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Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Captain James Cook's lost ship Endeavour discovered after 250 years
Capt. James Cook's famous lost ship, the HMS Endeavour, has been rediscovered off Rhode Island, closing the book on a maritime mystery that has endured for 250 years. The iconic vessel's alleged final resting spot was detailed in a recent report by the Australian National Maritime Museum, which had been searching for the lost ship since 1999. 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' said museum director Daryl Karp of the document, which he described as the 'definitive statement' on the project, Pen News reported. 'It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.' During the British explorer's first expedition, between 1768 and 1771, the Endeavour circled the globe and became the first European ship to land in eastern Australia and to circumnavigate New Zealand. The legendary ship fell into obscurity shortly thereafter: It was repurposed as a transport ship for British troops. Endeavour was then sold off to the shipping company Mather & Co., before getting refitted and renamed the Lord Sandwich in 1775, when it formed part of the British fleet during the Revolutionary War. Endeavour was finally scuttled off the coast of the US in 1778. The sunken remains then lay at the bottom of the ocean for 2½ centuries until experts formally matched the ship with a wreck dubbed RI 2394, which was located in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. Researchers were able to confirm that it was indeed Cook's lost ship by comparing the wreckage with the vessel's historic plans, finding that the placement of certain timbers was a dead ringer for the locations of its main and fore masts in the outline. Meanwhile, the wreck's measurements matched those taken during a 1768 survey of the Endeavour. 'The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimeters – not inches, but millimeters,' declared Australian National Maritime Museum archaeologist Kieran Hosty. 'The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical.' He added, 'This stem scarf is also a very unique feature — we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ship's plans, and we can't find anything else like it.' If that wasn't proof enough, analysis of the wood revealed that the timber was British in origin. This finding was consistent with reports that the Endeavour was repaired in 1776. Despite the so-called 'preponderance of evidence,' ANMM has received some backlash over the alleged discovery. When the museum published its preliminary findings in 2022, its research partners at the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project refuted the claim, declaring that they were running point on the project and that the research was 'premature' and a 'breach of contract.' ANMM acknowledged RIMAP's 'fine historical analysis and detailed artifact recording' in a statement, adding that while their fellow research org 'continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour,' they are 'not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.' Nonetheless, ANMM archaeologist James Hunter claims that there are enough criteria to confirm the ship's identity. He pointed out that the Endeavour was 'intentionally scuttled,' meaning that the chances of 'finding artifacts that would provide an immediate identification, such as a bell, were very unlikely.' 'Anything that was of value would have been stripped out of that ship before it was sunk,' he said. 'But what has been recovered up to this point is indicative of an 18th-century time frame.' 'You'll never find a sign saying 'Cook was here,'' seconded Hosty. 'We've got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being … Endeavour.' He added, 'And so far we found lots of things that tick the box for it to be Endeavour and nothing on the site which says it's not.' Originally published as Captain James Cook's lost ship Endeavour discovered after 250 years
Telegraph
8 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Captain Cook's missing HMS Endeavour ‘found' after 250 years
Captain Cook's lost ship, HMS Endeavour, has been 'found' off the US coast after 250 years. Between 1768 and 1771, the Endeavour became the first European vessel to reach eastern Australia and circumnavigate the main islands of New Zealand. Sold and renamed as the Lord Sandwich in 1775, the ship then sank off the US coast during the American War of Independence in 1778. Now the HMS Endeavour's remains have been found in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, with experts identifying the ship as wreck RI 2394. The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) announced the finding in a new report, ending 25 years of study. Daryl Karp, Museum director, said: 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel. 'It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe. This final report marks our definitive statement on the project.' Experts compared RI 2394 with historical plans of Cook 's ship, discovering timbers in the same location as the Endeavour's main and fore masts. Measurements of the wreck also aligned with those taken during a 1768 survey of the Endeavour, while analysis of the wood showed it originated from Europe, correlating with records of the vessel having been repaired in 1776. Collectively this formed a 'preponderance of evidence' that the Newport wreck was indeed the Endeavour. Kieran Hosty, ANMM archaeologist, said: 'The timbers are British timbers. The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimetres - not inches, but millimetres. 'The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical. This stem scarf is also a very unique feature - we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ship's plans, and we can't find anything else like it.' But the findings could prove controversial. ANMM released a preliminary report identifying RI 2394 as the Endeavour in 2022, which was met with criticism by the museum's research partners, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP). In a statement, RIMAP denounced the finding as both 'premature' and a 'breach of contract', claiming that it was the lead organisation for the study. Nevertheless, ANMM experts say the evidence is sufficient. Archaeologist James Hunter said: 'The chances of finding artefacts that would provide an immediate identification, such as a bell, were very unlikely. 'And that's because anything that was of value would have been stripped out of that ship before it was sunk. But what has been recovered up to this point is indicative of an 18th-century time frame.' In a statement, ANMM said: 'We acknowledge that RIMAP continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour, but they are not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.' Ms Karp also acknowledged the work of the ANMM archaeological team, of Dr Kathy Abass in Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island authorities.
New York Post
12 hours ago
- General
- New York Post
Captain James Cook's lost ship Endeavour discovered after 250 years
Holy ship. Captain James Cook's famous lost ship Endeavour has been rediscovered off Rhode Island, closing the book on a maritime mystery that has endured for 250 years. The iconic vessel's alleged final resting spot was detailed in a recent report by the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM), which had been searching for the lost ship since 1999. Advertisement 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' said museum director Daryl Karp of the document, which he described as the 'definitive statement' on the project, Pen News reported. 'It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.' During the British explorer's first expedition between 1768 and 1771, the HMS Endeavour circled the globe and became the first European ship to land in Eastern Australia and circumnavigate New Zealand. 3 A replica of the Endeavour, Captain Cook's legendary ship. Credit: David Knight/ANMM via Pen News Advertisement Unfortunately, the legendary ship fell into obscurity shortly thereafter when it was repurposed as a transport ship for British troops. Endeavour was then sold off to the shipping company Mather and Co, before getting refitted and renamed the Lord Sandwich in 1775, when she formed part of the British fleet during the Revolutionary War. Endeavour was finally scuttled off the coast of the US in 1778. 3 A 3D image of the shipwreck site. 'This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,' said museum director Daryl Karp of the document, which he described as the 'definitive statement' on the project. Credit: ANMM via Pen News Advertisement The sunken remains then lay at the bottom of the ocean for two and a half centuries until experts formally identified the ship with a wreck called RI 2395, which was located in Newport Harbor, RI. Researchers were able to confirm that it was indeed Cook's lost ship by comparing the wreckage with the vessel's historic plans, finding that the placement of certain timbers was a dead ringer for the locations of its main and fore masts in the outline. 3 Painting of legendary English explorer Captain James Cook. Getty Images Meanwhile, the wreck's measurements matched those taken during a 1768 survey of the Endeavour. Advertisement 'The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimeters – not inches, but millimeters,' declared ANMM archaeologist, Kieran Hosty. 'The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical.' He added, 'This stem scarf is also a very unique feature – we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ship's plans, and we can't find anything else like it.' If that wasn't proof enough, analysis of the wood revealed that the timber was British in origin. This finding was consistent with reports that the Endeavour was repaired in 1776. Despite the so-called 'preponderance of evidence,' ANMM has received some backlash over the alleged discovery. When the museum published its preliminary findings in 2022, its research partners at the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) refuted the claim, declaring that they were running point on the project and that the research was 'premature' and a 'breach of contract.' ANMM acknowledged RIMAP's 'fine historical analysis and detailed artifact recording' in a statement, adding that while their fellow research org 'continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour,' they are 'not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.' Nonetheless, ANMM archaeologist James Hunter claims that there are enough criteria to confirm the ship's identity. He pointed out that the Endeavour was 'intentionally scuttled,' meaning that the chances of 'finding artifacts that would provide an immediate identification, such as a bell, were very unlikely.' Advertisement 'Anything that was of value would have been stripped out of that ship before it was sunk,' he said. 'But what has been recovered up to this point is indicative of an 18th-century time frame.' 'You'll never find a sign saying 'Cook was here,' seconded Hosty. 'We've got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being HMB Endeavour.' He added, 'And so far we found lots of things that tick the box for it to be Endeavour and nothing on the site which says it's not.'
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Mystery of Captain Cook's lost ship is SOLVED after 250 years as scientists discover sunken remains of HMS Endeavour
CAPTAIN COOK'S ship, HMS Endeavour, which the adventurer used to explore Australia, has been identified after a 250 year long mystery. The vessel was the first European ship to reach Eastern Australia, in 1770, and went on to circumnavigate the main islands of New Zealand. 5 Captain Cook used the Endeavour to circumnavigate the main islands of New Zealand Credit: Credit: Pen News 5 Experts have spent 25 years identifying the ship Credit: Credit: ANMM via Pen News 5 Just 15% of the wreckage remains Credit: Credit: ANMM via Pen News It was then sold, renamed the Lord Sandwich and was last seen in the US in 1778, during the American War of Independence. During the war, the ship was scuttled (intentionally sunk) to create a blockade to prevent French ships from entering the harbour and supporting the American forces. And it has now been confirmed that a shipwreck off Newport Harbour, Rhode Island, USA, called RI 2394, is in fact the HMS Endeavour. In a new report the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) announced the verdict, after 25 years of studying the wreck. Read more sience stories GOLDEN AGE I'm going to live to 150 by biohacking myself - do it at home in 8 simple steps "This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel", said museum director Daryl Karp. "It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe." "This final report marks our definitive statement on the project." The ship was hard to identify because anything that would have been of value, such as a bell, would have been stripped from the boat before it was intentionally sunk. However, experts were able to determine that the shipwreck is the lost ship by comparing it with plans for the Endeavour. For example, they discovered timbers which matched with the placement of the main and fore masts of the ship. Divers uncover shipwreck of Glasgow vessel almost 140 years after it vanished without trace Additionally, measurements from the wreck corresponded to those taken during a 1768 survey of the ship. Analysis of the ship's wood also revealed that it had come from Europe, which is consistent with records show that the Endeavour was repaired there in 1776. ANMM archaeologist, Kieran Hosty, said: "We'll never find anything on this site that screams Endeavour. You'll never find a sign saying 'Cook was here'. "We will never see a ship's bell with Endeavour crossed out and Lord Sandwich inscribed on it. Who was Captain Cook? Captain James Cook was one of Britain's most renowned explorers, celebrated for his contributions to navigation and mapping during the 18th century. While he charted the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770 and claimed it for Britain, Cook was not the first European to encounter the continent, as Dutch explorers had sighted it earlier in the 17th century. His expeditions, however, significantly advanced European knowledge of the region and laid the groundwork for British settlement. Similarly, Cook's role in New Zealand's history was pivotal but not first in sequence. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman had visited New Zealand in 1642, long before Cook's arrival. Nevertheless, Cook's meticulous circumnavigation and mapping of New Zealand were instrumental in understanding its geography and establishing connections with the indigenous Māori people. "We've got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being HMB Endeavour. "The timbers are British timbers. "The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimetres – not inches, but millimetres. "The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical. "This stem scarf is also a very unique feature – we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ships plans, and we can't find anything else like it." However, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project previously said the identification is "premature" and has not yet ruled out that the Endeavour could be another shipwreck . Only 15 percent of the ship remains and researchers are now focused on what to do to preserve it. 5 Captain Cook was one of Britain's most renowned explorers Credit: Credit: Pen News
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Mystery of Captain Cook's lost ship is SOLVED after 250 years as scientists discover sunken remains of HMS Endeavour
CAPTAIN COOK'S ship, HMS Endeavour, which the adventurer used to explore Australia, has been identified after a 250 year long mystery. The vessel was the Advertisement 5 Captain Cook used the Endeavour to circumnavigate the main islands of New Zealand Credit: Credit: Pen News 5 Experts have spent 25 years identifying the ship Credit: Credit: ANMM via Pen News 5 Just 15% of the wreckage remains Credit: Credit: ANMM via Pen News It was then sold, During the war, the ship was scuttled (intentionally sunk) to create a blockade to prevent French ships from entering the harbour and supporting the American forces. And it has now been confirmed that a shipwreck off Newport Harbour, Rhode Island, In a new report the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) announced the verdict, after 25 years of studying the wreck. Advertisement Read more sience stories "This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel", said museum director Daryl Karp. "It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe." "This final report marks our definitive statement on the project." The ship was hard to identify because anything that would have been of value, such as a bell, would have been stripped from the boat before it was intentionally sunk. Advertisement Most read in Science However, experts were able to determine that the shipwreck is the lost ship by comparing it with plans for the Endeavour. For example, they discovered timbers which matched with the placement of the main and fore masts of the ship. Divers uncover shipwreck of Glasgow vessel almost 140 years after it vanished without trace Additionally, measurements from the wreck corresponded to those taken during a 1768 survey of the ship. Analysis of the ship's wood also revealed that it had come from Europe, which is consistent with records show that the Endeavour was repaired there in 1776. Advertisement ANMM archaeologist, Kieran Hosty, said: "We'll never find anything on this site that screams Endeavour. You'll never find a sign saying 'Cook was here'. "We will never see a ship's bell with Endeavour crossed out and Lord Sandwich inscribed on it. Who was Captain Cook? Captain James Cook was one of Britain's most renowned explorers, celebrated for his contributions to navigation and mapping during the 18th century. While he charted the eastern coastline of Australia in 1770 and claimed it for Britain, Cook was not the first European to encounter the continent, as Dutch explorers had sighted it earlier in the 17th century. His expeditions, however, significantly advanced European knowledge of the region and laid the groundwork for British settlement. Similarly, Cook's role in New Zealand's history was pivotal but not first in sequence. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman had visited New Zealand in 1642, long before Cook's arrival. Nevertheless, Cook's meticulous circumnavigation and mapping of New Zealand were instrumental in understanding its geography and establishing connections with the indigenous Māori people. "We've got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being HMB Endeavour. "The timbers are British timbers. Advertisement "The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I'm talking within millimetres – not inches, but millimetres. "The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical. "This stem scarf is also a very unique feature – we've gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ships plans, and we can't find anything else like it." However, the Advertisement Only 15 percent of the ship remains and researchers are now focused on what to do to preserve it. 5 Captain Cook was one of Britain's most renowned explorers Credit: Credit: Pen News 5 Scientists compared plans of the ship with the wreckage Credit: Credit: ANMM via Pen News
