Marine Archaeologists Find a 5,000-Year-Old Elizabethan Era Ship Along English Channel Coast

A nearly 500-year-old Elizabethan ship was recently excavated by marine archaeologists from the bottom of a quarry lake in southern England, some 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the shore of Kent County, reported first by Ancient Origins.

Elizabethan Era Ship

Examinations have revealed that the ship was built from wood collected between 1558 and 1580, proving it was constructed during Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603).

The Tudor-era ship's well-preserved timbers were initially uncovered in April 2022 while being dug up by CEMEX UK, a building supplier with access to the Kent County quarry.

Officials from CEMEX discovered something significant and immediately informed the Kent County Council, who then notified Historic England about the discovery.

The team is still uncertain if the ancient ship was wrecked at its present site during the 16th century when it is believed that the English Channel quarry and headland were underwater.

It is also likely that the ship was just left in the quarry lake after it lost all utility. But to fully assess the condition of the ship's timbers when it arrived at its current site, a much closer inspection will be necessary.

"The ship has the potential to tell us so much about a period where we have little surviving evidence of shipbuilding but yet was such a great period of change in ship construction and seafaring," marine archaeologist Andrea Hamel said in a press release statement.

Rare Ship Discovery

Even though the 16th century was known to be a busy period in British naval history, only a few vessels have been retrieved and discovered from this era.

During the Elizabethan period, trade significantly increased, and the English Channel functioned as a vital route for ships traveling through the area.

In general, the shipbuilding techniques and shipping along the English Channel coast throughout the Tudor and Elizabethan eras remain shrouded in mystery.

But the new discovery may help archaeologists in continuing their studies to understand more about the 16th century's naval practices.

The tale of this extremely rare Elizabethan-era ship was featured on the BBC2 television show "Digging for Britain" during new year's day.

With the aid of digital photography and laser scanning, the archaeologists managed to capture the ship. The timbers will be put back in the quarry lake where they belong once the team completes their work so that the silt can keep the remains preserved.