TVH 2001 Expedition
Pre 2001, History of Diving on the Wreck
Search and Discovery of the t’Vliegent Hart
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The search for the Vliegent Hart began in 1977 when Gunter Schilder, Professor of the History of Cartography at the University of Utrecht, came across a dramatic text in a cartouche on an anonymous chart whilst researching manuscript maps at Leiden University Library. The text described the wrecking of t'Vliegent Hart and the Anna Catharina. Crucially, it revealed "the place where the two ships were found to lie is where the name of each is written on this map". It went on to give the alignment of the sandbars, buoys and beacons. This is thought to be a copy of the chart prepared for James Bushell by Abraham Arias, and should therefore report reliably the position of the wrecks.
Recent exploration for the vessel began in earnest in 1979 as a collaborative venture between an independent group, the North Sea Archaeological Group and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Using a proton magnetometer linked with a side scan sonar and Decca navigator, three seasons of searching were undertaken before the site was found in 1981. Visible features such as cannon with VOC markings, dated coinage and various VOC artefacts immediately identified the wreck as t'Vliegent Hart. Since then excavation of specific areas has resulted in the recording and recovery of thousands of artefacts, many of which form important parts of themed displays in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Stedelijk Museum in Vlissingen. Excavation is continuing to provide information and objects relating to the lives of those aboard these vessels and the provisioning of goods for the Indies merchant trade. In the first two years, conservation laboratories were set up in dedicated buildings supplied by Zeeland authorities. From 1984, the Vlissingen City Museum offered its basement, together with storage areas and a permanent laboratory with freeze driers and circulating tanks. They also offered their documentation facility and personnel. These are still fundamental to the project today. Work on the site continued for a further six years until 1993. Efforts to raise the considerable financial resources did not bear fruit until 1999, when the Oxford Maritime Trust generously provided a grant that enabled the diving vessel Terschelling to be engaged for a short summer season, 2000. |
Wine Bottle
The 2001 excavation site, with trenches labeled
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The 2001 Project |
Entering finds, 3H site recorder
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Project Objectives
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Camera man recording excavation
Excavations
In the summer of 2000, one month was spent excavating and recording selected areas of the vessel, with ROV's (remote operated vehicles) used to explore the perimeters of the site. All diving was undertaken using surface supplied diving equipment with voice communications and video. All dives were recorded on video, which provided an important part of the archaeological site record. Structure and artefact assemblages were surveyed using an acoustic positioning system. Information regarding the location of the diving vessel was combined with fixes of artefacts, structure or divers on the seabed. All these forms of information (acoustic, GPS, video images, etc.) were entered into a networked computer database.
The stern of the vessel was located and surveyed. Excavation towards the middle of the vessel uncovered the cargo of bricks and associated artefacts. The vessel is lying at an angle of 33 degrees towards the port side with the majority of the hold intact and portions of the orlop deck preserved.
2001 dive team continued the areas excavated in 2000. The excavation area has revealed portions of the standing rigging and collapsed structure as well as some of the personal objects, combs, tobacco boxes, pewter tankards and domestic utensils.
The stern of the vessel was located and surveyed. Excavation towards the middle of the vessel uncovered the cargo of bricks and associated artefacts. The vessel is lying at an angle of 33 degrees towards the port side with the majority of the hold intact and portions of the orlop deck preserved.
2001 dive team continued the areas excavated in 2000. The excavation area has revealed portions of the standing rigging and collapsed structure as well as some of the personal objects, combs, tobacco boxes, pewter tankards and domestic utensils.
Classifying finds
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Sections of a barrel
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Image Archive
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ImagesA large selection of images, without description, of the artefacts recovered during the 2000 Expedition. The Full collection of images and details are available on our VOC Artefact Archive page link, Included are Images taken by members and crew of the 2000 Expedition, reflecting the life and working conditions onboard the DSV Terschelling, the dive equipment and surface finds processing and conservation.
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Video
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