Archaeology Discover Centre facts for kids
The museum in the casemates of Fort Victoria.
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | Fort Victoria, Isle of Wight, England |
| Type | Archaeology |
| Public transit access | Yarmouth |
The Archaeology Discover Centre was a special museum on the Isle of Wight, England. It was located inside Fort Victoria. This museum was also known by other names, like Sunken Secrets and the Underwater Archaeology Centre.
The museum was run by archaeologists, who are like history detectives. They study old things people left behind. The centre was in five old rooms of the fort called casemates. Since it opened in 1990, the museum showed amazing items. These items were found from shipwrecks and ancient lands now covered by the sea. Some famous finds came from HMS Pomone and HMS Invincible. It also had displays about the history of Fort Victoria itself. The museum closed in 2019.
Contents
Discovering Ancient Secrets
The Archaeology Discover Centre helped people learn about history hidden underwater. It showed how archaeologists find and study these amazing discoveries.
How the Centre Began
In 1969, the wreck of HMS Pomone was found near The Needles. The local council helped fund a team to explore this site. Later, in 1984, another shipwreck was found near Yarmouth. Work began to explore that site too.
In 1990, a group called the Isle of Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology started the museum. It was first called the Maritime Heritage Exhibition. Many items from the shipwrecks were shown here. Other finds went to museums in Portsmouth and Bembridge.
In 1991, the Trust grew into a bigger charity. It was named the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology. This group found even more underwater history. They discovered the ancient site of Bouldnor Cliff in 1999. The museum was updated and reopened in 2006 as the Underwater Archaeology Centre. In 2013, it changed its name again to Sunken Secrets. By 2017, local people took over running the centre.
What You Could See
The museum had exciting exhibits that told stories from the past.
Shipwreck Stories
This part of the museum explored why so many ships sank in the Solent area. It showed how shipwrecks are like time capsules, holding secrets from long ago. You could see items found from different shipwrecks. These included HMS Pomone and HMS Invincible. There were also stories about the Yarmouth Roads Wreck. This wreck is thought to be the Spanish Galleon Santa Lucia.
Lost Lands Under the Sea
This exhibit explained how the Solent used to be a dry river valley. Over time, sea levels rose and flooded it. This created the narrow sea channel we see today. The museum focused on discoveries from Bouldnor Cliff. This site has given us many ancient tools and items found deep underwater.
The Centre's Closure
The Sunken Secrets/Archaeology Discovery Centre closed for good in 2019. The amazing artifacts that were on display have moved. You can now see them at the Maritime Trust's Shipwrecks exhibition at Arreton Barns on the Isle of Wight. The building at Fort Victoria that once held the museum is now used for gift shops and other displays.
More to Explore
- Maritime archaeology
- Underwater archaeology
- Shipwrecks
