Often, one of the positive side effects of a major storm is new discoveries of archaeological remains. When ships are wrecked on the shoreline or in deeper water they may become quickly buried in a protective layer of sediment, and these are the perfect conditions for archaeological materials to be preserved for a long period of time. Then a storm event comes along and may transport large amounts of the sediment away and reveal all sorts of exciting archaeological remains. It could be a shipwreck, unexploded ordnance or even an aircraft. Locals often make the discovery and then it is up to heritage experts, like Wessex Archaeology, to solve the mystery of the shipwreck’s identity through survey and research. Of course there are always risks to examining these new discoveries, particularly if they look like military ordinance. In this instance it is recommended they are given a wide berth and the appropriate authorities are contacted.
Coastal & Marine Manager Toby Gane recently spoke to the BBC about how the recent storms have exposed unexploded bombs in Essex and a shipwreck on the Cornish coast.
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