The Mortar Wreck ghost ship is remarkably well-preserved in the shallow waters off the southern coast of England, despite having sunk 800 years ago, and is rapidly deteriorating since being exposed from the sand.
According to Live Science, scientists are working to… cover the Mortar Wreck with sand in hopes of slowing its deterioration.
A diver approaches the Mortar Wreck – (Photo: English Heritage).
The ship was discovered in 2019 by a team led by dive captain Trevor Small, in remarkably good condition despite having sunk in the 13th century. The wreck is located in Poole Bay, near the southern coast of England.
The wreck is so well-preserved that it has been recognized as the oldest nearly intact shipwreck ever excavated in England.
However, much like an Asian fairy tale describing a man who remains youthful in an underwater palace for 300 years before aging rapidly upon opening a forbidden box, the ghost ship is also “evaporating into the sky” in a similar manner.
Since being excavated from the seabed, the wreck seems to be self-destructing under the immense weight of its cargo, which includes numerous millstones, barrels, gravestones, and mortars, while being continuously damaged by the turbulent waters caused by adverse weather.
The cause of this peculiar phenomenon is due to the ship being buried in sand for the past 800 years. The shifting seabed sand has helped the ship “return” to the world, but it has stripped away its protective layer. Upon contact with water, the ship’s wood quickly deteriorates.
This explains why divers and archaeologists are attempting to cover the exposed parts of the ship with sand to extend the time available for research.
The latest dives to study and protect the ship occurred after the UK government granted the ghost ship the highest level of official protection, according to English Heritage.
