Dredged Up

Issue 31
Autumn 2022

Archaeology Finds Reporting Ser vice Newsletter

Welcome to Issue 31 of
Dredged Up, the newsletter of
the Marine Aggregate Industry
Archaeological Protocol. Since the
last newsletter in Spring 2022,
41 finds have been reported
in 25 reports.
Pages 2 and 3 showcase some of the amazing
finds that have been reported since the last issue
of Dredged Up by wharves and vessels alike.
There were many to choose from and we say thank
you to each and every person who reported them.

Work to enhance the resolution of the existing

British Geological Survey resource maps for the
Marine Aggregate Industry have led to some
impressive new finds. Pages 4 and 5 report an
exciting new find revealed in these surveys.

Reminders of the United Kingdom’s long and

extensive naval history are often discovered
within marine aggregate cargoes. Pages 6 and 7
will look at some of these exciting finds, including
the numerous cannonballs reported through
the Protocol as well as recently reported
cannon fragments.

Just for fun, on page 8 we have a Marine

Aggregrate Industry Archaeological Protocol Brad with remains of cannon -
themed crossword! see page 6 to learn more!

Latest Discoveries...
The latest discoveries reported through the
Protocol are now available on the Marine
Aggregate Industry Archaeological Protocol
Facebook page. Like and follow our page
to keep up to date!

www.facebook.com/marineaggregate
industryarchaeologicalprotocol

1
 Finds Roundup
CEMEX_1027 CLUBBS_1030
CEMEX_1027 is a spoon which was discovered in Licence Area CLUBBS_1030 is an unusual find made of limestone which was
137 in the South Coast dredging region, approximately 6.5 km discovered in Licence Area 407 in the South Coast dredging
south-west of the Isle of Wight. M Nichols discovered it at region, approximately 15 km south-east of the Isle of Wight.
Shoreham Wharf. This find was the first to be found by the new Kevin Cruickshank discovered it at Clubb’s Denton Wharf.
Hanson Thames vessel! This find was reported by the wharf as a mill stone weighing
approximately 1.5 kg and with an approximate diameter of
240 mm. Wessex Archaeology Technical Specialist Phil Andrews
and Senior Archives Manager Lorraine Mepham were sent
the images and both agreed that the small size and soft
material would make it unusual to be a mill stone or even a
quern stone. The funnelling of the central hole on one side
might be suggestive of this being the upper stone of a pair. On
the funnelled side are three (originally likely to be four) little
recesses which appear genuine, and one possibility is that it is a
grindstone (though limestone would again be an unlikely choice).
Our experts said that it could perhaps be a rotary grindstone
mounted in a frame. If so, Lorraine found a possible medieval
parallel from Exeter. After reviewing further photos provided by
the wharf, they said it looks much less likely to be a grindstone
as there is no flat grinding edge and so more likely to be a quern
stone. They called it an interesting and slightly enigmatic find!
It is unclear how this object made its way to a marine
environment. Perhaps when this stone reached the end of its
working life, on land, that it was used as a ballast stone on an
older vessel.

This metal spoon measures approximately 200 mm in length and

60 mm at its widest point. The bowl of the spoon has sustained
damage, although it is unknown whether this happened before
entering the marine environment, whilst on the seabed or
through the dredging process. Despite the damage on the bowl,
the maker’s stamp “John Round & Son Ltd” is very visible on the
reverse of the handle. Research on the stamp revealed that it
was made in Sheffield, as was a lot of cutlery during the
19th century. Based on the wording of this stamp containing the
word “Ltd”, this allows the spoon to be dated to between 1874
and 1962. Although the company that made it also produced
silver cutlery, the lack of a hallmark indicates that this is not
silver. It is possibly a base white metal such as nickel silver.
How this object entered the maritime environment is unknown.
It may be from an unknown wreck, but more likely it was lost or
thrown overboard during everyday shipboard operations. There
are some theories are that cutlery were thrown overboard on a
return journey to avoid washing them up!

2
DEME_1039 Brett_1032
DEME_1039 is an animal bone which was discovered in Brett_1032 comprised aircraft components that were
Licence Area 478 in the East English Channel dredging region, discovered in aggregate from Licence Area 340 in the South
approximately 12 km south-east of Great Yarmouth. Coast dredging region, approximately 8.5 km south-east of the
Gerard Kegel discovered it at DBM Wharf in Vlissingen, Isle of Wight. Conrad Stuckey discovered them at Newhaven
Netherlands. This animal bone measures 300 mm long and Wharf. These various aircraft parts, including an engine
70 mm wide and shows no signs of butchery. fragment, were discovered in the same cargo, alerting the wharf
staff that they may have come across aircraft wreckage.

Images were sent to external specialist Steve Vizard who said

that as far as he can tell, these parts are from a BMW 801. This
particular engine was fitted to three types of German aircraft
that operated over the UK. These being the Focke-Wulf 190
fighter (although not particularly common over here), the
Dornier 217 bomber and the Junkers 88. Further research was
done on Area 340. It was found that there is an exclusion zone
in place for an aircraft wreck, however that is for a Piper aircraft
that lost power in both engines and ditched at sea on
29 July 1975 (UKHO 19021) and therefore not related to these
finds. An aircraft crash site location report revealed that there
are no recorded losses in the immediate area. The closest record
Images of the bone were sent to Wessex Archaeology’s animal of German aircraft wreckage is a 1944 German Junkers Ju188,
bone specialist, Lorrain Higbee, who said that it is definitely the which was shot down and crashed off Sandown 6 km north-west
right radius of a bovine i.e., cattle. Along with the ulna, these of where these finds were discovered. The aircraft was part of
two bones make up the forearm. In mammals each epiphysis Squadron 5/KG2. It is presumed that these parts wouldn’t be
(the end of long bones) is initially separate to the diaphysis too far away from the wreck site, however sometimes aircraft
(main shaft section of the bone). As an animal matures these break up on entry to the water and scatter over a wide area. It
parts of bone will fuse together, with each epiphysis having its cannot be confirmed whether these finds are related to this site.
own predetermined age of fusion. The timing of this fusion is
well-known for humans, domestic mammals, and some wild
animals (such as reindeer, deer, and brown bears, for example).
Therefore, bones with unfused or fusing epiphyses can be used
to estimate age-at-death. The distal epiphysis (the end of the
bone which connects to the wrist) is unfused in this case. The
epiphyseal fusion of this element in cattle is usually between
3.5-4 years old, therefore this indicates that the animal was still
a juvenile.

The bone is largely intact indicating that it has been relatively

undisturbed since it was deposited on the seabed. The remains
of animal bones can end up in marine contexts having been
washed from terrestrial deposits by rivers or eroded from
cliffs or beaches. Alternatively, it may be the result of animals
being carried on vessels to be consumed on board before the
bones were discarded overboard. Beef seems to have been
the staple diet of many ships but was more often than not Additionally, considering the amount of fishing and trawling
transported in preserved form, which has been found in many that has taken place over the last 75 years, the parts could be
shipwrecks. This includes the Mary Rose, in which excavations distributed over a large area. Also, there is the possibility that
of the wreck recovered eight casks containing over 2,000 fishermen may jettison such parts found in their nets in an area
butchered cattle bones. where they don’t fish so they won’t be netted again. Staff at the
wharf have been advised to be vigilant for any other aircraft
material dredged from this licence area.

3
 WWI Submarine Wreck Revealed
by Geophysical Survey
Marine aggregates are an essential component of the UK During the survey, the high-resolution bathymetry images
building materials supply chain, and the anticipated scale revealed the wreck of a submarine, located around 70 km off
and speed of marine development is leading to increasing the coast of East Anglia. The almost intact vessel was lying,
competition for seabed space and environmental capacity. In totally uncovered, on the seabed, in around 35 m of water,
2019-20, The Crown Estate commissioned Royal HaskoningDHV with the hull broken just behind the conning tower.
to undertake work to enhance the resolution of the existing
British Geological Survey (BGS) resource maps, with the aim Due to its location, it was identified as wreck ID 28012 on
of creating a High-Resolution Resource Inventory for marine the Admiralty database. Following the long and successful
aggregates in English and Welsh waters. The project identified relationship between Wessex Archaeology, The Crown Estate,
a requirement for geophysical data recovery from a total of and the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA)
1,300 kilometres of survey lines, targeting the upper portion of to protect our underwater cultural heritage by running the Marine
the seabed, across four key seabed regions; the East English Aggregate Industry Archaeological Protocol, The Crown Estate
Channel; the Thames Estuary, the East Coast, and the Humber. asked Wessex Archaeology to assist with identifying this wreck
and researching its history. Subsequent research shows that the
Marine geophysical survey is a collective term for remote-sensing submarine wreck is that of HMS E22. The E-class submarines
techniques which can be used to investigate the physical served with the Royal Navy throughout the First World War as
characteristics of the underwater landscape. These methods the backbone of the submarine fleet with the last surviving ones
allow us to assess the archaeological potential of the marine withdrawn from service by 1922. HMS E22 had a total length of
environment in a non-intrusive manner. Bathymetry uses sonar 180 feet (55 m) and a beam of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.9 m).
pulses to measure and record the sea floor depth and any
anomalies which may be present.

-30.8 m

0 100 m
-41.7 m

Above: a bathymetric image of wreck ID 28012, HMS E22.

Below: a plan of the E9 submarine, similar to the E22

4
Above: E-class Submarine underway
Right: a photograph of the conning tower of the E22 with
members of her crew aboard

The E22 was involved in the first experiment by the Royal Naval
Air Service to use a submarine to carry aircraft on 24 April 1916.
The submarine was modified to carried two Sopwith Schneider
seaplanes on the rear casing. The boat would then submerge in
calm waters and the planes would float on the surface before
taking off and then returning to the East coast of England at
Felixstowe. The trials were not repeated due to the structural
failures the two aircraft suffered during the trial, leading to
neither taking off, compounded by the subsequent loss of the
E22 and its logbook (Treadwell 2009).

The following day, at around 11:50 am, the E22 was torpedoed
whilst on the surface by the German U-boat, UB-18, off Great
Yarmouth. At which time the submarine’s commander Lieutenant
Reginald Thomas Dimsdale had been in command of the
submarine for only six days. The only two survivors, Engine Room
Artificer Frederick Samuel Buckingham (aged 26) and
Signalman William Thomas George Harrod (aged 23), who was
the lookout, were taken prisoner by the U-Boat. The two men
were recovered after an hour and a quarter in the water by
UB-18, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Otto Steinbrink,
and became Prisoners of War for the remaining duration of the
war at a prison camp in Dülmen, near Münster, in Westphalia.

We are fortunate that the German Navy’s records for the attack
have survived. The war diary for the UB-18 patrol concerning
the sinking of HMS E22 was translated during this research
and was an interesting counterpoint to the statement by
Buckingham, including that the U-boat also hunted for a
second British submarine that it had seen before returning to
pick up the two survivors. The Crown Estate are confident that the output of this project will
assist marine planning capabilities and support decision-making
The E22 was one of only four submarines known to have been in relation to the future deployment of a range of offshore
lost to a German submarine torpedo attack during the First assets. It will also add to society’s wider understanding of the
World War, out of a total of 137 in service, with 54 boats, seabed, helping a broad range of stakeholders including the
including 26 of the 57 E-class vessels built, being lost or government, regulators, industry and academia.
scuttled during the conflict. This very human story involves the
loss of 33 of the 35 crew aged between 17 and 38 onboard, Reference
and is a sobering reminder that the sea, which offers so much Treadwell, T.C., 2009. Strike from Beneath the Sea.
opportunity for us, can also be a difficult and dangerous place. The History Press, Stroud.

5
 Clubbs Cannon Fragments
These cannon fragments were discovered in aggregate dredged It is difficult to say whether these parts are one gun. It is thought
from either Licence Area 512 in the East Coast dredging region, that the two body pieces are the same gun and while all three
approximately 14.5 km east-north-east of Lowestoft, or pieces have the same diameter bore, the muzzle itself seems
Licence Area 407 in the South Coast dredging region, to be of a slightly wider diameter. The wall thickness of the two
approximately 15 km south-east of the Isle of Wight. body pieces where they would connect are consistent at
Brad Johnson and Adrian Hatcher discovered them at Clubbs 27 mm and they do match up relatively well (see Image 3,
Denton Wharf. The muzzle (Clubbs_1024, Image 1) was found below). The wall thickness of the muzzle is slightly less but
shortly before the cascabel, first reinforcement and second this may be because it tapers. The section of the body that
reinforcement (Clubbs_1025, Image 2) were reported. would connect to the muzzle is very corroded and has lost a
lot of thickness. If it was in better condition, it might be more
comparable to the muzzle fragment, although the direction
of the break may indicate that it belongs to the same gun.
Graham noted that it is strange that the gun is in three pieces.
It is unlikely that a dredger could have caused this damage and
questioned why salvers would bother breaking it into three if
it’s scrap, and it is a strange explosion if it’s an accident. He
suggested it could be fire damage but was unsure. Staff should
be vigilant for other finds from the same areas.

Muzzle

1. Muzzle
astragal

Bore
Second
reinforce
ring

Trunnion

First
reinforce
2. ring
Touch
Base hole
Senior Maritime Technical Specialist Graham Scott and historical ring
ordnance expert Charles Trollope, respectively, identified these
fragments as possible parts of English swivel guns. Although
cast iron swivels existed before, they did not become common Cascabel
until after 1700. Button

The term ‘swivel gun’ refers to a small cannon, mounted on a Breech

swivelling stand or fork, which allows a wide arc of movement. 3. 4.
Swivel guns are among the smallest types of cannon, typically
measuring less than 1 m in length and with a bore diameter of Above: a photograph of the cannon fragments arranged as if
up to 35 mm. Their small size enabled them to be used by a wide part of one gun (Image 3) and a diagram of a cannon (Image 4)
variety of vessels, including those too small to accommodate
larger cannons, serving as short-range anti-personnel ordnance.
They were not ship-sinking weapons, due to their small calibre
and short range, but they could do considerable damage to
those caught in their line of fire. Unlike larger cannon which were
useless if they were on the wrong side of the ship, swivel guns
were highly portable and could be carried across the deck to
face the enemy. It is not uncommon to find a broken off muzzle
as they become extremely hot when fired and can break off if
they strike anything whilst recoiling.

6
 Vo
Cannonballs lke
r_ 0
9

84
Cannonballs are a common but exciting find. 10 have been
reported so far this year and we’ve had over 100 reported since
the Protocol started!

The type of shots reported vary greatly in many different factors.

Qualities such as materials, weight, and size allow experts to
identify the exact type of cannonball, what type of gun it may
have been fired from and the original location. Examples of
English, Dutch, French and Spanish cannonballs have been
reported over the years, including Volker_0984, which was
originally an English shot but was potentially modified to be used
by the Dutch or French!

There are many different reasons why these cannonballs end

up on the seabed. They could have been fired during battle,

36
10
or in training exercises, or as part of salutes. They could have _
on
not been used and simply lost overboard. If we find a high
3 5 a n d Hans
volume of cannonballs in a certain area, this may be indicative n_10
n so
of an area associated with naval warfare. The highest number Ha
of cannonballs in one report is held by Tarmac_0808 with a
collection of a whopping 15 cast iron cannonballs. Arts University
Bournemouth student James Sanchez reached out to Wessex
Archaeology to ask to make a model based on one of our finds.
A cannonball was a perfect choice, and he created a remarkable
model, compete with removable magnetic concretion based
on LTM_0537.

Brett_
101
7

M
LT

_05
37

Above: a model cannonball made by James Sanchez, based on

Tarmac_0761, below. Spot the difference!
Right: a collection of cannonballs reported through the Protocol,
not shown to scale.

Hanson Thames

7
 Across
1. A ship, aircraft or submarine that has been badly
damaged and sank to the seabed (5)

3. Material used in the manufacture of tools during the

Stone Age (5)

4. Relating to or found in the sea (6)

5. An object made by a human being, typically one of

cultural or historical interest (8)
If you would like to book an awareness
6. The study of human history and prehistory through the visit then get in touch by emailing
excavation of sites and the analysis of artefacts (11)
protocol@wessexarch.co.uk or
7. A machine with moving parts that converts power calling 01722 326867.
into motion (6)

9. Suction of material from the seabed (8)

If you haven’t received a mug or photo
scale card then please get in touch!
Down
Down: 2. Cannonball 5. Aggregate 8. Bone
2. A round metal or stone projectile fired from a cannon (10)
7. Engine 9. Dredging
5. Material dredged from the seabed (9) Across: 1. Wreck 3. Flint 4. Marine 5. Artefact 6. Archaeology

8. Pieces of hard tissue making up the skeleton (4) Answers