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Maritime archaeology
Dive into the museum’s maritime archaeology research, including the dramatic stories of shipwrecks and understanding diverse underwater heritage sites.
For over 20 years our maritime archaeologists have explored the physical remains of how people in the past interacted with our oceans, lakes and rivers. While our archaeologists have dived on many shipwrecks, they also study jetties, wharves and other underwater sites that bear traces of human activity. They love their job.
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Discovering the wreck of HM Bark Endeavour.
Did you know that James Cook’s world-famous ship ended up being sunk by the British military in an American harbour?
Its location was forgotten for over two centuries until our maritime archaeologists worked with a team in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, to hunt for clues that confirmed its identity.
The story of HMB Endeavour
The tale of how a little coal-carrying ship, originally called the Earl of Pembroke, but better known as His Majesty's Bark Endeavour, travelled around the world under the command of Lieutenant James Cook before ending up at the bottom of Newport Harbour, Rhode Island.
This animation was commissioned by the Australian National Maritime Museum Education Team and produced by Roar Film.
Australian National Maritime Museum