Global Cargo
Found in the waters off a small Dutch island, a seventeenth-century shipwreck provides an unparalleled view of the golden age of European trade
By TRACY E. ROBEY
Monday, May 07, 2018
The artifacts recovered thus far from the Burgzand Noord 17 wreck, such as this damask and brocade gown, are tantalizing examples of the luxurious cargo carried by a 17th-century ship that sank off the island of Texel, about 55 miles north of Amsterdam.
Sometimes, shipwrecks appear out of what seems to be merely sand. For more than 350 years, a ship lay unseen just off the Dutch island of Texel in the southeastern part of the North Sea, known as the Wadden Sea. This unique tidal and wetland environment, created by the interaction of salt water and fresh water with the mainland and islands, is one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world, hosting an extraordinarily diverse biomass. It is home to more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, and is a crucial stopover on the major migratory flyways—between 10 and 12 million birds pass through each year. “This is an area which changes continuously,†says Maarten van Bommel, professor of conservation science and chair of the Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Heritage section at the University of Amsterdam. “Islands here grow and collapse, and the bottom of the sea also changes a great deal.†This can produce some surprises.
https://www.archaeology.org/issues/296-1805/features/6507-netherlands-texel-shipwreck
