HMS Victory controversy, Google dives under the sea, Sizewell boat, U/W survey off the Albanian coast, Venetian galley, More on the job losses, Elizabethan ‘Superguns’, Royal Navy Launches centenary of naval aviation, Danton discovery, UNESCO, International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology, Kent Archaeological Field School, Privateer’s booty to help fund sports event? More Atlantis disappointment

 

HMS Victory controversy

As the controversy on Odyssey’s latest claim grows, there have been the following developments that may be of interest to members:

 

Odyssey’s report on their preliminary investigation of the site is available for download on their web site.

 

Wessex Archaeology are currently preparing a desk-based assessment of the site on behalf of English Heritage

 

The Secretary of State for Defence has answered a question on the site in Parliament.

 

JNAPC have published their position.

 

The IfA have published their position.

 

UNESCO has also published a position statement.

 

Divernet reports on “Rocks ahead for Victory salvage plan”.

 

A post appeared on the MOD’s Defence News blog.

 

 

Meanwhile the government of Peru is reported to be pushing forward with a $500 million claim against Odyssey.

 

Google dives under the sea

 

Google Earth has been expanded into Google Ocean.

 

Sizewell boat

 

A 12-13^th century boat found during excavations in advance of the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm onshore works has been put on display at a public open day in Leiston.

 

U/W survey off the Albanian coast

 

Over the past two years, RPM Nautical Foundation and INA have been undertaking an u/w survey of shipwrecks off the Albanian coast.

 

Venetian galley

 

Italian archaeologists have raised a 13^th century galley from the Venice lagoon.

 

More on the job losses

 

The BBC website has reported on the threat to archaeological jobs in the west of England.

 

Elizabethan ‘Superguns’

 

If you missed last weekend’s Timewatch programme about the Elizabethan gun found at Alderney, then it should be available on the i-Player.

 

Royal Navy Launches centenary of naval aviation

 

This year is the centenary year of naval aviation. Various events are planned to commemorate the Admiralty’s decision on 7 May 1909 to order their first airship, HMS Airship I.

 

Danton discovery

 

The Danton, a French battleship sunk in 1917 in over 1000m in the Mediterranean has been found in remarkable condition. The discovery was made by the survey company Fugro during a pre-lay survey of the route of a proposed gas pipeline between Algeria and Italy.

 

UNESCO

 

Underwater archaeology features in the 2009 number 1 issue of the UNESCO Courier.

 

International Conference on Remote Sensing in Archaeology

 

A second call for papers has been issued for this conference to be held in Tiruchirappalli, India, on 17-21 August 2009.

 

Kent Archaeological Field School

 

The KAFS 2009 course prospectus is now available from their web site.

 

Privateer’s booty to help fund sports event?

 

The Guardian has reported a bizarre plan to fund the Central American and Caribbean Games.

 

More Atlantis disappointment

 

Claims that Atlantis had been found have sadly once again turned out to be wide of the mark.

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Odyssey claims to have found the fourth Victory; Disability and maritime archaeology; Lend-Lease salvage claim; Underwater looting in Greece

 

Odyssey claims to have found the fourth Victory

It is understood that Odyssey Marine Exploration is holding a press conference today in which it will claim to have found the fourth HMS Victory, lost in 1737 in the English Channel. However the story has already been broken in the Telegraph and the Guardian. Odyssey is understood to believe that the vessel was carrying a valuable cargo. Bronze guns are reported to have already been recovered from the site.

 

Disability and maritime archaeology

 

The University of Reading has been commissioned by English Heritage to carry out a project looking at disability within the archaeological profession. They will work in close consultation with the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) as a major stakeholder. The brief is to produce good practice guidelines for the employment of disabled archaeologists in the profession. The project is therefore currently looking for ‘participants’ who have experience of disability within archaeology.

 

Maritime archaeology presents particular challenges with regard to disability. If you wish to participate in the project, follow this link.

 

Lend-Lease salvage claim

 

A US company, Sub Sea Research, is reported by the Telegraph and ABC News to be claiming to have found the wreck of a Glasgow steamer torpedoed in 1942 off Guyana. They claim that the steamer was transporting a cargo of gold, platinum, diamonds and other jewels to the USA as part of the wartime Lend-Lease agreement and that the cargo is now worth £2.6 billion. The company is reported to have filed a claim in the US courts and is currently mobilising a salvage vessel.

 

Underwater looting in Greece

 

The relaxation of the restrictions on coastal scuba diving in Greece is reported to have resulted in the widespread looting of archaeological sites.

 

EPPIC placements in 2009-10

 

Wessex Archaeology’s coastal and marine section is hosting two one year placements starting in 2009. The placements will be administered by the IfA and funded by English Heritage. One placement will be for an archaeologist, the other for a geophysicist. See Wessex’s ‘Splash’ web site and the IfA for details.