The skeletal remains of a shipwreck trapped off in the Maine coastline has been identified as a British vessel the ‘Defiance’ that once sailed the sea during the Revolutionary War.
The ship sits in the Short Sands beach and has been exposed several times in the past by storms ripping through the area.
The wreck, which consists of the bottom of the hull, is about 50 feet long and was 60 feet prior to being destroyed.
Researchers investigating the ship used drones equip with geographical dating technology to determine it was built in 1754 and laid to rest in a sandy grave sometime during 1769.
The team also believes it was the ship known as the ‘Defiance’, which was a cargo ship carrying a crew of four, flour, pork, and other supplies when it hit rocks in Cape Neddick Cove during a storm.
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The skeletal remains of a shipwreck trapped off the coast of Maine has been identified as a British vessel from Revolutionary War. The ship is trapped in the Short Sands beach and has been exposed several times in the past by storms ripping through the area
Stefan Claesson who is a certified unmanned aircraft (UAS) mapping scientist and head of the project told DailyMail.com in an email: ”Following the 2018 storm exposure, there remained questions about the age and origin of the shipwreck,’
‘The sample timbers matched a New England tree-index indicating a felling date of approximately 1753.’
‘Shipwrecks like this can also be thought of as living organisms, or environmental warehouses that store and can reveal information about regional climate variations through the study of tree rings.’
‘In this initial study, we now have tree-ring data for multiple species from the early 1600s to the 1700s.’
The wreck, which consists of the bottom of the hull, is about 50 feet long and was 60 feet prior to being destroyed. Researchers investigating the ship used drones equip with geographical dating technology to determine it was built in 1754 and laid to rest in its sandy grave sometime during 1769
Along with identifying it as a Revolutionary War vessel the team also believes it was the ship known as the ‘Defiance’, which was a cargo ship carrying a crew of four, flour, pork, and other supplies when it hit rocks in Cape Neddick Cove during a storm
A storm had first revealed the ship in the 1950s the again in 1960, 1983, 2013 and finally in 2018 when experts finally decided to investigate its origins.
The project used a range of archaeological techniques, scientific dating and documentary research to date the ship, according to AncientOrigins.net.
Using his specialty, Claesson unleashed a drone with geographic information system (GIS) to map and survey the site.
A storm had first revealed the ship in the 1950s (pictured) the again in 1960, 1983, 2013 and finally in 2018 when experts finally decided to investigate its origins
The project, led by Stefan Claesson who is a certified unmanned aircraft (UAS) mapping scientist, used a range of archaeological techniques, scientific dating and documentary research to date the ship
Prior to this work, the ship had been a mystery to residents, as it would only appear during a storm and then reburied by shifting sands.
Now, Claesson and his team believe they have unraveled its secrets.
They determined the ship dates back to the mid-eighteenth century and was constructed in 1754 with wood that was cut down from trees in 1753.
It was about 60 feet long when it sailed the ocean, but the remaining structure only spans 50 feet.
After determining the dates, Claesson set out to identify the ship itself.
He looked at the archives at Peabody Essex Museum and searched the records of Daniel Moulton, a local notary who documented all the wrecks in Maine between 1750 and 1794.
‘Historical research revealed an account documenting a sloop called Defiance that wrecked at the York Beach location in 1769,’ Claesson explained.
The account details that a sloop Defiance was sailing out of Salem, MA bound for Portland, ME.
Prior to this work, the ship had been a mystery to residents, as it would only appear during a storm and then reburied by shifting sands
They determined the ship dates back to the mid-eighteenth century and was constructed in 1754 with wood that was cut down from trees in 1753. It was about 60 feet long when it sailed the ocean, but the remaining structure only spans 50 feet
‘The sloop and 4-man crew encountered a fierce storm, they took anchor, but in heavy seas the crew was forced to cut the anchor cables, and they were pushed ashore onto York Beach.’
‘The ship was carrying a cargo of flour, pork, and English goods. The ship was a total loss, but the crew survived. Previously, it was rumored that the wreck was the Industry, but there are no known records of an Industry lost at this location and date’.
‘Research also identified a sloop of the same name that was coincidentally built in 1754 in Massachusetts, which fits well with our tree-ring dates of circa 1753.
‘However, additional historical research and archaeological investigations are needed to confirm the identification of the wreck as Defiance. It is assumed that the timbers were used to build the vessel shortly after felling.’
Additional research revealed that on its last journey, the Defiance left Salem, Massachusetts for Portland, Maine’s Casco Bay.
Aboard were four crew members four, flour, pork and other supplies when it stcuk a cluster rocks in Cape Neddick Cove during a storm.
The crew survived the impact, but the ship was lost.
