Lost crew of 18th-century ship discovered in ‘underwater Pompeii’ off Kent coast

THE lost crew of an 18th-century Dutch merchant ship have been found by marine archaeologists who have been racing to preserve the wreck before it is destroyed for ever by an invasive sea worm.

The Rooswijk sank in bad weather off the coast of Ramsgate in Kent in January 1740, on her second voyage, and was first discovered by a diver in 2005. After preliminary excavations, it was covered up.

However, a survey by Historic England last summer revealed the ship was in danger of being destroyed by an invasive ship worm, which is moving to British coastlines from the Mediterranean. The shifting and treacherous Goodwin Sands has also left the hull exposed to salt water and air, meaning that archaeologists have had to act fast to record or bring up endangered timbers, cannons and artefacts.

Not only have the excavations uncovered three wooden chests, believed to contain a fortune in silver ingots, but for the first time bones of victims have been found. Little is known about the crew and passengers of the Rooswijk. As well as sailors, there would have been soldiers, children, wives and even “guests of the lower decks” – a polite term for prostitutes. Around 250 people were on board when the ship sank and it is thought none survived.

Mark Dunkley, a marine archaeologist for Historic England, said: “With the finds that we’re bringing up we’re seeing how they lived on board, and now with the remains we are seeing how they died as well. It’s so rare to find a crew on a shipwreck. It’s like an underwater Pompeii.”

The team is planning to take DNA samples of the bones to find out whether any of the victims have descendants still alive today.

However, archaeologists are battling to conserve the site from a damaging invader.

“The ship is threatened by a type of ship worm from the Mediterranean. It’s moving north because the sea is getting warmer with climate change,” added Mr Dunkley.

Historic England will be holding open days to view finds from the ship between Aug 19 and Sept 16.