shipwreck-princes royal
18th century shipwreck found by ASI and Naval divers
By Mrityunjay Bose
Mumbai, July 10 (UNI) Naval divers and marine archaeologists hadunearthed remains of a 18th century ship 'Princes Royal' in what is being described as the deepest underwater exploration carried out in the seas around the Indian sub-continent.
It was possible following extensive exploration by theUnderwater Archeaology Wing of the Archaeological Surveuy of India (ASI) and the blue-water three-dimensional Indian Navy.
ASI's Underwater Archeology Wing chief Alok Tripathi andCommodore A K Patnaik, Director (Diving and Special Operations) of the Indian Navy in a research paper pointed out that the remains of the ship were found near the uninhabited island of Bangaram in the Lakshadweep archipelago off the western coast nearly 450 miles off the shores.
Following the discovery of the wrecked British ship recently, marine archaeologists across the globe are enthused and hope that such discoveries will be able to throw more light on the sea-trade during those times. It is belived that the ship might have sunkbecause of rough weather or because of navigator's fault.
A bronze bell with 'Princes Royal 1792' inscribed made it belive that it is the name of the ship that sunk when the 805-tonne ship was on its way to Europe from South-East Asia. Further research and experiments are being carried to gather more details about the ship.
Among the things recovered and seen at the sea-bed includeobjects made of copper, iron, wood, glass, stone, terracota, jars, bowls, wodden planks, ropes, a huge anchor, four canons and ofcourse the ship's bell. Advanced equipments like underwater video cameras, high-tech diving equipments, compressors, analysers, gas blenders, diving bells were deployed by the ASI and the Indian Navy during the excavation. INS Nireekshak, the Navy's diving vessel was alsodeployed during the operation.
"Earlier there has been a doubt whether the bell belonged to the ill-fated ship or some other ship, but our extensive study of the wreck coupled with expert opinions and reference to Llyod's Register suggested that the bell belongs to the same shipwreck," Mr Tripathi and Commodore Patnaik, in a research paper, a copy of which wasavailable with this UNI correspondent. The four canons found at a depth of over 40 mts are thestartling discoveries besides the bell of the ship. These canons had heavy incrustations. Intrestingly, three of the canons, were lying in form of a traingle and these were not disturbed by thearcheaologists, however, one of the canons was lifted on December 4, 2002, the Navy Day, and towed to the shores.
The anchor of the ship was the largest object found on the site. It was measured precisely with different techniques. The shank of the anchor is 1.4o mts long. the ring measured 70 mms in diameter and each arm two mts long. The flukes are 45 cm wide.
Besides this, a large number of iron objects were found on the site earlier but the function and nature of many of these ironobjects remain obscure as the were highly oxidised and in smannfragments. In some case, incrustations remained and the objectsdisappeared completely. A good number of objects of copper were found during excavation. These are copper rods, nails, vessels amd pieces of steel. Acomplete vessel of copper, around 52 cm high, was found earlier.
The upper half of the similar pot was found close to the iron anchor. Several heavy thick, round rods were noticed on the slop close to keel. A variety of potter was found on the wreck site. It includes small, medium and big size jars of brown glazed ware, blur on white porcelain, thin pot sherds with embossed designs, green glazed pot to name a few. The ship was belived to be carrying a large quantity of the brown glazed jars as they are found spread everywhere on the site from the top most to the lower most terrace.
Another important antiquity retrieved from the wreck site was small sherd of blue and white Chinaware. Many European ships oftrade often carried huge quantity of blue and white Chinaware. So far two sherds are found but there is a possibility of finding more pots ling buried beneath sand and corals. Ballast stones were also noticed near the canons. The surface of these stones were covered with calcarious deposit which appeared like dead lumps of coral and very difficult to identify. A largenumber of bricks were found spread in a large area near the anchor. Bottles were the only glass object noticed near the site. Number of small fragments of green glass were found on the site.
The paper points out tat a simple but effective methodology was adoped to carry out the fully systematic and controlled excavation which was carried out in two phases -- November 2002 (phase I) and December 2002 (phase II).
The shipwreck was first noticed lying on the outer slone ofcoral reef off Bangaram atoll by some sport divers on December 25, 1990, who lifted some artefacts exposed on the surface. Since 1991 excavations were launched and finally the Director General of ASI last year approved the excavation to ascertain all the details of the wreck. The Navy was involved in the operation in view of thefact that it had the best-equipped ships and well-trained divers.
Since May last joint surveys were carried out before launching the two final phases of investigations.
During the experiment, a team of hydrographers carried outacoustic survey on the site in a sea-rider with the help of a side scan sonar and echo sounder. Echo sounders were used to obtain the vertical profile of the reef.
Divers were sent out in a group of two where one carried outexcavation wnfd the other documented it. The artefacts weremeasured, their position was fixed and the important ones were drawn besides still and video photography. Activities like excavation and retrieval of objects were documented by video camera. The camera was mounted on a tripod which not only recorded the entire operation on a recorded on a boat which also provided an opportunity to the team leaders to have a direct supervsion. The technology used has notbeen used anywhere else earlier.
Excavation was conducted by both mechanically as well asmanually. The areas where small fragments and artefacts were found layers of sand and corals were removed manually. Manual excavation was also adopted near the canons so that their positions were not disturbed. Indian Ocean is one of the oldest basins crisscrossed by thebrave mariners since antiquity. India has a 7,500-km coastline and her maritime history can be traced to the prehistoric period.Harrapans were great maritime people having trade from distant lands across the sea. Despite that our maritime history is sketchy andscattered, the paper in its introduction said.
About the site, Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting 12atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks, irregularly scattered over nearly 77,000 sq km area in the Arabian Sea between eightdegree and 12 degree 30' north latitude and 71 degree and 74 degree east longitude. The tiniest Union Territory has about 4,200 sq kms of lagoon area, 20,000 sq kms of territorial waters and about4,00,000 sq km of economic zone but the landmass is merely 32 sq km, which changes with seasons and tide. Of the 36 islands only 10 are inhabited. Archaeologists and maritime historians said that Laksadweep,lying directly in the trade route between Africa, Arabia and Malabar Coast, where the landmark for the ships sailing in the Arabian Sea.
By Mrityunjay Bose
Mumbai, July 10 (UNI) Naval divers and marine archaeologists hadunearthed remains of a 18th century ship 'Princes Royal' in what is being described as the deepest underwater exploration carried out in the seas around the Indian sub-continent.
It was possible following extensive exploration by theUnderwater Archeaology Wing of the Archaeological Surveuy of India (ASI) and the blue-water three-dimensional Indian Navy.
ASI's Underwater Archeology Wing chief Alok Tripathi andCommodore A K Patnaik, Director (Diving and Special Operations) of the Indian Navy in a research paper pointed out that the remains of the ship were found near the uninhabited island of Bangaram in the Lakshadweep archipelago off the western coast nearly 450 miles off the shores.
Following the discovery of the wrecked British ship recently, marine archaeologists across the globe are enthused and hope that such discoveries will be able to throw more light on the sea-trade during those times. It is belived that the ship might have sunkbecause of rough weather or because of navigator's fault.
A bronze bell with 'Princes Royal 1792' inscribed made it belive that it is the name of the ship that sunk when the 805-tonne ship was on its way to Europe from South-East Asia. Further research and experiments are being carried to gather more details about the ship.
Among the things recovered and seen at the sea-bed includeobjects made of copper, iron, wood, glass, stone, terracota, jars, bowls, wodden planks, ropes, a huge anchor, four canons and ofcourse the ship's bell. Advanced equipments like underwater video cameras, high-tech diving equipments, compressors, analysers, gas blenders, diving bells were deployed by the ASI and the Indian Navy during the excavation. INS Nireekshak, the Navy's diving vessel was alsodeployed during the operation.
"Earlier there has been a doubt whether the bell belonged to the ill-fated ship or some other ship, but our extensive study of the wreck coupled with expert opinions and reference to Llyod's Register suggested that the bell belongs to the same shipwreck," Mr Tripathi and Commodore Patnaik, in a research paper, a copy of which wasavailable with this UNI correspondent. The four canons found at a depth of over 40 mts are thestartling discoveries besides the bell of the ship. These canons had heavy incrustations. Intrestingly, three of the canons, were lying in form of a traingle and these were not disturbed by thearcheaologists, however, one of the canons was lifted on December 4, 2002, the Navy Day, and towed to the shores.
The anchor of the ship was the largest object found on the site. It was measured precisely with different techniques. The shank of the anchor is 1.4o mts long. the ring measured 70 mms in diameter and each arm two mts long. The flukes are 45 cm wide.
Besides this, a large number of iron objects were found on the site earlier but the function and nature of many of these ironobjects remain obscure as the were highly oxidised and in smannfragments. In some case, incrustations remained and the objectsdisappeared completely. A good number of objects of copper were found during excavation. These are copper rods, nails, vessels amd pieces of steel. Acomplete vessel of copper, around 52 cm high, was found earlier.
The upper half of the similar pot was found close to the iron anchor. Several heavy thick, round rods were noticed on the slop close to keel. A variety of potter was found on the wreck site. It includes small, medium and big size jars of brown glazed ware, blur on white porcelain, thin pot sherds with embossed designs, green glazed pot to name a few. The ship was belived to be carrying a large quantity of the brown glazed jars as they are found spread everywhere on the site from the top most to the lower most terrace.
Another important antiquity retrieved from the wreck site was small sherd of blue and white Chinaware. Many European ships oftrade often carried huge quantity of blue and white Chinaware. So far two sherds are found but there is a possibility of finding more pots ling buried beneath sand and corals. Ballast stones were also noticed near the canons. The surface of these stones were covered with calcarious deposit which appeared like dead lumps of coral and very difficult to identify. A largenumber of bricks were found spread in a large area near the anchor. Bottles were the only glass object noticed near the site. Number of small fragments of green glass were found on the site.
The paper points out tat a simple but effective methodology was adoped to carry out the fully systematic and controlled excavation which was carried out in two phases -- November 2002 (phase I) and December 2002 (phase II).
The shipwreck was first noticed lying on the outer slone ofcoral reef off Bangaram atoll by some sport divers on December 25, 1990, who lifted some artefacts exposed on the surface. Since 1991 excavations were launched and finally the Director General of ASI last year approved the excavation to ascertain all the details of the wreck. The Navy was involved in the operation in view of thefact that it had the best-equipped ships and well-trained divers.
Since May last joint surveys were carried out before launching the two final phases of investigations.
During the experiment, a team of hydrographers carried outacoustic survey on the site in a sea-rider with the help of a side scan sonar and echo sounder. Echo sounders were used to obtain the vertical profile of the reef.
Divers were sent out in a group of two where one carried outexcavation wnfd the other documented it. The artefacts weremeasured, their position was fixed and the important ones were drawn besides still and video photography. Activities like excavation and retrieval of objects were documented by video camera. The camera was mounted on a tripod which not only recorded the entire operation on a recorded on a boat which also provided an opportunity to the team leaders to have a direct supervsion. The technology used has notbeen used anywhere else earlier.
Excavation was conducted by both mechanically as well asmanually. The areas where small fragments and artefacts were found layers of sand and corals were removed manually. Manual excavation was also adopted near the canons so that their positions were not disturbed. Indian Ocean is one of the oldest basins crisscrossed by thebrave mariners since antiquity. India has a 7,500-km coastline and her maritime history can be traced to the prehistoric period.Harrapans were great maritime people having trade from distant lands across the sea. Despite that our maritime history is sketchy andscattered, the paper in its introduction said.
About the site, Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting 12atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks, irregularly scattered over nearly 77,000 sq km area in the Arabian Sea between eightdegree and 12 degree 30' north latitude and 71 degree and 74 degree east longitude. The tiniest Union Territory has about 4,200 sq kms of lagoon area, 20,000 sq kms of territorial waters and about4,00,000 sq km of economic zone but the landmass is merely 32 sq km, which changes with seasons and tide. Of the 36 islands only 10 are inhabited. Archaeologists and maritime historians said that Laksadweep,lying directly in the trade route between Africa, Arabia and Malabar Coast, where the landmark for the ships sailing in the Arabian Sea.
Comments