The skeleton of a mongrel who went down with the Mary Rose on July 19, 1545 has been pieced together.

The dog, now preserved as an almost complete canine skeleton, acquired the nickname Hatch after divers discovered her remains near the sliding hatch door of the Mary Rose’s carpenter’s cabin.

Experts believe the hound, estimated to have been between 18 months and two years old, earned her keep as the ship’s ratter – superstitious Tudor seafarers did not have cats on board ship as they were thought to bring bad luck.

And she was probably very good at her job – only the partial remains of rats’ skeletons have been found on board the Mary Rose.

[Full story] [Discuss here]

The discovery of a 3,000-year-old shipwreck shows that European trade was thriving way back in the Bronze Age.

The vessel, carrying copper and tin ingots used to make weapons and jewellery, sank off the coast near Salcombe in Devon and is thought to date from 900BC.

But it was only last year that the South West Maritime Archaeological Group, a team of amateur archaeologists, brought its cargo to the surface.

The discovery was not announced until this month’s International Shipwreck Conference, in Plymouth, Devon.

It is thought that the goods – 259 copper ingots and 27 of tin – were destined for Britain but collected from several different sources in Europe.

The discovery reveals the high level of sophistication maritime trade in Europe had reached, even in ancient times.

Tin ingots from this period have not been found in Britain before.

[Full story]

The face of a crew member from the Mary Rose has been created by forensic artists working off of his skull.

Archaeologists believe the man was a Bosun because he was found with the emblem of this comparatively senior status, a Bosun’s call – a whistle.

There are many theories about why the ship sank, but evidence from the wreck itself suggests the ship put about with its gunports open, was hit by a squall and went down.

Ensuring that the gunports were closed would have been the Bosun’s job, which has led researchers to suggest that this man was “at least partly responsible for the disaster”.

The Mary Rose settled deep into the silty bed of the Solent, which preserved the many thousands of unique artefacts in excellent condition.

The wreck was discovered in the 1960s and in 1982 it was raised to the surface to be restored in dry dock in Portsmouth.

John Lippiett, chief executive of the trust, said: “It is great to have the opportunity to see what the Bosun looked like after all these years and to welcome his arrival in our museum.”

[Full story]

A shipwreck located off the Greek island of Polyaigos has been designated an underwater archaeological site.

The shipwreck, first spotted in 2004, was initially explored by underwater archaeologists in the fall of 2009, the Athens News Agency reported today. These excavations resulted in the discovery of valuable archaeological objects, including amphorae, ceramic vases and fragments of the vessel’s anchor.

In addition, the shipwreck was photographed and filmed in detail, which allowed the creation of a high-definition photo-mosaic, while procedures have been set in motion to designate the area as an underwater archaeological site.

The analysis of the recovered amphorae dated the wreck to between the end of the fifth century and the first half of the fourth century BC. At least three types of amphorae were identified, one of which originated from ancient Peparithos (the island of Skopelos), while the others were closely identified with Classical Era amphorae workshops of the northern Aegean.??The Polyaigos shipwreck, according to the Ministry’s announcement, cited by the media, sheds light in the study of sea-borne commercial routes of the Classical period and the movement of goods in the southwestern part of the Cyclades island chain.

[Full story]

The skeleton of a ship has emerged on Washaway Beach, Washington. It is believed it is the remains of a freighter that broke in two in 1921.

A year ago, this panoply of massive timbers, rusty metal rods and wooden rivets was hidden under 9 feet of tree-covered land one-half mile off Highway 105. Now, some of those trees are strewed over this once-buried treasure jutting out of the receding hillside.

As of Thursday, Vern Coverdale, a retired diesel mechanic in Westport, pegged the exposed wreckage at 125 feet long. “I stepped it off this morning,” he said. “It’s the lower bilge area, the ribs and main keel line, all big stuff.”

But whose treasure is it? Good question.

According to maritime experts and others, the wreckage could be part of the Canadian Exporter, a freighter that broke in two in August 1921 while carrying 3 million board feet of lumber and 200 tons of general cargo, as noted in a contemporary issue of American Shipping magazine. If so, the remains could belong to whoever bought salvage rights, or to a private landowner, or to the state.

[Full story]