Shipwrecks & Sunken Treasure

[ramonmercado]

Such suspicions leap all too readily to mind, don't they? ...

A fishy tale, their perfidy plumbs new depths.

 

[Coal]

A fishy tale, their perfidy plumbs new depths.

Codswallop I'm sure.

 

[Bigphoot2]

More about the Endurance

Endurance wreck: Nations look to protect Shackleton ship from damage​

Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent
@BBCAmoson Twitter

Published6 hours ago
Share

Media caption,
WATCH: First pictures reveal lost Antarctic ship Endurance
A 500m perimeter is being implemented to aid the protection of Endurance, the ship famously lost in the Antarctic by explorer Ernest Shackleton.
The vessel's position on the Weddell Sea floor was finally identified in March, 107 years after its sinking.
Member states of the Antarctic Treaty have already declared the wreck, which lies in 3,000m of water, a Historic Site and Monument (HSM).
Now they have asked for a management plan to guide its ongoing conservation.
This will be drawn up by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT). It will determine the kinds of restrictions and responsibilities that will be placed on anyone who goes near Endurance in the future.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-61890273

 

[EnolaGaia]

At a depth of 20,400 feet, the recently discovered wreck of a WW2 American Fletcher-class destroyer is the deepest shipwreck discovery to date. This wreck is suspected to be the USS Johnston - legendary for its gallantry and tenacity in the October 1944 Battle of Samar. There remains some uncertainty as to whether this is the Johnston rather than another destroyer sunk during the battle. ...

Update ... This wreck discovered in 2019 was indeed the Johnston. The wreck of the other destroyer (mentioned above) has now been located at an even deeper depth.

USS Samuel B Roberts: World's deepest shipwreck discovered

Explorers have found the deepest shipwreck ever identified, a US navy destroyer escort sunk during WWII.
The USS Samuel B Roberts went down during the Battle off Samar in the Philippines in October 1944. It lies in 6,895m (4.28 miles) of water.

Texan billionaire and adventurer Victor Vescovo, who owns a deep-diving submersible, discovered the "Sammy B" battered but largely intact.

The vessel is famed for a heroic final stand against the Japanese.

Outnumbered and outgunned, it managed to contain and frustrate several enemy ships before finally going down.
Of the Samuel B Roberts' 224-man crew, 89 were killed. The 120 survivors had to cling to life rafts for 50 hours before being rescued. ...

It's possible there are others even deeper than the Sammy B or the Johnston.

"There are two other American ships that have yet to be found - the USS Gambier Bay (escort carrier) and the USS Hoel (destroyer)," said Kelvin Murray from EYOS, the company that organised and led Mr Vescovo's expedition. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-61925862

 

[maximus otter]

Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant was closed in 2020 owing to pandemic conditions. Its owners declared the closure permanent and had the elaborate barge towed off to an undisclosed location a week ago. It capsized and sank this past Saturday while in transit.

FULL STORY (With Photos & Videos): https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-jumbo-restaurant-sink-intl-hnk/index.html

Mystery deepens as owners say Hong Kong floating restaurant has not sunk​

...perhaps under pressure from authorities to pass on more information about the apparent wreckage, ARE said on Thursday that the vessel and accompanying tugboat were still in waters near the islands, and therefore reports that the boat had sunk were “inaccurate”. ARE’s PR representatives said on Friday that it was still afloat but that rescue work would be “extremely difficult” due to the depth of the water.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ay-hong-kong-floating-restaurant-has-not-sunk

Perhaps they've just found out that the office junior hadn't kept up the payments on the insurance policy...



maximus otter

 

[EnolaGaia]

It's starting to look like the real "shipwreck" is whatever plan it may have been that ARE was pursuing ...

... on Thursday, facing pressure from authorities to disclose the circumstances surrounding the apparent wreckage, the vessel's owner, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Limited, said in a statement the vessel and its accompanying tugboat were still in waters near the Paracel Islands (known as the Xisha Islands in China).

The statement, provided to the Hong Kong government, did not indicate whether the vessel was still afloat, or if it had become separated from its tugboat.

The apparent shift in messaging follows a request from Hong Kong's Marine Department for the restaurant group to provide a written report into the incident as part of an initial investigation.

A spokesman for Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Limited told CNN on Friday it had always used the term "capsize" to describe the incident and had never claimed the vessel had sunk.

Asked whether this contradicted previous statements, the spokesman said the firm was required "to report the depth of the waters where (the incident) took place," and declined to answer whether this meant the vessel was salvageable or remained afloat.

SOURCE: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/24/...nk-investigation-question-intl-hnk/index.html

 

[maximus otter]

Drought in Italy Reveals Sunken World War II Barge

Plagued by drought, Italy’s largest river is now so low that a sunken World War II barge is jutting out from the water.

The barge, called the Zibello, transported supplies during the war before it sank to the bottom of the Po River near the village of Gualtieri in 1943.

In the past, the Po’s water levels have dipped low enough to reveal the bow of the ship. But now, as a record-setting drought in Northern Italy continues, much more of the 164-foot-long boat is visible.

In addition to the Zibello barge, the drought is also revealing other relics of the past long hidden by the Po. In March, a volunteer spotted metal sticking out of the sand in Sermide and realized it was a long-lost tank that German troops had pushed into the water in 1945.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drought-italy-exposes-sunken-world-war-ii-barge-180980297/

maximus otter

 

[ramonmercado]

Sounds promising.

Objects from a royal shipwreck are "comparable, if not better" than the Mary Rose, a conservation expert said.

The discovery of the Gloucester, which sank off the coast of Norfolk in 1682, almost killing a future king, was made public last month.
Items recovered from the wreck have been sent to York for experts to begin their restoration.

Ian Panter from York Archaeology said he felt "privileged and honoured" to be working on the project.

Norfolk-based printer brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell, together with their late father, friend James Little and another unnamed friend, spent four years on diving expeditions to find The Gloucester's watery grave.

It ran aground on sandbanks, nearly killing the Duke of York, who went on to become King James II of England.

The divers first discovered its whereabouts in 2007, but it was kept a secret for 15 years until precious artefacts were salvaged from the seabed.

Norwich Castle Museum is planning an exhibition of some of the finds next year. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-62142071

 

[hunck]

Medieval shipwreck found in Dorset waters given protected status​

It was carrying a cargo of pots, gravestones, carved from Purbeck marble, some of which are still in excellent condition. The remains of the hull show tree rings enabling dating of the wreck to between 1240 - 1260.

Video at link.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Dutch shrimp fishermen netted a remarkably well-preserved carved figurehead that one archaeologist suggests is probably from the 17th century.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1554107033498050560

Shrimp fishers catch pristine 17th century wooden head

A crew of shrimp fishermen made an unusual catch earlier this week when they pulled up a 17th century wooden head which may have formed part of the adornments of a large ship. The fisherman caught the head, which is in pristine condition, in their nets when fishing off the coast of the Wadden island of Texel on Monday morning. Crew member Victor Ayal put the find on Twitter, sparking a lively discussion about its possible origin ...

... according to archaeologist Michiel Bartels, the head most likely dates from the 17th century. One of the clues is the man’s Frygian hat which became a symbol of freedom during the 80 Years’ War. ‘In the 17th century the Dutch depicted the freedom fighters of the time wearing this type of hat as a sign of regaining their independence from Spain,’ he told local paper the Leeuwarder Courant.

The head is made of oak, a very sturdy material, but prone to being eaten by shipworm which proliferate in the Wadden Sea. ‘They could have devoured this head within two years but it was stuck in the sea floor and they couldn’t get to it, Bartels said.

The fishermen, who christened the head ‘Barry’ for unknown reasons, have said the site may yield more finds. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/08/shrimp-fishers-catch-pristine-17th-century-wooden-head/

 

[Ronnie Jersey]

Drought in Italy Reveals Sunken World War II Barge

Plagued by drought, Italy’s largest river is now so low that a sunken World War II barge is jutting out from the water.

The barge, called the Zibello, transported supplies during the war before it sank to the bottom of the Po River near the village of Gualtieri in 1943.

In the past, the Po’s water levels have dipped low enough to reveal the bow of the ship. But now, as a record-setting drought in Northern Italy continues, much more of the 164-foot-long boat is visible.

In addition to the Zibello barge, the drought is also revealing other relics of the past long hidden by the Po. In March, a volunteer spotted metal sticking out of the sand in Sermide and realized it was a long-lost tank that German troops had pushed into the water in 1945.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drought-italy-exposes-sunken-world-war-ii-barge-180980297/

maximus otter

The first photo reminds me of the African Queen!

 

[ramonmercado]

Fairly well preserved WW1 wreck.

Mesmerising footage of the wreck of a US warship that sank during World War One has been released.

Divers have explored the remains of USS Jacob Jones for the first time, 105 years after it went down off the Cornish coast.

A total of 66 servicemen were lost after the vessel was torpedoed by a German submarine, on 6 December 1917.

Plymouth diver Dom Robinson, who was part of Team Darkstar, said the find was "every diver's dream".

The USS Jacob Jones, was found more than 328ft (100m) under the water on 11 August with some of its features still intact.

The ship's torpedo tubes, bell and boilers are clearly visible in the footage.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-cornwall-62597453

 

[EnolaGaia]

The drought-lowered Danube has revealed the wrecks of dozens of German vessels sunk during WW2.

Severe European drought reveals sunken World War II warships on Danube River

Europe’s scorching drought has revealed the hulks of dozens of German warships that became submerged during World War Two near Serbia's river port town of Prahovo.

The ships, sunken on Danube River, were part of Nazi Germany's Black Sea fleet in 1944 as they retreated from advancing Soviet forces, officials said.

The vessels still impact the river today, often hampering river traffic during low water levels, authorities said.

Now, over 20 ships have come to the surface, many of which are still loaded with ammunition and explosives. Officials say the vessels pose a risk to shipping on the Danube. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.yahoo.com/gma/severe-european-drought-reveals-sunken-172304202.html

 

[Cochise]

Drought in Italy Reveals Sunken World War II Barge

Plagued by drought, Italy’s largest river is now so low that a sunken World War II barge is jutting out from the water.

The barge, called the Zibello, transported supplies during the war before it sank to the bottom of the Po River near the village of Gualtieri in 1943.

In the past, the Po’s water levels have dipped low enough to reveal the bow of the ship. But now, as a record-setting drought in Northern Italy continues, much more of the 164-foot-long boat is visible.

In addition to the Zibello barge, the drought is also revealing other relics of the past long hidden by the Po. In March, a volunteer spotted metal sticking out of the sand in Sermide and realized it was a long-lost tank that German troops had pushed into the water in 1945.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/drought-italy-exposes-sunken-world-war-ii-barge-180980297/

maximus otter

Just me being suspicious, but isn't the bow of that barge above the normal shoreline anyway? It's certainly very close to it.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Dendrochronology (analyzing wood's "ring" structure) has supported confident identification of a shipwreck in Patagonia.

Scientists say a shipwreck off Patagonia is a long-lost 1850s Rhode Island whaler

Scientists investigating the remains of an old wooden ship off the cold, windy coast of far southern Argentina say it almost certainly is the Dolphin, a globe-trotting whaling ship from Warren, R.I., lost in 1859. Archaeologists have spent years researching the ship's origin without making a definitive identification, but a new analysis of tree rings in its timbers has provided perhaps the most compelling evidence yet. A team of Argentinian and American researchers just published the findings in the journal Dendrochronologia. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220824120400.htm

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

The remarkable story of MS Pilsudski, known as the Polish Titanic and how she was sunk, in 30 metres of water off the Yorkshire coast in 1939 and rediscovered 40 years later.

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/history/giant-ocean-liner-shipwreck-lying-7400707

 

[ramonmercado]

It sort of fits here, it was wrecked by a bomb.

A centuries-old fishing boat which was "blown to pieces" during World War Two is set to go on public display again.

The carved wooden boat was unearthed near Giggleswick Tarn in North Yorkshire in 1863 and was subsequently donated to Leeds City Museum. But after the museum was bombed in 1941, the boat was shattered into 45 pieces. It has since been carefully reconstructed and is now going on display at the Leeds Discovery Centre.

Kat Baxter, Leeds Museums and Galleries curator of archaeology, said: "This remarkable vessel survived more than half a millennium buried underground before being all but destroyed by an air raid which devastated the museum and its collection. To see it today, preserved and reassembled in such incredible condition is a humbling experience which really brings home the centuries of history which are all around us and beneath our feet."


"Once it's on display, the boat will allow our visitors to find out more about the legacy and craftwork shaped by the hands of our ancestors and to imagine what life was like for the person who once sat inside it centuries ago and fished in the waters of Yorkshire," she added.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leeds-62725048

 

[hunck]

Ancient shipwreck discovered 1,300 years after sinking in the Holy Land

Perfectly-preserved ancient pots stuffed with 1300-year-old ingredients were among the remarkable artefacts found in a shipwreck off the coast of Israel this week.

Researchers say the ship, which was loaded with cargo from all over the Mediterranean, proves traders from the West still came to port in the Holy Land even after the 7th-century Islamic conquest.

The shipwreck, dated to the 7th or 8th century AD, is evidence that trade persisted with the rest of the Mediterranean - despite the religious divide, said Deborah Cvikel, a nautical archaeologist at the University of Haifa and director of the dig.

She said: "The history books, they usually tell us that...commerce almost stopped.

She added: "Here we have a large shipwreck, which we think the original ship was around 25 metres (82 feet) long, and...laden with cargo from all over the Mediterranean."

Artefacts on deck show the ship had docked in Cyprus, Egypt, maybe Turkey and perhaps as far away as the North African coast.
The excavation is backed by the Israel Science Foundation, Honor Frost Foundation and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University.

The coast of Israel is abundant with ships that sank over the millennia.

The wrecks are more accessible to study than elsewhere in the Mediterranean because the sea here is shallow and the sandy bottom preserves artefacts.

Two amateur divers spotted a piece of wood sticking out from the bottom and reported it to authorities.

Eight excavation seasons later, Cvikel's team has mapped out much of the 20-metre-long, five-metre-wide wooden skeleton that remains.

Using underwater vacuums to clear out 1.5 meters of sand, they found over 200 amphoras that still contained ingredients
from the Mediterranean diet, like fish sauce, and a variety of olives, dates and figs.

Researchers hope to find a hall to display the ship in its entirety to the public, otherwise they will cover it with sand and leave it at the sea bottom with the countless other wrecks.

 

[hunck]

3,000-year-old canoe found in Wisconsin’s Lake Mendota is the oldest ever found in Great Lakes region​

The canoe, which was found in pieces in the lake bed, was removed in collaboration with Wisconsin’s Native Nations, the historical society said in a news release.

According to the historical society, the canoe, which was carved from a single piece of white oak and is 14.5 feet long, was discovered near where a 1,200-year-old fully intact canoe was found last November.

“Finding an additional historically significant canoe in Lake Mendota is truly incredible and unlocks invaluable research and educational opportunities to explore the technological, cultural, and stylistic changes that occurred in dugout canoe design over 3,000 years,” said James Skibo, the society’s state archaeologist.

Skibo said the finding, which was within 100 yards of last year’s, has prompted research to determine if the canoes were near now submerged village sites.

“The recovery of this canoe built by our ancestors gives further physical proof that Native people have occupied Teejop (Four Lakes) for millennia, that our ancestral lands are here and we had a developed society of transportation, trade and commerce,” Ho-Chunk President Marlon WhiteEagle said.

The society said the canoe will be cared for by tribal members and its staff before it and the canoe found last year undergo a two-year process to preserve them, and concluding with freeze-drying to remove any remaining water.

 

[Floyd]

Titanic: Ship that sent iceberg warning found in Irish Sea​

The ship which sent an iceberg warning to the Titanic before the ocean-liner sank has been found in the Irish Sea.
The merchant vessel SS Mesaba was crossing the Atlantic in April 1912 and sent a wireless message to the Titanic but its warning never reached the bridge.
The supposedly unsinkable ship then hit an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage, with the loss of 1,500 lives.
Mesaba herself was sunk, by a torpedo in World War I in 1918.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63039737

 

[hunck]

2000-year-old Roman anchor found off the coast of Suffolk​

During survey works for an offshore wind farm, archaeologists stumbled upon an ‘incredibly rare’ anchor that’s thought to date back to Roman times.

The 2,000-year-old iron anchor was discovered at the bottom of the southern North Sea near Suffolk, while workers were doing survey works for Scottish Power.

Experts believe that the 100 kg anchor is from the Roman or late Iron Age, and could provide evidence of ancient Romans travelling and trading in the southern North Sea.

The two-metre long anchor is estimated to have come from a 500-600 tonnes vessel, and is believed to be between 1,600 to 2,000 years old.

‘Everything points to this being a Roman anchor of almost 2,000 years old, which is an incredibly rare piece of history,’ said Brandon Mason from Maritime Archaeology Ltd.

‘If this date is confirmed, it would be hard to overstate its significance – we only know about three pre-Viking anchors from northern European waters outside the Mediterranean region and only two actually survived,’

This find could be the oldest and one of the largest surviving examples, giving hard evidence of the incredible amount of activity that must have been going on in the waters in Roman times.

The anchor was first discovered in 2018, but was safety recovered from the water last year after being monitored due to concerns over its long-term preservation.

It is currently undergoing detailed imaging and analysis to better pinpoint its age. Once that’s done, the anchor will go on permanent display in conjunction with Colchester and Ipswich Museums.

‘The anchor will only be available for our visitors to get a first peek on Tuesday 27 September, before it is taken away for key conservation work ahead of returning permanently to our collection in 2025,’

 

[maximus otter]

Mysterious Object Emerges on a Florida Beach, Setting Off Speculation​

There’s something protruding through the sand at Daytona Beach Shores in Volusia County, Fla., and it’s got local residents and officials buzzing with curiosity.

The unknown object was recently discovered by beachgoers and Volusia County Beach Safety, county officials said in a series of statements by email.

They said the object was visible in part because of beach erosion caused by Hurricane Nicole, which ripped through Florida last month, and by Hurricane Ian, which hit the state in September and was one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States in the past decade. Continued high tides and rough surf also played a role in the object’s discovery, just south of Daytona Beach.

The object appears to be made of wood and metal and to be about 80 feet long, officials said. It could not be roped off because water submerges it during high tide.

“The state underwater archaeological team has been notified to investigate further,” said Kevin Captain, a spokesman for the Volusia County government.

https://dnyuz.com/2022/12/05/mysterious-object-emerges-on-a-florida-beach-setting-off-speculation/

maximus otter

 

[Kondoru]

Fish trap.

 

[Swifty]

Here's a 360 degree tour exploring the worlds best preserved 17th century ship, the Swedish ship Vasa which sank in 1628

 

[ramonmercado]

Just barging in to say it's a schooner.

A team of maritime archaeologists has discovered the true identity of a large wooden ship hulk buried in Hooe Lake, on the outskirts of Plymouth.

The remains of the vessel lie buried alongside a stone jetty on the north side of the lake. The hulk has now been identified by The Ships Project as the John Sims, a Westcountry schooner. Until the recent discovery, it was thought to have been a Dutch barge called the Two Brothers.

The Ships Project is a volunteer non-profit organisation that undertakes research and exploration of maritime historical sites and events, both on land and underwater.

Hooe Lake is known as a "ships' graveyard" due to the 36 known ship hulks buried there. ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-64385280

 

[ramonmercado]

A sensible suggestion.

As oil and gas development pushes into deeper waters off the U.S. coast, federal officials want to tighten rules for when energy firms must look for archaeological sites before drilling. A proposal released this week would require that oil and gas companies survey any area where they plan to disturb the sea floor, not just places where data or models suggest there is a shipwreck or other cultural site.

The draft rule from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) could have its greatest impact in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 600 shipwrecks or possible shipwrecks have been found there, most by energy companies as part of existing permitting requirements, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2011, for example, oil and gas operators working off Louisiana spotted a shipwreck that NOAA scientists and other scholars identified last year as the 207-year-old whaling ship Industry, whose crew included descendants of enslaved people and Native Americans.

But many underwater artifacts are missed or spotted too late. “By improving our reporting requirements, we can increase the likelihood of identifying these important resources before they are inadvertently damaged by an [oil or gas] operator and help ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act,” says James Kendall, BOEM Gulf of Mexico regional director. ...

Shawn Joy, an underwater archaeologist with the Tallahassee, Florida–based organization SEARCH who looks for and studies submerged archaeological sites, said the proposal would bring requirements for oil and gas firms more in line with offshore wind industry rules adopted in 2020. “Everybody should be playing by the same rules when it comes to the outer continental shelf,” he says. ...

https://www.science.org/content/art...make-oil-companies-look-shipwrecks-they-drill

 

[maximus otter]

A sensible suggestion.

As oil and gas development pushes into deeper waters off the U.S. coast, federal officials want to tighten rules for when energy firms must look for archaeological sites before drilling. A proposal released this week would require that oil and gas companies survey any area where they plan to disturb the sea floor, not just places where data or models suggest there is a shipwreck or other cultural site.

The draft rule from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) could have its greatest impact in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 600 shipwrecks or possible shipwrecks have been found there, most by energy companies as part of existing permitting requirements, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2011, for example, oil and gas operators working off Louisiana spotted a shipwreck that NOAA scientists and other scholars identified last year as the 207-year-old whaling ship Industry, whose crew included descendants of enslaved people and Native Americans.

But many underwater artifacts are missed or spotted too late. “By improving our reporting requirements, we can increase the likelihood of identifying these important resources before they are inadvertently damaged by an [oil or gas] operator and help ensure compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act,” says James Kendall, BOEM Gulf of Mexico regional director. ...

Shawn Joy, an underwater archaeologist with the Tallahassee, Florida–based organization SEARCH who looks for and studies submerged archaeological sites, said the proposal would bring requirements for oil and gas firms more in line with offshore wind industry rules adopted in 2020. “Everybody should be playing by the same rules when it comes to the outer continental shelf,” he says. ...

https://www.science.org/content/art...make-oil-companies-look-shipwrecks-they-drill

This sounds suspiciously like just another way to hamstring the petrochemical industry: “We don’t care if there are 10B barrels of oil down there, that plank might be a Viking ship! Buyanelectriccarbuyanelectriccar…“

maximus otter

 

[ramonmercado]

This sounds suspiciously like just another way to hamstring the petrochemical industry: “We don’t care if there are 10B barrels of oil down there, that plank might be a Viking ship! Buyanelectriccarbuyanelectriccar…“

maximus otter

I don't think so, major construction projects on land have to do archaeological surveys, and as the article shows the windfarm industry already have to follow such rules.

 

[maximus otter]

I don't think so, major construction projects on land have to do archaeological surveys, and as the article shows the windfarm industry already have to follow such rules.

Point taken, but it’s a lot easier & quicker for beards on land to dig a trench and possibly find a mosaic floor or a Saxon brooch, than it is for an oil drilling company to identify some timbers scattered on the ocean floor 1,000’ down.

maximus otter

 

[ramonmercado]

Point taken, but it’s a lot easier & quicker for beards on land to dig a trench and possibly find a mosaic floor or a Saxon brooch, than it is for an oil drilling company to identify some timbers scattered on the ocean floor 1,000’ down.

maximus otter

There may well be some bearded ladies active as archaeologists but many female (and male) diggers remain beardless.