Wreck divers strike gold off Devon coast

[Mr T.]

http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i050309.html

Wreck divers strike gold off Devon coast

3,000 year old artifacts from the shipwreck known as the Salcombe Cannon

DEVON COAST, UK (9 Mar 2005) -- A team of amateur divers who uncovered the find of a lifetime off the Westcountry coast has struck gold for a second time. Thirteen divers - all members of the South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG) - have unearthed 3,000-year-old Bronze Age artifacts from what may be one of the oldest shipwreck sites in the world.

They include a gold bracelet called a torc, a cauldron handle, and the remains of weapons ranging from rapier blades to axe heads and swords.

All were discovered off the coast of Salcombe last October, when the divers were expanding their area of investigation from a previous site where in 1995 they found the biggest collection of Islamic riches ever found off Britain.

Experts say the latest finds are even more significant, as they may be from one of the oldest shipwrecks ever discovered. The finds, which date from 1300BC, were immediately declared to the Receiver of Wreck, Sophia Exelby, at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, as it is believed the relics come from an ancient shipwreck. They are now at the British Museum in London, where they are being examined.

Once the examinations are complete, the collection will be valued as a whole and interested museums will be able to bid for it - although it is likely that the British Museum will get first refusal, as the find is of national significance. It is believed the museum has already expressed an interest.

The divers received a salvage award of almost £100,000 when their last collection - discovered on a shipwreck a quarter of a mile off Prawle Point in 1995 - was eventually sold to the British Museum. That find included 460 gold coins, as well as ingots, nuggets, pewter, jewellery and pottery which had lain undisturbed since it was lost at sea in the 1630s.

The latest site falls within the area for the wreck which is protected from unauthorised and illegal diving under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

The divers say they do not want to talk about salvage awards for the latest discovery and are more interested in the significance of the find.

A spokesman for SWMAG, which includes four divers from Devon, said: "The cash has not been discussed because it's very early days and we're just really excited about the find.

"We thought the 17th century wreck site where we discovered Islamic gold was wonderful. But this is different and is extremely significant.

"It could possibly be one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world. To my knowledge there's also been no gold found at a Bronze Age wreck before, and this is one of just two Bronze Age wrecks in the country.

"This discovery has really been a team effort, and we are now working with the Receiver of Wreck and English Heritage to ensure that these important artifacts are put on permanent display to the public."

The spokesman said the location was of national interest, particularly as Bronze Age artifacts were found at the nearby Moor Sands site in the 1980s. The finds from Moor Sands date to around the same time as those discovered in the latest find, and archaeologists are examining whether they came from the same vessel.

The latest find is dominated by the blades of swords and rapiers, but axes, tools and ornaments are also present. The swords are among the earliest found in north-west Europe, while some of the other objects are of northern French origin and are types which are rare in this country.

Receiver of Wreck Ms Exelby said: "This is a very exciting find which shows the breadth of information which is available from shipwreck sites. We are now working to ensure that these unusual artifacts are given a good home, where their historical value can be appreciated by everyone."

Stuart Needham, curator of European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum, said: "The evidence from Salcombe and other rare sites help us to build up a picture of object movements, the organisation of trade and the character of seafaring."

English Heritage and SWMAG are now planning a research-led field season later in the year to find out more about the site.

[Mr T.]

Press Notice No: 068/05

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

DEVON DIVERS FIND 3,000 YEAR OLD BRONZE AGE ARTEFACTS ON SHIPWRECK SITE

A group of divers have discovered a submerged hoard of Bronze Age artefacts off Salcombe, Devon. The find includes swords and rapiers, palstave axe heads, an adze, a cauldron handle, and a gold bracelet.

The artefacts have been reported to English Heritage and declared to the Receiver of Wreck at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, as it is believed that these relics come from an ancient shipwreck. The artefacts are currently being studied at the British Museum, which also holds the finds from the nearby ‘Moor Sands’ Bronze Age wreck site.

The South West Maritime Archaeology Group (SWMAG) had been diving under licence from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, on the shipwreck known as the Salcombe Cannon site last summer, (where they discovered a hoard of gold coins in 1995), when they found evidence of a far older wreck.

The new site falls within the protected area of the Salcombe Cannon shipwreck site, which is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. This means that this area is already protected from unauthorised and illegal diving.

The finds from ‘Moor Sands’ and the new site belong to exactly the same phase of the Bronze Age, dating to around the 13th century BC, and archaeologists are wondering if they all came from the same vessel.

The find is dominated by the blades of swords and rapiers, but axes, tools and ornaments are also present. The swords are amongst the earliest found in north-west Europe. Some of the objects are of north French origin and are types which are rare in this country. The Bronze Age was a time of considerable trade in metals, right across Europe but it is exceptional to find material which has actually been caught in transit.

Sophia Exelby, the Receiver of Wreck said, “This is a very exciting find which shows the breadth of information which is available from shipwreck sites. We are now working to ensure that these unusual artefacts are given a good home, where their historical value can be appreciated by everyone.”

Stuart Needham, Curator of European Bronze Age collections at the British Museum said: “The evidence from Salcombe and other rare sites, such as that at Langdon Bay, help us to build up a picture of object movements, the organisation of trade and the character of seafaring.”

A spokesperson for the SWMAG said: “this exciting new discovery has really been a team effort and we are now working with the Receiver of Wreck and English Heritage to ensure that these important artefacts are put on permanent display to the public.”

English Heritage and SWMAG are planning a research-led field season in 2005 in order to try to answer some of the questions about the site which this remarkable collection of artefacts has raised.

ENDS


Notes to editors:

* A photograph of a selection of the finds is available from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Public Relations Office (tel no below)

* It is a legal requirement that all recovered wreck is reported to the Receiver of Wreck. The
Receiver of Wreck is responsible for the administration of that part of the Merchant Shipping
Act 1995, which deals with wreck and salvage. If you find wreck you should contact the
Receiver of Wreck on 02380 329 474 or via email at row@mcga.gov.uk.

* 56 historic wreck sites around the UK are designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act
1973. These include Holland No.5, first British-built experimental submarine launched in 1902
and sunk in 1912, the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s famous flagship and HMS Colossus, one of
Nelson’s fleet wrecked in the Isles of Scilly carrying antiquities belonging to Lord Hamilton.
Under the Act a licence is required to visit, survey, recover artefacts from, or excavate any of
these sites. It is illegal to dive on a protected wreck site without a licence.

* Artefacts from wrecks which are designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, must
still be reported to the Receiver, even if they were recovered under licence.

* English Heritage manages all the historic wreck sites in English waters designated under the
Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. English Heritage is the Government’s advisor on all aspects
of the historic environment in England.

* The South West Maritime Archaeology Group has been involved in underwater archaeology
for the last 15 years, and has made a number of significant finds during this time. These
include the Erme Estuary site, where tin ingots of as yet unknown date were discovered, the
Salcombe Cannon site, which yielded the largest collection of 17th Century Moroccan gold
coins in Europe together with numerous other artefacts including jewellery and personal
effects, and most recently, Bronze Age artefacts in an area close to the Salcombe Cannon
site. SWMAG includes divers from Devon, Northampton and Wolverhampton.

* Two of the other rare examples of Bronze Age wreck sites with cargoes from this period
include the Langdon Bay Protected Wreck site in Kent and the Ulu Burun shipwreck
discovered off the Turkish coast in the Eastern Mediterranean. These sites demonstrate
trading and merchant sailing activity across Europe during this period, however, they also
highlight how little is known about the nature of that trade, and about the people and places
involved. Whilst the results of European trade, travel and communication, the metal objects
and goods originating from other parts of Europe, are visible in the archaeological record of
English Bronze Age burial and settlement sites, evidence of the trade itself, the traders and
their lives is remarkably rare.
* The Langdon Bay Bronze Age finds from The British Museum are currently on display in the
Bronze Age Boat Gallery of the Dover Museum alongside the Dover Bronze Age Boat, dated
to c.1600BC.

* Further photographs and images are available from Emma Fitzgerald, English Heritage: 020
7973 3855, emma.fitzgerald@english-heritage.org.uk and are courtesy of the British Museum.

For further information please contact:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office
on (023) 8032 9401

Press releases and further information about the Agency is available on the Web at
www.mcga.gov.uk


Disposal of artefacts & reporting process:

Sophia Exelby, Receiver of Wreck
02380 329 474

Discovery of artefacts:

Chris Yates, SWMAG
07798 882497 (or 01604 761186)

Bronze Age period & technical information about artefacts:

Stuart Needham, British Museum
0207 3238579

Protected Wreck site management & archaeology:

Emma Fitzgerald, English Heritage
020 7973 3855


Posted by: Mark Clark

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Duty Press Officer
Office hours: 023 8032 9401

[Paul Oliver]

Nice finds, of course some would say leave them there for other divers to look at sorry cross thread posting