Wreck of 17th century Dutch war ship found off British coast

A shipwreck off the coast of Sussex has been identified as the 17th-century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia. The ship was built in 1656 and sank in 1672. It was involved in all major battles of the second Anglo-Dutch war (1665-1667), the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency of the Ministry of Education Culture and Science announced.

Divers discovered the wreck in April 2019. Over the past year, specialists from Historic England, the Cultural Heritage Agency, and the British Nautical Archeology Society worked on identifying the ship, located 32 meters underwater on the seabed.

“The condition of the wreck is remarkable and could offer a wealth of information about how 17th-century Dutch ships were built and the activities of the warship during its final voyage,” the Cultural Heritage Agency said. In addition to much of the wooden hull, divers discovered cannons, Italian marble tiles, and Italian pottery. “The marble tiles came from the Apuan Alps quarries close to Carrara in Italy,” the agency said. “They were bound for the Netherlands and would have been used to build high-status homes.”

According to State Secretary Gunay Uslu (Culture), international cooperation in this type of maritime archaeological research bring stories and cultural remains to the surface.

“This provides valuable knowledge and important insights into the shared history of our seafaring nations,” she said. “Without responsible management, wrecks like these will disappear. Therefore international collaboration with partners like the United Kingdom is important and highly appreciated; it helps us to actively preserve valuable maritime heritage for current and future generations.”