Wreckage of 800-ton ship found after its deadly sinking well over a century ago: 'Significant discovery'

Archaeologists are assured they person recovered the wreckage of an 800-ton Dutch merchant vessel that sunk disconnected the seashore of Australia 168 years ago. 

The Koning Willem de Tweede was mislaid adjacent Robe, Australia, successful June 1857, sidesplitting 16 of its 25 unit members. 

The "significant discovery" was announced this week by the Australian National Maritime Museum and the SilentWorld Foundation aft a four-year search. 

The find "connects america to stories of commercialized and migration, having discharged implicit 400 Chinese miners conscionable days earlier its sinking," the depository said successful a station connected societal media astir the discovery. 

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A coating of the Koning Willem de Tweede, an 800-ton Dutch merchant vessel that sunk disconnected the seashore of Australia 168 years ago.  (Australian National Maritime Museum)

James Hunter, acting manager of maritime archeology astatine the Australian National Maritime Museum, told the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) Wednesday that archaeologists had uncovered respective components of the ship, including its windlass, a instrumentality that raises and lowers instrumentality to the vessel sticking retired of the seabed. 

"We looked astatine things similar the extent of the vessel — the draught — and we've looked astatine the h2o extent it's sitting in, and that each seems to enactment up truly well," helium told ABC of the assurance they had recovered its last resting place. 

He added that researchers besides recovered a "magnetic anomaly" that is the aforesaid magnitude arsenic the 140-foot ship. 

The depository said the find was a collaboration with the Silentworld Foundation, a nonprofit that supports underwater archeology, and, South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water and Flinders University.

A constituent of the vessel was recovered connected the oversea floor.  (Australian National Maritime Museum)

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"This important discovery, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, marks the culmination of dedicated probe since 2022," the depository said connected Facebook Tuesday. "Future monitoring visits are planned to further measure the tract and uncover much of this important portion of maritime history." 

"When the upwind has been benignant enough, they person carried retired survey enactment searching for the wreck," SilentWorld said connected Facebook Wednesday. "The latest sojourn to Robe, successful relation with the squad listed above, led to the probable recognition of the shipwreck. The visibility was challenging, but inactive capable for the squad to marque this unthinkable call!"

A diver exploring the wreck of the Koning Willem de Tweede.  (Australian National Maritime Museum)

Hunter told ABC the vessel whitethorn person tally aground connected the seabed and was buried by sand. 

The squad thought it had recovered the wreck 3 years ago, but Hunter said the soil made visibility difficult. 

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"It takes thing to disturbance the soil up, and it benignant of sits successful suspension astir similar you're successful a blizzard underwater," helium said.