PA Media
The wood was first discovered last year after being released from the seabed during a storm
Archaeologists have identified a 250-year-old wreck discovered on Orkney’s Sandai Island.
All evidence points to the wreck of Count Chatham, a former British Navy ship called HMS Hind.
The vessel had a sixth Rate 24 Gunfrigate, and saw years of active service, including the siege of Louisbourg and Quebec in the 1750s.
Scientific analysis and community-driven historical research led to the identification of ships discovered last February.
HMS Hind was active during the American Revolutionary War in the late 1770s.
British Navy ships were often converted to whaling ships at the time, as their strong build quality allowed them to withstand the ice conditions of British whaling routes.
As Earl of Chatham he finished four seasons at the Arctic before finally completing at the Bay of Ropness in March 1788.
They carried 56 sailors at the time, and they all survived.
The timber was first discovered last year by the Sundai community after being released from the seabed during a storm.
Coastline changes could make such discoveries more common.
The wood is currently housed in freshwater tanks at the Sundai Heritage Centre to protect them.
Funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the tank prevents the wood from collapse. Because as soon as they were removed from the ocean they began to dry out and break down.
Orkney Islands Council
HMS Hind was active during the American Revolutionary War in the late 1770s.
Working with researchers from the Dendrochronicle and volunteer community, Wessex Archeology helped identify the ship.
The timber arboretum was evaluated and analyzed and it was determined that the ship was constructed of wood in the southern and southwest of England.
This is also known as a tree ring date, where tree rings are counted to establish the age of the tree.
It took several months to manipulate archives and community records to find the most likely candidates for the ship.
Ben Saunders, senior marine archaeologist at Wessex Archeology, said:
“Sunday was notorious for shipwrecks at the time and was called the “Scottish shipwreck cradle,” but the community was just as well known in the hospital as it cared for sailors who violated the local stormy seas. ”
Sanday Development Trust Chairman Clive Struver said the work revealing the shipwreck’s identity was “very exciting.”
He added: “Now we have this knowledge of how to rest in shipwrecks and Sundai, so the next step is to explore what will happen in the community here.”
