 Archaeology
A
wreck (believed to be 16th Century) was discovered during the
Environmental Impact study for the dredging project, located on the edge of the dredge
area.
English
Heritage has designated the wreck site an area of
national importance.
Whilst
the wreck site and its immediate surroundings were undisturbed during the
dredging operation, there is a chance that some material of archaeological
importance may have been pumped onto the beach.
If you or anyone you know finds anything you consider to be of archaeological or
historical interest please e-mail Stuart
Terry and give details of what you found and where you found it.
****************************************************************************************************
Old Ships Timbers
 Many
ships timbers have been found on Poole Bay's beaches in the past, and a very
important collection of timbers has been recovered from Studland beach in recent
years.
During
the beach replenishment project several large pieces of wood have been washed ashore
that have been chewed by the
European Shipworm, Nototeredo norvegica, which usually attacks floating
timber, producing burrows often lined with a calcareous deposit.
It
has been suggested by a beachcomber that some of this wood appears to have
'bullet holes' in it perhaps caused by lead shot, but Gordon Le Pard, an
Archaeologist with the Dorset
Coast Forum explains "I would not expect to find ships timbers with
bullets in them; a lead bullet would usually flatten on the outside of the
timber and rarely penetrate it, and if it did it would make a very untidy,
splintered hole".
However
we should not dismiss the idea that some of the timbers found could come from
wrecked vessels and we are interested to know of any timber found that shows any
signs of work as it may well come from one of the shipwrecks out in the Bay.
|
