Shipwreck off Cape Ray not historically significant, says provincial archaeologist
Vessel likely dates to the 1800s, but further research will tell for sure
A massive shipwreck that appeared off Cape Ray in southwestern Newfoundland last month may be amazing to see, said one archaeologist, but it just doesn't merit being called historically significant.
Provincial archaeologist Jamie Brake was part of a team that headed to the shore of J.T. Cheeseman Provincial Park on the weekend to examine the vessel's remains and collect samples.
The team collected a number of samples — including copper rods, wood, mortar and pitch — and they can use them to learn more about the ship, such as its age and origin.
"At this time, we don't have any information right now to indicate that this is a particularly significant or unique thing," Brake told reporters.
"The remains of the wreck are right in the middle of the surf zone there, so it is being hit with waves and so on," he said, adding there are other difficult weather conditions to contend with at the site.
From what the team can tell, he said, it looks consistent with a 19th-century vessel, but they'll wait to get results back from samples to say that with more certainty.
About 800 shipwrecks on registry
There are about 800 registered shipwrecks in the province, and about 700 of those date from the same time period as the Cap Ray specimen, he said. That would mean they already know a lot about vessels from that period, so there wouldn't be much to learn from preserving and studying the shipwreck.
Given the size of the shipwreck, he said, it's "really impossible" to pull it out of the water while also keeping it intact.
It doesn't look like the provincial government will be stepping in to take over the site.
Brake said they're being careful about what they collect and are preserving at the site already.
"We've got limited resources. We have, you know, a very large number of known archaeological sites here," he said.
"We can't preserve every shipwreck. We can't preserve every aircraft or every vehicle.… In many cases what's possible is documenting what's there before it's gone."
Brake said he can see why the wreck has captured the imagination of so many, as the shipwreck's discovery has been covered by the BBC and New York Times, to name a few media outlets.
It's also interesting to see this particular site stand out, he said, given the number of other sites across the province. For instance, he said there are around 20 registered shipwrecks on the southwest coast.
Locals step up
Brake listed the shipwreck's possible futures: "One is to let nature take its course and to see it dashed there by waves."
Anther is for the area's residents to pull it out of the water and do what they would like to it. Brake said they are treating it with respect and have been in touch with his office. Their intentions are to be "stewards" of it and display it, he said.
"If new information comes to light about it, that can be added to the interpretation. And at the end of the day, we've got a record of what was there."
Trevor Croft, a diver who is manager with the Clean Harbours Initiative, said the shipwreck's timber appears to be made of solid oak.
"It's pretty amazing," Croft said Friday. "Seeing those massive timbers up close was also fairly exciting. Those wooden dowels, just the sheer size of some of those planks on the vessel was astounding."
Locals have been spending hours at the site, keeping an eye on it, said Brake, adding that one person has been able to prevent others from taking pieces of the wreckage.
"I expect that the people on the ground there will do a good job of keeping track of what's going on, and I hope that folks will keep in touch with us," said Brake.
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With files from The Broadcast
