Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: Ship Wreck Preservation Vs. Treasure Hunters

  1. #1
    Stats Committee
    2nd Lieutenant
    United States

    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    New York
    Log Entries
    745
    Name
    Bill

    Default Ship Wreck Preservation Vs. Treasure Hunters

    Here is an interesting article I came across about the tension between nautical archeological preservation and treasure hunters:

    https://www.hakaimagazine.com/featur...=pocket-newtab

  2. #2
    Admiral of the Fleet.
    Baron
    England

    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Notts
    Log Entries
    22,272
    Blog Entries
    22
    Name
    Rob

    Default

    What a superb peripheral article Bill.

    Makes you think what will happen to all those little ships we sink on our tables every week after we are gone. Will they fight on or be salvaged, or just be scrapped by uncaring relatives searching for wealth!
    Some real interesting questions spring to mind though.
    Do the established hundreds of years old salvage rights apply to ships which have been on the seabed for that long. It used to be more clear cut in those times, well once the Admiralty Courts had overridden the owners assertation that the ships were Neutral or bore letters of mark, but I don't know how that effects sunk ships. If they were a belligerents, they should surely be the property of the ship that sank them if outside the territorial limits of a neutral state. Otherwise that State should have the rights. No doubt the position of the wreck would also, in Britain at least bring the Crown Agents into play, is it flotsam or jetsam?

    I wonder what the position on war graves is with ships of that age and antiquity?
    Last thing which sprang to mind is what is the score line for finding a wreck between Marine Archeologists, Preservationists and Treasure Hunters? If as the article states, the Hunters find significantly more than the others, then surely they are doing an important service before the ships are lost forever. As long as they notify the authorities and are trained to treat the site with care and reverence, surely they should be allowed to benefit from salvage rights within the laws of the Country in whose waters the ship lies, otherwise it is a free for all outside the territorial waters. If the Nations owning the ships can't be bothered to search for them then the games afoot as far as I can see.

    Just my opinion, playing Devil's Advocate, and food for further discussion maybe, on this very interesting subject highlighted by Bill ?

    Rob.
    The Business of the commander-in-chief is first to bring an enemy fleet to battle on the most advantageous terms to himself, (I mean that of laying his ships close on board the enemy, as expeditiously as possible); and secondly to continue them there until the business is decided.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •