The last day of the third session of work on the London wreck coincided with the last few days of the nationwide Festival of Archaeology 2014.
Southend Museum, who have an Esmée Fairbairn grant to provide a curator and undertake work with volunteers on the London, ran an open day to show finds and to work on new discoveries recovered by the Cotswold Archaeology dive team and delivered to the end of Southend Pier after that days diving.
 Diving team |
 Steve Webster with the finds |
 Volunteers table |
CA, English Heritage, Southend Museum and the divers were all available for TV, Radio and Press interviews, including BBC Inside Out, BBC News South East, BBC Look East, BBC Radio Essex, ITV Anglia, The Guardian and the Southend Echo. The interviews focused on why the work was being done now, the history of the vessel and its sudden loss, the diving conditions and the finds.
This last session has produced dramatic results. We now think we have in our trench the hold, evidence of cabins and the main gun deck, including a gun carriage and what may be part of the upper gun deck.
 Volunteers at work |
 Steve Webster with bevelled glass |
Finds recovered include spoons, clay tobacco pipes, a candle, barrels, musket shot, cannon balls, window glass, shoes (soles and insoles) and human remains.
All the posts to Twitter can be seen following #LondonWreck1665
Links (external)
Excavation of 17th Century shipwreck HMS London (The Guardian)
Shipwreck excavation may explain how 17th-century warship blew itself up (BBC news)
Capital remains: Divers excavate wreck of 17th Century warship The London (iTV.com)
Gallery
Copyright to Luke Mair/Chaos Photographic. All Images from Southend on Sea Pier, July 24th 2014
