Bronze Age shipwreck found off Devon coast [UK]

Telegraph ^ | Saturday, February 13, 2010 | Jasper Copping

[SunkenCiv]

The fact that both copper and tin was aboard (isn't that what it said? Oh geez...) could mean the ship was on the way to a place where bronze was to be made, in which case it seems likely that it was headed for somewhere in Britain itself. If it arrived without copper, then it picked up copper in Britain.

I'll love to see any pics from this find, particularly that sword and the bracelets.

Since the ship was in 8 to 10 meters, which is well within ancient diving capability, it seems likely that the entire crew perished -- unless salvaging only went on a little while in those kinda wild waters, to the point where the captain and crew could afford to have another ship built.

[SunkenCiv]

The hide stretched across the hull made it basically watertight, and the cargo itself reinforced whatever framing it had. But of course, every ship ever made which hasn’t been scrapped in the breaker’s dock is either in use, or on the bottom somewhere. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[Tallguy]

It could have been a transhipment from one area of Britain to another. It’s far easier to float bulk shipments than to go overland. The ancients would have known that.

[GeronL]

Can they replicate these today?

[SunkenCiv]

Other wrecks have been found, but each one is unique. By the techniques used to make each one some idea has been discerned about how and why. Anyway, more here:

• Minoan ship to ply Greek seas for first time in 3500 years

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1178420/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1178453/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1191651/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1199756/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1201978/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1248367/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1248376/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1339663/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1570539/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1659519/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1840776/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1841685/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1945781/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2031961/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2137701/posts

[GeronL]

interesting!!

XBox Live was down for a while... the tweets were hilarious

[SunkenCiv]

Well, I’m pretty sure we’re all more interesting than XBox Live any old time. ;’)

[GeronL]

Its back up now. The teeth gnashing was hilarious.

[SoCalPol]

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/

British Archaeology Magazine may have something on this
down the line.

[Corunna]

Hi
I am a member SWMAG the team that found the Bronze Age wreck off Salcombe, in trawling the web to note the reactions of the press release. I find there are many questions from people who are interested. One of them is the testing of the copper and tin ingots and of course the gold items. We have been quoted extrordinary prices for this to be done by the ‘experts’, one day we will find some one who can nail down the origin of these metals which is so important in telling the story of these wrecks. ( we have found two some 150 metres apart, one 900 BC and one 1500 BC) Adjacent to the older Bronze Age wreck is the original 17th Century site that started it all. You can see it is an expensive business for an amature team like ouselves. So at the moment its all theory.

[Slicksadick]

Welcome to FreeRepublic, and thanks for the further information.