robin Leigh; Tim Sharpe; and Duncan Simpson, Archaeological Diving Unit. Contributors for Maritime archaeology in Britain and Ireland 1994 should submit reports by the end of December 1994.

Index Admiral Gardner Anchor Boatlboat planks Bridge Bronze Age Carrack Castle Coronation Crannog Fishweir

26 26 11; 15 11 4; 25 17 3 19 3?; 4 6

Fluyt Hazardous lona I1 Intertidal survey In vincible Iron Age Jetty Marble Mary Mary Rose Medieval Neolithic Northumberland Ordnance Paddle steamer Post-medieval Prehistoric Roman period Royal Charter Royal Anne Schiedam St. Anthony Settlement Steamship Trackway Warship Wrangels Palais

16 28 20 6; 7; 8; 29 24 4; 25 11 14 13 23 2; 3; 6 25 27 1; 9; 21; 26; 27; 28 20 5; 9; 10; 14; 29 4; 8; 15 11; 25 12 18 16 17 4; 15 12; 20 15 5; 14; 18; 21 1

Scotland Shetland 1 . Wrangels Palais (1687). Latitude 60" 25.5'N, longitude 0" 43.27'W. The site identified as the remains of a Danish man-of-war was designated following its discovery by Tim Sharpe, Strathclyde University Sub Aqua Club, in 1990. Following a preliminary site survey in 1992, a joint team from Strathclyde University Sub Aqua Club and Oxford University Marine Archaeological Research (MARE) conducted a survey during July 1993. Thirty-three of the ship's supposed complement of 46 guns were located. Scattered between the guns were more than 177 pieces of iron shot, varying in

0 1994 The Nautical Archaeology Society 1057-2414/94/020147+07 $08.00/0

NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 23.2

Figure 1. The Distribution of wreck-sites designated under the Protec- tion of Wrecks Act 1973 within UK Territorial Waters. (Reproduced with the permission of the Archaeological Div- ing Unit.) Numbers refer to the following sites: 1, Cattewater; 2, Mary Rose; 3, Grace Dieu; 4, Amsterdam; 5, Mary; 6, AssurancelPomone; 7, Anne; 8, Tearing Ledge; 9, Rill Cove; 10, South Edinburgh Channel; 11, Church Rocks; 12, Pwll Fanog; 13, Moor Sand; 14, Coronation (inshore); 15, Kenner- merland; 16, Langdon Bay; 17, Tal-y-bont; 18, Stirling Castle; 19, Invincible; 20, Bartholomew Ledge; 21, Northumberland; 22, Restoration; 23, St Anthony; 24, Schiedam; 25, Brighton Marina; 26, Yannouth Roads; 27, Studland Bay; 28, Admiral Gardner; 29, Hazardous; 30, Coronation (offshore); 31, Iona II; 32, Gull Rock; 33, Wrangels Palais; 34, Erme Estuary; 35, The Smalls; 36, Duart Point; 37, Dartmouth; 38, Girona; 39, Royal Anne; and 40, Enne Ingot site.

diameter from 100 to 150 mm. The apparent absence of ancillary material such as anchors and ballast was surprising, but a metal detector

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survey of a scree slope indicated the presence of buried remains. The complete extent of the site is not yet clear (Fig. 2). Further work is

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Figure 2. Wrungels Puluis (1687) 1993 survey. (Drawing: T. Sharpe.).

planned for 1994. Source: Tim Sharpe, 2/1 25 Havelock Street, Downanhill, Glasgow G11 5JF.

Orkney 2. A Coastal survey by Anne Allen, University of Durham, on nine of the islands in the group revealed previously unrecorded archaeological sites eroding out of the shore and went some way to establishing the rate at which several known sites are being destroyed. The work was supported by the Eric Fletcher Fund of the Society for Medieval Archaeology.

Highlund Region 3. Lochindorb, Speyside. The Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology conducted survey work around the base of an island, possibly

artificial, at Lochindorb. Features on the loch- bed, thought to be associated with the 13th- to 15th-century castle which lies nearby, were also investigated.

Per thsh ire 4. Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay. The Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology visited the site during 1993 to take timber samples for a research project on toolmarks.

Sound of Mull 5 . Duart Point. Survey work by the Scottish Institute of Maritime Studies on the site of a 17th-century wreck continued in 1993. The wreck may be a small armed vessel, possibly a sloop.

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Ireland County Clare 6. Fergus Estuary. Intertidal survey by the North Munster Project uncovered a post-and- wattle fish weir of sharpened roundwood posts with interwoven rods. The structure has been radiocarbon dated to c. AD 534-646.

7. Shannon Estuary. The North Munster Project conducted an intertidal survey in the estuary in 1993.

Co. Limmerick 8. Intertidal survey by the North Munster Project during 1993 identified evidence of late prehistoric settlement.

Co. Wexford 9. Nymphe Bank, SE Ireland. In March a bronze cannon was trawled up off the south- east coast of Ireland in 80m of water by the trawler Hendrikja skippered by John O’Flaherty. The gun was recorded by F. R. Leigh and N. St John Hennessy. It had been lying in or on a seabed of fine sand and showed no marine growth, being only partially dam- aged when it was dragged along the bottom by the trawler. It was a 12 lb gun, 1.83 m long with a bore 120 mm wide at the muzzle, tapering to 118 mm and 1.74 m long. The gun was stamped with the date 1626. The cannon was unusually lightly built with an estimated thickness of only 30mm. The diameter at the breech ring was 0.25m. The gun bore the makers’ name Johannes Silhof (d. 1638), the director of the Malines gun foundry, just north of Brussels. Source: F. R. Leigh, Rosegarland, Wellington Bridge, Co. Wexford.

10. Tremore Strand. A survey of 18th- century wrecks temporarily exposed on the foreshore was undertaken by F. R. Leigh.

Wales Gwent 11. Barland’s Farm, Magor. The Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust uncovered a Romano-Celtic boat, a bridge or jetty and a rubble platform, in the course of a routine investigation in advance of development on the

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Caldicot levels in the Severn Estuary. The site lies on the eastern edge of an ancient channel floodplain. The rubble platform with roundwood piles, including re-used boat timbers, was dated to the late 3rd- or early 4th-centuries AD. It was probably a small landing stage or fish weir. The foundations of a bridge or jetty comprising timber posts, and the boat, were also dated, on the basis of pottery sherds, to the 3rd century AD. The boat was abandoned next to the rubble platform whilst the latter was still in use.

The boat as it survived was 9.7 m long, 2.6 m in beam and 0.7 m deep (Fig. 2). It is estimated that originally it would have measured 11.4 m by 3.2m with a depth of 0.8m amidships. It was flat-bottomed, with four bottom planks and five strakes surviving on one side and three on the other. The stem section was missing, as were one or two strakes and elements of the framing. Seventeen of the floors survived. These were arranged as both double curved and side timbers.

Built in the skeleton sequence and fastened by iron nails turned back into the timber, the boat is similar to the Blackfriars I boat excavated in London and the boat from St Peter’s Port, Guernsey. The mast was stepped well forward in the tradition of Romano-Celtic boats. It was probably a sea-going vessel, rather than a barge.

The boat was dismantled in the field and is now undergoing conservation. Source: Nigel Nayling, Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust; Sean McGrail, Institute of Archaeology, Oxford.

Gwynedd 12. Royal Charter (1859), Anglesey. In July 1993 the Archaeological Diving Unit visited the site of this iron auxiliary steam clipper. Exten- sive salvage has previously taken place and the only archaeological material observed on this occasion were fragments of iron plating and concretion.

13. Mary, Anglesey. The designated wreck- site of Charles 11’s royal yacht was visited in July by the Archaeological Diving Unit. No obvious changes to the remains were visible since the last visit in 1991.

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14. Tal-y-bont. The Archaeological Diving Unit visited the designated site of this late 17th-century wreck in April. The scatter of large marble blocks and iron guns appeared unchanged since 1991, although sediment levels were lower.

15. Goldcliff, Severn Estuary. Excavation on this intertidal site by Martin Bell, St David’s College, Lampeter, continued during 1992 and 1993. Structures uncovered include buildings, trackways, a post alignment, boat planks and a fish trap. Radiocarbon dates cluster in the later first millenium BC. The boat planks, re-used in a small wooden platform, were from a sewn boat. Vertical holes containing the remains of plant fibres ran down the edges of the planks. The planks probably belong to the Bronze Age. They produced a radiocarbon date of 2720 ~ ~ O B P (CAR-1434). The site was built on alder carr and reed swamp, and was evidently subject to occasional flooding. It is thought likely that the buildings were associated with the seasonal grazing of animals on the wetland and fishing in the estuary.

England Cornwall 16. Schiedam (1684). Excavation on the designated site of this Dutch fluyt continued in 1993. Several small artefacts were recovered. The diving team, who are also involved with the St. Anthony, aim to continue their investiga- tions in 1994.

17. St Anthony (1527). Work continued in 1993 on the designated site of this Portuguese carrack. A trial excavation in one of the gulleys failed to produce any archaeological material. Further excavation is planned for 1994.

18. Royal Anne (1721). Divers have dis- covered the site of the Royal Navy’s last oared fighting ship lost off the Lizard in 1721. It has been designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act and a licence for archaeological survey is being sought. Source: British Archaeological Briefing, March 1994.

Devon 19. Coronation (1691). A marine biological survey of the designated offshore site of the

Coronation continued in 1993. The work involved recording the species present and at- tempting to describe their settlement patterns and effect on archaeological material. Further work is planned for 1994.

20. Iona IZ (1864), Lundy. The Archaeo- logical Diving Unit visited this designated site in May. The remains of an iron hull and steam engine of the paddle steamer appeared unchanged since 1992.

21. Gull Rock, Lundy. A small team visited the designated site of this 15th- or 16th-century armed vessel to carry out a pre-disturbance survey. Two wrought iron cannons, a breech- loading gun and a quantity of stone shot were recorded.

Hampshire 22. Alum Bay. The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology surveyed an early 19th-century wreck during the course of 1993. A coherent section of wooden hull with iron fittings is present.

23. Mary Rose (1545), The Solent. Source: Alex Hildred, Mark Jones and Margaret Rule, Mary Rose Trust.

Routine Archaeological Work This is ongoing and includes monitoring sediment movement within the hull depression and the surrounding debris field by the interroga- tion of 16 monitors and sediment traps. Other routine work includes examination of profiles both across the site and along the length of the site in the centre of the hull depression. These are re-established from the same points regularly to monitor the depth and type of sediment within the depression as well as burial, exposure or re-exposure of known erratics.

Specific areas of known sensitivity are care- fully examined each year and are recorded, buried, re-buried or excavated as necessary. This includes the bowcastle structure, which became detached from the hull prior to the modem programme of survey and excavation. This has never been disturbed by modern excavation and is therefore an important example of non-interference and original burial con- ditions. Other areas include a section beneath

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the sterncastle where the in situ standing rigging was recovered, and portions of Tudor cable beneath the ship which remain from the initial salvage attempts. These areas have been recorded and covered in an attempt to stabilize against erosion.

Reburial experiments Reburial of excavated timbers has been tested on the site since 1979, but in 1993, as part of a large project to study the long-term storage of archaeological timbers, samples of irradiated and non-irradiated timbers of differing species and sections were buried on the site. The first phase of this project will last two years and the marine results will be contrasted with samples buried on a terrestrial site (Market Deeping) and a freshwater site with sewage effluent (Flag Fen) as well as within a laboratory cold room. This work is in association with the University of Portsmouth and is the subject of a Doctoral Thesis.

Monitoring the eflects of sewage on the fabric of marine sites Routine water quality assessment has been undertaken for the site of the Mary Rose over the entire period of the excavation. Since the decision was made to build a longfall sewer to take unprocessed sewage from Eastney into the Solent, temperature and water samples have been obtained before each diving episode. The observed differences in water quality pre- and post-installation (1991) cause concern, with the raised nutrients possibly affecting the popu- lations of marine boring crustaceans and enhancing microbiological attack. Since 1976 studies on the rapidity with which Limmoria spp. destroyed exposed timbers and strategi- cally placed wood baits were realized, and affected the excavation strategy. In 1993 a joint proposal was submitted by the Mary Rose Trust, the Robens Institute of Health and Safety, University of Surrey and Farnborough College. This was accepted for a major SERC award. This has enabled a study of the effects of sewage contaminated water upon the activity of Limnoria spp. as evidenced by infestation on specifically positioned wood baits. The baits include three different wood species with three differing sections for each species. These were placed during 1993 on the sites of the Mary

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Rose and the Invincible (1758). Both sites are within the Solent and are affected to some extent by the sewage discharge. Baits were also placed on the site of the Hazardous (1708) in Bracklesham Bay as a control. These will be compared with laboratory experiments using Limnoria spp. collected from a number of areas and exposed to different degrees of water contamination.

The water quality is being assessed routinely by surface and depth samples obtained from all these sites and from the end of the longfall sewer pipe. Environmental data on each site is being provided by the continual monitoring of temperature, pH, depth, turbidity, conductivity and dissolved oxygen by pHOX data loggers on each site. The sites are visited on average every six weeks.

It is hoped that the data will be used to develop a series of indices of water and sediment quality to provide the foundation of a system which will be applied generally to quantify the risks from changes in water quality to the integrity of the fabric of marine archaeological sites.

24. Invincible (1758), The Solent. The Mary Rose Trust placed wood baits on the site as part of a project to assess the effect of sewage on archaeological timbers.

25. Langstone Harbour. A long-term assessment of the archaeological potential of the harbour, and islands within it, began in August-September 1993 under the auspices of the Hampshire & Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology, Hampshire County Council, Wessex Archaeology and the Department of Geography, Portsmouth University. A series of auger transects were taken across the harbour to record the sequence of sediments and for palaeo-environmental analysis. Field-walking revealed the presence of large quantities of material including worked and burnt fiint, ani- mal bone, pottery, fired clay, charcoal fragments and briquetage with clear indication of the presence of hearths and other structures. Finds were of Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman date. There may be an urnfield on the harbour shore. Source: PAST, The Newsletter of the Prehistoric Society. Number 16, December 1993.

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Kent 26. Admiral Gardner (1 809). The designated wreck site of the English East Indiaman was visited by the Archaeological Diving Unit in August. The large number of iron guns, bars and shot and several anchors appeared unchanged since the previous visit in 1989; however illegal diving had clearly taken place. A mooring rope and buoy had been attached to one of the ship’s anchors and had caused some damage. It was not possible to determine whether there had been any other interference with the site.

27. Nortlzumberland (1703). A local team of divers has been surveying and recording this designated warship by video. Two distinct sections of hull structure were located, along with various fittings and equipment including two iron guns still mounted on their carriages. It is hoped that the primary survey will be completed in 1994.

nated site of this warship. Numerous artefacts were retrieved and are undergoing conservation. Wood baits were placed on the site by the Mary Rose Trust. Work is expected to continue in 1994.

Thames Estuary 29. An intertidal survey by Gustav Milne, University College London, on the Thames foreshore has revealed many structures of post- medieval and earlier date. None of these sites were previously recorded on the relevant Sites and Monuments registers. A systematic survey, using volunteers, of the area from Teddington to the source mapping finds at 1:2500 is planned.

Ann Allen University of Durham Department of Archaeology 46 Saddler Street Durham DH1 3NU UK

West Sussex 28. Hazardous (1706), Bracklesham Bay. Monitoring of erosion continued on the desig-

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Maritime archaeology in Britain and Ireland 1993