Posted on 08/08/2022 7:26:12 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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, from the work of Vikings to that of Northern European shipbuilders. However, 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. ‘We could find an entire ship, who knows,’ Ayal said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dutchnews.nl ...
Maybe they called it “Barry” because it was “buried” in the mud at the bottom of the sea.
I’ve heard of a wooden leg, but a wooden head? How does he see?
Sorry but your fishing license does not allow catching heads. You will need to put it back.
On second thought that would only work if they were English speakers. Never mind!
Back in the 1980s I knew a guy in South Jersey who worked on a scallop boat. He had a glass case in his living room with items dragged up from the sea bed. There were old plates,old Coke and Pepsi bottles,coffee cups and saucers with USN and a anchor printed on them,old bones,bits of old ships,but the coolest was a big walrus skull with tusks. I asked what would you do if you found a old gold coin. He said “put it my boot and not tell anybody.” But the best was the bags of fresh scallops he had on ice in his cooler he would sell to us cheap!
Looks like my bartender.
Meh, I expedite all over the world with a company that handles it for me.
You’d be surprised if you’re not in a hurry how the people who know what they’re doing can reduce the cost over what most pay.
The Question
How long does wood last in water before it rots, etc.?
Maybe the cross eye help it some.
Looks a little bit like a lion. Very cool, Civ.
Lol
Funny.
They kind of look like cat’s eyes.
You’ve got transgender on the mind, it seems.
It’s an old, weathered sailor.
Nothing like a little head to get everyone excited.
Very cool. In 1978 a few miles off Fort Pierce our FIT oceanography teaching ship, Aquarius, demonstrated a Shipek sampler. In the few pounds of sediment and stuff brought up there was a copper penny (recent vintage). I always figured that was pretty steep odds, but I don’t think anyone seeded it.
It’s mine. I lost my head not more than a year ago.
Si, La cucaracha, Cabron!
You generally see finds like this kept in a solution to prevent cracking in drying out. I wonder why that’s not the case here
I think it looks like Dick Cheney. Someone needs to paste the cowboy hat on this image.
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