Elizabeth's Armada: 'Treasure trove' raised off Channel Islands [multiple videos]
A treasure trove of artefacts is being recovered from what experts describe as one of the most important English maritime discoveries since the Mary Rose. The raised haul includes a 2m-long (7ft) cannon, which will give archaeologists an insight into Elizabeth I's naval might.
Dr Mensun Bound, excavation leader and marine archaeologist from Oxford University, said:"This boat is really grade A in terms of archaeology - it is hard to find anything that really compares with it....The wreck illuminates a time when England was fighting for its very survival - the world was at war, the Catholic south was fighting the Protestant north."
At the same time, he added, the navy was undergoing a technological revolution. He said:"Henry VIII's Mary Rose dates to 1545 and is an old-style ship. It had all sorts of guns, of different types, different shapes, different calibres, different ages, different styles....We hope they will demonstrate that this ship was carrying our first uniform, co-ordinated weapons system," Dr Bound explained."We think that here we have a standardised weapons system here; the guns are all the same type, the same materials, the same technology, the same calibre."It is a different type of navy, its a more professional navy. We have here the beginnings of broadside naval warfare."
The excavation of the Elizabethan warship is being filmed for the BBC's"Timewatch" television series.
Read entire article at BBC Two "Timewatch"
Dr Mensun Bound, excavation leader and marine archaeologist from Oxford University, said:"This boat is really grade A in terms of archaeology - it is hard to find anything that really compares with it....The wreck illuminates a time when England was fighting for its very survival - the world was at war, the Catholic south was fighting the Protestant north."
At the same time, he added, the navy was undergoing a technological revolution. He said:"Henry VIII's Mary Rose dates to 1545 and is an old-style ship. It had all sorts of guns, of different types, different shapes, different calibres, different ages, different styles....We hope they will demonstrate that this ship was carrying our first uniform, co-ordinated weapons system," Dr Bound explained."We think that here we have a standardised weapons system here; the guns are all the same type, the same materials, the same technology, the same calibre."It is a different type of navy, its a more professional navy. We have here the beginnings of broadside naval warfare."
The excavation of the Elizabethan warship is being filmed for the BBC's"Timewatch" television series.