There are still surprising things to happen in the depths of the sea
There is a “race against time” to explore before the 300 -year -old warship is disappeared that is under the sea
by Lianne KolirinCNN
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Archaeologists face a real “race against time” to explore the wreckage of an English war ship that wrecked over 300 years ago during a violent storm.
Northumberland was a 70 -cannon -built war ship, built in Bristol, England, in 1679, as part of the English Navy transformation carried out by Samuel Pepys – now better known for his diaries – who sought to convert a corrupt navy into a respectable military force.
The ship sank off the coast of Kent in southeastern England on 26 November 1703 during the devastating large storm, along with three other war ships: Restoration, Stirling Castle and Mary. Historical reports indicate that about 250 crew died aboard Northumberland.
The ship’s remains were discovered in 1979, when a fisherman’s network was arrested.
Experts claim that wreckage, which occupy a vast area of the marine background at a depth of 15 to 20 meters are extremely well preserved by the sand and the sediments that covered them over centuries.
Since its discovery, Northumberland has been partially covered by sand and sediments, which made it difficult to explore. However, last summer, about two thirds of the structure were exposed, allowing underwater archaeologists to perform a detailed exploration.
According to a statement from Historic England, the survey revealed an extensive hull structure, multiple iron cannons, swords, musques, copper boilers and some sealed chests whose content remains unknown.
The organization now warns of a “time race” to record all Northumberland details before mobile sediments bury it. The wreckage also faces additional threats such as strong streams that feed on wood and can become unstable and degrade quickly.
HEFIN MEARA, a maritime archaeologist of Historic England and responsible for the mission, explains to CNN that the location of wreckage is a decisive factor in both its discovery and its current vulnerability.
“The Goodwin Sands, where this ship is located, are extremely dynamic,” he says. “There are huge sand dunes that move around the area. The wreckage may be completely exposed for a while and then, from one moment to the next, they are buried again for five or six meters of sand, disappearing for decades.”
This is believed to have happened from the first location of the wreckage in 1979 to the most recent rediscovery. According to Meara, the ship originally would have about 46 meters long, but so far only about 30 meters are exposed.
“It is a great war ship,” he stresses. “We are observing an exposed area about 30 meters long, so we do not yet have access to all wreckage. It is a wreck that has been successively exposed and buried over three centuries, so the remains will be scattered.”
Among the well-preserved artifacts found by divers are muskets, cannons and ropes.
The team plans to conduct new geophysical surveys while trying to take advantage of this window of opportunity before sediments cover Northumberland again or materials start to deteriorate due to exposure to oxygen and other environmental factors.
“Everything can be lost in a single moment,” explains Meara. “These wreckage is authentic capsules of life time aboard a war ship, with huge learning possibilities about a fascinating period of naval expansion.”
Northumberland’s wreckage are the subject of a new documentary produced by historian Dan Snow for his streaming platform “History Hit. In the Historic England statement, Snow compared this wreck to that of Mary Rose – a ship commissioned by Henry VIII, which sought in 1545 – and HMS Victory, the oldest war ship, the oldest ship commissioned still existing.
“Northumberland is the missing piece,” says Snow. “Built significantly midway between Mary Rose and HMS Victory, this ship can fill crucial details about shipbuilding and sea life at a decisive moment in our history.
