A 13th-century shipwreck recently discovered off the south coast of England has made its way into history as one of the oldest shipwrecks ever found in the country. This rare shipwreck has been placed under the highest level of protection by the UK government, Historic England said.
The 750-year-old “Mortar Wreck” was discovered by local sailors in Poole Bay, Dorset, in the summer of 2020 and was recently studied in a new study led by Bournemouth University.
Not only was the hull of this wreck incredibly well preserved, it turned out that the shipwreck still carried its original cargo, including a cooking pot, pots, drinking mugs, and a collection of ornate tombstones. Centuries later, the tombstone ornaments still preserve their deep carvings well, and the chisel marks are still clearly visible. One tombstone features a wheel-headed cross typical of the early 13th century AD, while the other features a large type of cross commonly seen in the mid-13th century AD.
The tombstones are made of Purbeck stone, a type of limestone mined on Purbeck Island off the south coast of England. Composed of the crushed remains of freshwater snails, this stone has a highly polished appearance, making it an ideal material for luxury tombstones and Gothic architectural structures. This material was a highly sought after option in the 13th century and was exported from England to Europe.
Ring dating of the trees in the wreck indicates that the wood used to construct the trunk came from Irish oak trees that were cut down during the reign of King Henry III in AD 1242-1265.
We can say that this is extremely old for a shipwreck. In fact, it’s certainly incredibly lucky to stumble upon any shipwrecks built before the 18th century, due to the harsh conditions of the sea. While evidence of a small number of Bronze Age shipwrecks had been discovered before, wooden fragments of these shipwrecks had been lost. This means that the Mortar Wreck is probably the oldest shipwreck still intact in England.
Bournemouth University Marine Archaeologist Tom Cousins said: “There are very few 750-year-old ships that we can see today, and we are very lucky to have discovered such a rare and well-maintained specimen. “The combination of low-oxygen water, sand and stones helped protect one side of the ship and the hull is clearly visible.”
The Mortar Wreck has recently received top-notch protection under the Shipwrecks Protection Act 1973, along with the 16th-century Shingles Bank Wreck NW96 and the 17th-century Shingles Bank Wreck NW68, both of which were discovered off the Needles Channel near the Isle of Wight. While not as old as the Mortar Wreck, these two wrecks contained a range of valuable finds, from cannons and cannonballs to a large hoe and a group of lead ingots.
Older shipwrecks have also been found elsewhere in the world’s seas. State-of-the-art imaging of the seafloor in 2018 revealed a 2,400-year-old shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea. In its current form, this 23-metre ancient Greek merchant ship stands out as the oldest shipwreck ever discovered intact.
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