Rooswijk Artefacts Return to The Netherlands
2560 objects discovered on the 18th-century Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship, the Rooswijk, return to The Netherlands.
Artefacts from the Rooswijk including over 1800 silver coins, ship timbers, trade goods such as thimbles, candle sticks and personal items such as pewter jugs, spoons, spectacles and a nit comb will now be stored at the National Maritime Depot at Batavialand in Lelystad, The Netherlands.
This transfer is part of a seven-year partnership project between the Cultural Heritage Agency of The Netherlands, Historic England and MSDS Marine.
The #Rooswijk1740 project started in 2016 when it was determined that the wreck, which is located at a depth of 25 metres on the Goodwin Sands in Kent, is at high risk.
The return of the objects is significant for The Netherlands as it will enable the Cultural Heritage Agency of The Netherlands and others to show these newly conserved finds to the public, to tell the story of this particular part of our shared maritime history.
International collaboration, like this partnership with the Cultural Heritage Agency of The Netherlands, is so important for preserving our shared maritime heritage. This seven-year project has revealed fascinating new facts about the 18th-century Rooswijk and will see the artefacts we recovered saved for future generations to enjoy.
This summer we took a deeper look at some of the finds as they were being conserved and analysed by specialists at Historic England’s Research Facility in Portsmouth.
Find out more about their discoveries in the video below.
