Yarmouth Roads Wreck facts for kids
The remains of a ship from the late 1500s or early 1600s were found in 1984. This discovery happened in Yarmouth Roads, near the Isle of Wight in England. This special shipwreck is now a Protected Wreck. It is managed and cared for by Historic England.
What Was Found?
The ship's remains were found resting on a rocky shelf. There were four parts of the ship that were still in good shape. This ship was built using a method called carvel planking. This means its wooden planks were laid smoothly edge-to-edge. Strong iron pieces held the planks together.
Experts think the ship was about 32 meters (105 feet) long. It was likely a type of large sailing ship called a carrack. These ships often came from the Mediterranean Sea, so this one might have been Spanish. It was probably a trading ship from the mid-1500s.
Treasures from the Wreck
Divers found many interesting items at the site. These included:
- Stone cannonballs
- Pottery from Italy
- Pieces of copper metal
- Plates and spoons made of pewter
- A bronze mortar (a bowl for grinding things)
How Was the Ship Discovered?
The shipwreck was found by accident in 1984. Divers were looking for old Roman pottery. Local fishermen had found this pottery in their nets. The divers were trying to find where the pottery was coming from.
After the ship was found, more people explored the site in the mid-1980s. They carefully recorded many parts of the ship.
Whose Ship Was It?
No one knows for sure the name of this ship. Not many ships were recorded as lost in this area during that time. There is only one old document that might give a clue.
In 1567, a Spanish merchant asked a court to get back wool that was saved from his ship. His ship, the Santa Maria, was lost near Yarmouth in 1567. This record might be about the ship found in 1984. However, archaeologists have not found anything at the wreck site that proves it was the Santa Maria. So, the ship's true identity remains a mystery!
