BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND—The Telegraph reports that archaeologists have recovered swivel guns, a gun port lid, a mophead and bucket, clay pipes, wig curlers, and intact bottles from the wreckage of HMS Invincible, an eighteenth century Royal Navy warship resting in the East Solent. The research team members also lifted the front part of the ship, which still bears draft marks cut into the wood to show how deep the vessel sat in the water. HMS Invincible was built in France in 1744, captured by the British in the first Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1747, and ran aground and sank in 1758, but only after its lower, sleeker design influenced the shape of future Royal Navy vessels. Jessica Berry of the Maritime Archaeological Sea Trust said thousands of artifacts sat on the well-preserved ship’s shelves and in its closets. “We have a really good idea now of how they lived and worked, and how incredibly organized they were,” she explained. To read about the discovery of the famous wreck of HMS Erebus, go to "Franklin's Last Voyage."
