Artefacts discovered on HMS Victory will remain on the wreck

Britain’s highest court has decided that artefacts found on the Royal Navy’s historic flagship will remain on the wreck. HMS “Victory” sank in the waters of the English Channel near Torqay, County Devon, during a storm in 1744 and remained missing until 2008.

In recent years there has been a battle before the courts of the United Kingdom to decide what will happen to the valuable historical finds made within the archaeological site located on the wreck of HMS Victory.

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On both sides of the argument were representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime Heritage Foundation – a charity chaired by Lord Lingfield, a descendant of Sir John Balchin, who commanded HMS Victory. It was representatives of the other side who insisted that the valuable items discovered on the site be excavated and properly preserved.

The artefacts whose fate was decided by the court include 41 bronze cannons, objects of everyday use used on board the ship, wooden elements of the vessel’s equipment or fragments of two anchors and a rudder.

As justification for the verdict, the judge presiding over the trial stated that the wreck was minimally threatened by looting and there were no major problems to monitor its condition on an ongoing basis. He also rejected the claim that the ship may have been carrying gold as there was no evidence to support such a premise.

Source: bbc.com