| Summary : An assemblage of Middle Bronze Age weapons, an amulet, jewellery, copper and tin ingots recovered from the same location as the designated 17th century Salcombe Cannon wreck site [1121972], or in close proximity between this site and the nearby Moor Sands site [1082109] and thought possibly to represent the remains of a Bronze Age craft which foundered in this location. No hull structure has been discovered. This may have disappeared through time. The items appear to have originated in north-western France: therefore if the assemblage represents the remains of a shipwreck, this may well have been the departure point. An exception is a bronze object identified as originating from Sicily. The original vessel would have been constructed of wood, powered either by oars or paddles or by a combination of sail and oar. Finds from 2009 may suggest a relationship with the Moor Sands wreck site, possibly indicating that they represent components of the same wreck. |
More information : Wreck Site and Archaeological Remains:
Bronze Age finds have also been discovered in areas previously searched, indicating that the site is continuing to reveal artefacts. (1)
Droit 282/04: A copper ring; an oxidised tin ball; two bronze blades; and some organic material, were reported from the site. (2)
Droit 283/04: A bronze spear point; a bronze dagger point; a bronze chape; three bronze rapiers; a gold amulet; three bronze palstave axes; two bronze spear heads; a bronze block, and a bronze arrowhead, were recovered from the site. (2)
Droit 189/05: 2 bronze rapiers and a bronze handle recovered from this site and attributed to circa 1300 BC. (4)
In 2004, a number of Middle Bronze Age artefacts were discovered by the South West Maritime Archaeological Group on the site of the 17th century protected wreck at Salcombe. They were then reported to the Receiver of Wreck. Following discussions regarding the site between the site licensee, English Heritage, the Receiver of Wreck, and the British Museum, these finds have now been donated to the British Museum. It now seems likely that some of the items originally believed to have come from the 17th century site are more probably from the Bronze Age site. (3)
Droit 028/06: Two rapier hilt ends, and the tip end of a rapier; 2 bronze swage; a palstave axe head; a round pewter piece; and a black "stone" recovered from this wreck site. (5)
Droit 180/06: Part of a metal twist gold bracelet [0604300001]; a bracelet with 8 gold strands and a clasp [0604300002]; a flat gold bar bracelet [0604300003]; a curled flat gold bracelet [0604300004]; a palstave with a bronze axe head [0606040001]; a black stone [0606040002]; a stone cup/crucible [0606040003]; a bronze rapier blade [0606040004]; and another black stone [0606040005] recovered from the Salcombe B Bronze Age protected wreck site. (5)
Droit 408/07: Part of a bronze rapier [061105001]; part of a bronze rapier [061105002]; tip of a bronze rapier [070610001]; a bronze dagger [070610002]; a gold twist [070708005]; a gold strand bracelet [070708006]; a bronze ball [070728001]; and a concave lead weight [070813001] recovered from this site. (7)
Droit 121/09: A sounding weight lead [0806010001], and another sounding weight lead [0806010002]; a complete rapier or sword [0809200001], and a further sounding weight lead, [0809200002], all identified as Bronze Age, recovered from the Salcombe Bronze Age site. (9)
Droit 473/09: A bronze leaf sword; 259 copper ingots; 3 gold wrist torcs; 2 lead fragments; 3 stone fragments; 27 tin ingots, all of Bronze Age date, recovered from the Wash Gulley in the area within and between the Salcombe and Moor Sands protected wreck sites, suggesting that the Bronze Age finds of both sites are all part of the same wreck. (9)
Droit 077/10: 4 Tin ingots, 8 Copper ingots. 1 Bronze leaf sword, Ewart Park phase. Wash Gulley area between sites in a concentrated area. These finds are a continuation of the team's 2009 season objectives and were carried out under licence to English Heritage / DCMS as both Moor Sands and Salcombe are protected wreck sites. (10)
Environmental Description:
The seabed geology is confirmed to be the local metamorphic rock, similar to the coastal topography. Round cobbles were also observed to be loose on the seabed. These were initially thought to be ballast from the Bronze Age wreck site, but the identification has now been revised to local stone.
The bedrock is cut by a number of gullies which are, in fact, natural fissures in the bedrock, some possibly being the remains of watercourses formerly active during and after the Devensian glacial period. (6)
Current Interpretation of Site:
The smooth cobbles on the site were initially thought to represent the possible remains of ballast from the Bronze Age wreck site, but after analysis it was discovered that the stone was of local origin, and it may that they are eroded cobbles from a former stream course active at an earlier period, and may represent river deposits.
There are three possibilities for the Bronze Age finds:
(a) an eroded land site. However, assessment of the geological data there would appear to have been little loss of land since the last marine transgression. Underwater, the soil horizon has been subject to erosion, but the bedrock appears relatively undisturbed. The Bronze Age material located in Gully E may therefore be the product of a shipwreck event, although terrestrial erosion cannot be ruled out at this stage.
(b) deliberate, votive, deposition into the sea. There are analogues for such practices in rivers but no known records of similar offshore finds.
(c) a shipwreck. The French origin for the finds suggests that it is likely that the vessel originated in or near the modern state of France, and it is likely that navigation was by landmark, hugging the coastline. This would have made the vessel vulnerable to the nearby reefs, since during the Bronze Age period the sea level was lower than it is today. The reefs, currently covered by 3 to 5 metres of water, would only have been covered by a metre of water.
A summary statement of the analysis of the Bronze Age material analysed by the British Museum states that the Bronze Age types are datable to the Rosnoen assemblage in Northwestern France (Bronze Final) and to the contemporary Penard assemblage in Britain (Middle Bronze Age), currently absolutely dated circa 1300 to 1150BC. The exception is the hilt fragment of a probable Carp's Tongue sword, dated to 950-800BC.
The dating of the site assemblage by itself is not sufficient to explain how the material was deposited, whether by shipwreck or by the erosion of a terrestrial site. (6)
The item previously identified as a chape in Droit 283/04 from the Bronze Age "Salcombe B" site has now been identified as an item produced in Sicily during the Bronze Age, known as a "Strumento con Immanicurata a Cannone" literally "having a cannon shaped handle". The function of this type of artefact is unknown. It is thought to be the first of this type of artefact found in north-western Europe and may demonstrate trading networks extending from the Mediterranean to Britain. (8)
It is now suggested following the 2009 finds declared to the Receiver of Wreck that their location within and between the two sites demonstrates an origin within the same wreck. (9)
Date of Loss Qualifier: Approximate date of loss |