Various History
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Wrecked Ships - Ship Archaeology.
The former Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) is a ship graveyard. With all kinds of vessels of the past couple of millennia surfacing after the old sea was transformed into new land. Each wrecked ship truly a time capsule.
The new town Lelystad is home to a unique institute : the National Depot for Ship Archaeology. With an amazing collection on display, and a specialised research centre. Not only small objects can be preserved and restored here, also large ships.
Through the archaeological society AWN, I was allowed to get an inside view. In the huge conservation installations for the ships, and in the workshops.
Absolutely fascinating !
Many objects of the maritime archaeology collection can be viewed online :
Sunken Treasures, click here.
The map below shows where wrecked ships have been found in this part of the Netherlands.
Click on map to zoom in. (link to website www.verganeschepen.nl)
Almost in front of the National Depot for Ship Archaeology, the full size East Indiaman "Batavia" is moored and can be visited.
On the nearby Batavia Wharf, also open to the public, another 17th century ship is being reconstructed with traditional materials and techniques.
This time a man-of-war, the flagship of admiral Michiel de Ruyter. This ship served during the Second Anglo-Dutch war. It participated in many battles, including the 1667 Raid on the Medway, bringing total disaster to the English war fleet.
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