Diving expedition of the Rooswijk wreck site to take place by Dutch and British maritime archeologists.
The Rooswijk wreck site is off the coast of Kent, and the expedition will run until September 15. The Dutch East Indiaman ship sank on the Goodwin Sands in January 1740 whilst carrying a cargo of silver ingots and coinage.
The current divers are working alongside the original archaeological dive team who partly evacuated the wreck in 2005 in order to carry out a detailed survey of the wreck.
The aim of the expedition is to gain a better understanding of the wreck site, the ship’s design and the state of preservation of the materials on board. This will help with future management of the site.
Chief executive of Historic England, Duncan Wilson, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with our Dutch colleagues and the original archaeological team on this important site. Wrecks such as the Rooswijk are part of the shared cultural maritime heritage across Europe and it is important that cultural heritage agencies are able to work together to ensure that sites such as these are protected, researched, understood and appreciated by all.”
The Rooswijk is a protected wreck site which is also on Historic England’s Heritage at risk register.
The wreck is threatened by several things including mobile sediments, and visits by opportunistic divers.
The Goodwin Sands is an area known to be rich in shipwreck material and is regularly dived.
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Source: Kent News
