Ill-fated ship was attacked by dreaded worm
The ill-fated ship’s crew applied pitch and tar to the hull to protect the vessel from the devastating effects of the shipworm species teredo navalis.
Underwater archaeologists investigating the wreck, which lies in 10m of water, are concentrating their efforts on the damage caused by the marine worm in a bid to solve the mystery of its sinking.
Artifacts recovered, which include seven “perfectly preserved” coconuts and Iberian pottery including olive jars from Seville, amount to a “very exciting find”, according to Julianna O’Donoghue, a contracted underwater archaeologist working on the wreck.
“The preservation of all material onsite is absolutely amazing because it’s been buried in sediment. It’s the same with the timbers from the hull, everything is perfectly preserved so it’s a very exciting find.”
Examples of pottery and wooden barrels found on board date from the 16th and early-17th century.
The coconuts could have originated in either the Caribbean or north Africa, according to Ms O’Donoghue.
“The clues are fantastic, the coconuts are a very exotic find, certainly not what we’d be expecting in West Cork.
“A Seville olive jar found was used for transporting food like olives or almonds, likely dating from the 16th and early 17th century, so that’s a fairly broad date to begin with. The barrels with wooden hoops would be in keeping with that period also,” she says.
Investigators indicate there could be barrels containing material that could lead to further vital information still buried in the sediment.
Remote West Cork coastlines provided both a haven and a base for pirates operating in the region at the time.
“Perhaps it was pirates that came to a bad end — this area was a haven for pirates in the early 17th century. But the West Cork region saw a huge flow of maritime traffic,” said Ms O’Donoghue.
“The mariners made efforts to combat the shipworm that eats through timbers of ships, this ship may have been damaged to begin with and that’s what we would hope to establish throughout investigations.”
The ship is believed to be a “sizeable” vessel, though the bulk of the wreck is buried in silt with only a small portion exposed.
An exclusion zone is in place around the wreck site as experts are keen to discourage looters from gaining access to any valuable materials on board or buried nearby.
Teams working on the wreck site will consult with the National Museum and the underwater archaeology section of the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht on a programme of management for the future of the shipwreck and its unusual cargo.
Archaeologists analysing the artifacts are due to return to the shipwreck to carry out further investigations in the coming days.
