Splash

Dr Paul Baggaley

Paul Baggaley has just returned from Bremerhaven, Germany, where he spent the week giving a practical course in marine geophysics to staff of the National Maritime Museum of Germany and students from the MA in Maritime Archaeology course from the University of Southern Denmark.

Sidescan sonar image of Bremerhaven wreck

New work on the wreck of the SS Mendi, one of the most famous shipwrecks of the First World War, moved a step closer when the South African Government announced its intent to make the ship a flagship project in their war graves policy.

The Mendi and over 650 men, mainly members of the South African Native Labour Corps were lost in 1917 after a collision off the Isle of Wight, England. Infamously, none of the black servicemen on the Mendi or any other volunteers in the Labour Corps received a British War Medal or a ribbon after the war while their white officers did.

Wessex Archaeology undertook the first ever detailed study of the SS Mendi in 2007 when English Heritage funded a desk-based project. A year later a preliminary geophysical survey was supported by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Marine Environment Protection Fund, and English Heritage.

Marine geophysical survey of the SS Mendi

As a result of this work the wreck was given official UK recognition when it was designated by the UK Ministry of Defence under the Protection of Military Remains Act. Despite this status no funds have been available for further work.

Speaking in May in the South African Parliament Thabang Makwetla, the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, spoke of the ‘real opportunity to retrieve the full story and gain access to the legendary maritime tragedy of the sinking of the troopship the SS Mendi just five years before we mark the centenary of this occurrence’ in 2017.

Dr Mothobi Muloaste and Nick Ward visit Wessex

In recent months Wessex Archaeology has helped Dr Mothobi Muloaste, the South African playwright, author and publisher, and the British researchers Nick Ward and Jim and Rachel Stapleton in their joint research on the Mendi. This has including a briefing on UK heritage legislations during a visit to Salisbury. Sue Davies OBE, the Chief Executive of Wessex Archaeology said ‘this is a special but tragic story that brings together two nations. At Wessex Archaeology we stan

d ready to work with the South African Government and its people in their quest to give the men of the Mendi the recognition they deserve.’

In September two WA Coastal & Marine staff set off for Israel to participate in a seven day course of underwater excavation and training. Dr Jonathan Benjamin and John McCarthy of our Edinburgh office joined a team of eight marine archaeologists with representatives from Ireland, the UK, Norway, Denmark, Bulgaria, Germany and Canada. The training excavation was organised by SPLASHCOS, a European network. The programme was also supported by assistance from the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, the Israel Prehistoric Society and the Ecoocean Society. The excavation was led by Dr. Ehud Galili, one of Israel's most respected archaeologists, who first discovered the village.

Prof. Galili takes a moment to instruct an Early Stage Researcher on underwater archaeological techniques.

The full schedule consisted of excavation and recording at the submerged Neolithic village at Atlit Yam combined with a series of lectures and field trips to museums and archaeological sites. Atlit Yam is one of the world's most important submerged prehistoric sites; a world class archaeological site, above or below the sea. The remains consist of the foundations of an extensive village dating to around 9,000 years ago that contain structures, burials, wells and a megalithic monument, all at a depth of around 10 metres below the sea. A published presentation of the site can be found in chapter 22 of Benjamin, J. (ed.) 2011 Submerged Prehistory, Oxbow Books.

Jonathan taking samples from the palaeosol around the well (photo:Karolyn Gauvin).

Professor Galili giving an evening lecture on management of maritime heritage in Israel (photo:Frederick Feulner)

Fishermen, beachcombers, divers and local people in the Western Isles are being urged to report anything unusual they’ve spotted at the shoreline or under the sea to a new archaeological project, launched this week.

The project – a partnership between RCAHMS, WA Coastal & Marine, Historic Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar – is searching for the prehistoric and historic remains of the coastal and marine areas of the Outer Hebrides.

Rising sea levels and coastal erosion make the search for previously undiscovered archaeology in the Western Isles a priority, as there is always the real danger that it could be lost for good.

A key feature of the project is getting local people involved in sharing their knowledge of potential sites of archaeological remains and involving them in research work.

The team hopes to make some discoveries of previously unknown sites as a direct result of 'tip-offs' from the local community.

That’s why they’re inviting local people to a talk this week to find out more [Taigh Chearsabhagh Arts Centre on North Uist at 7pm on 12 October 2011] and holding regular sessions in a local venue to encourage people to come forward with their stories.

By working with local people the project aims to explore the rich coastal and maritime history of the Outer Hebrides which spans thousands of years.

Evidence of the remains of ancient settlements, fish-traps , even tree stumps that may now lie submerged, and other finds and fragments from the inter-tidal zone, are all part of the puzzle that the project wants to hear about, in order to piece together stories of the past.

The sorts of things the team are looking for are often discovered by accident when landing a boat or walking along a shoreline when there’s a particularly low tide.

Speaking on behalf of the project partners, RCAHMS archaeological investigator Alex Hale said:

“The Outer Hebrides have been lived on for many thousands of years and they contain a rich prehistoric and historic legacy.

“Because of the islands’ importance to seafaring over the centuries, many of the remains of buildings and settlements are found around the coastal fringes - including under the sea and in lochs. Due to rising sea-levels and the power of the sea, these remains are now at risk of being lost.

We hope that local people who might live or work on the shore and the sea – and anyone with a good knowledge of the islands – will come forward with stories and information.”

Deborah Anderson from CNE-Siar’s Western Isles Archaeology Service said, “The archaeology of the Outer Hebrides is remarkable in the extent of its survival, however there is considerable pressure on sites from coastal erosion. Over the last 10,000 years a substantial area of land has been submerged by rising tides including areas of prehistoric land surfaces, which could hold early settlement remains.

Recent discoveries of prehistoric sites in the intertidal areas indicate that there are still pockets of preservation in some places. By integrating the land based coastal archaeological evidence and the information we acquire from locals through this project, we will better understand how people lived and worked on our islands over the last 9,000 years.”

Dr Jonathan Benjamin of WA Coastal & Marine added “We have already received a warm welcome in Stornoway and we are looking forward to meeting people interested in the history and archaeology of Uist.”

For more information about the project or to have a chat about getting involved, people can email marine@rcahms.gov.uk  or visit the Outer Hebrides Coastal Community Marine Archaeology Pilot Project website.

-ENDS –

Notes for Editors

1.     OHCCMAPP is a community-oriented project: a partnership between WA Coastal & Marine, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Historic Scotland, CNE-Siar and the communities of the Outer Hebrides.www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/marine/scotland/outer-hebrides/ohccmapp

2.     RCAHMS is the National Collection of materials on Scotland’s built environment that connects people to places across time. It is the first port of call for information about the built environment of Scotland, from prehistory to the present and records the changing landscape of Scotland and collects materials relating to it. www.rcahms.gov.uk

3.     WA Coastal & Marine is a non-profit company and a registered charity with offices throughout England and Scotland. In addition to working closely with developers as an archaeological consultancy, as a charity WA is established to promote the education of the public in the subjects of culture, arts, heritage and science through the pursuit of archaeology. www.wessexarch.co.uk

4.     The role of Western Isles Archaeology Service is to identify and protect the archaeological resource of the Outer Hebrides, promote a greater awareness and understanding of the Islands’ rich archaeological heritage and encourage a sustainable approach to managing change within the Historic Environment. www.cne-siar.gov.uk/archaeology

5.     Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. www.historic-scotland.gov.uk