Page 58 - TVH 2000 Anniversary Shipwreck Project

Interpretation of Structure in Trenches 2 and 3 Between 8 and 12 metres south of the stern there is breach in the structure. Although the nature of this was not explored to the north, previous excavations suggest that the port side was intact to at least to 6 metres south of the stern post. The presence of net, mats and general fishing gear both on the stern and the port side suggest that the wreck is still subject to human interference and some damage may be recent. In the area of the cargo hold a substantial number of layers of brick survive, still aligned along the length of the vessel in the centre, canted over to the port as the ship heeled. Elements of the deck planks and supports for the orlop deck survive (lower gun deck) but these do not seem to be in situ. No intact structure was found suggestive of the port side of the vessel. Acoustic positioning of the presumed position of the port side of the vessel reveal sand infiltration inboard. Split structural elements suggest a break in the integrity of longitudinal structure. The nature of the artefact assemblage towards the port side and outboard reflect both professional and personal objects that may have originally been stored on the orlop deck. The bulk of cargo is brick but it is not known how many layers are represented or whether this fills the entire hold. Amongst the bricks are found durable possessions possibly derived from the orlop deck quarters for the crew. Towards the port side the artefacts increase in number, the most compact assemblages found outside the hull where the collapsing structure has caused objects to fall towards the port side. Inboard there are a few areas amongst the bricks where assemblages are found and these represent personal objects and ships fittings. Although the bricks take up most of the trench, they do virtually stop at the position where one would expect the port side to be, only two were found in trench 3. The fact that they have not fallen outboard suggests that they may have been secured across the ship. It is almost certain that this very solid cargo has preserved the structure below and amongst it. The evidence for human interference is evident everywhere explored. This must account in part for the break up of the vessel and paucity of surface finds. The very modern nature of the contaminants indicates that this activity should still be considered a threat. Similarly, the fact that the control points put on the stern structure as late as 1993 are not in evidence, combined with the reduced height of the sternpost compared with the 1984 elevation (Gawronski and Kist, 1984) indicates that microbiological activity is an ongoing threat to upstanding structure. It would not be unusual to expect the wooden elements beneath the light dusting of surface silt to erode over time. The aim of testing for coherency in structure along the port side was met. The enormity of the brick cargo meant that a trench across to the starboard side was not achieved. The site was not explored by trenching for more than a maximum of four metres to the east. Surface debris was not evident in explorations to the east. Exploration of the site westwards by ROV did reveal a substantial cylindrical feature that may represent the capstans or winches. It is felt that there is still a significant threat to the site posed by commercial fishing. The upstanding structure in the stern appears to have eroded, the profile has changed significantly since 1983. Biological degradation of exposed wood is expected and cannot be halted without a significant amount of engineering to cover any exposed timber. - 52 -