Following the high profile potential thefts of material from protected wreck sites, including the bow cap from the Holland No.5 Submarine and a Bronze cannon from the Dunwich Bank site, and on-going intelligence, Historic England has become increasingly concerned over the security of protected wreck sites where bronze cannon and other high value or collectable material remains on the seabed and where sites have smaller artefacts that are particularly attractive in respect of unlawful souvenir hunting.
Historic England commissioned MSDS Marine to undertake the development and testing of a forensic marker that can be used to mark underwater cultural property in early 2018. In 2019 the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) became a project partner and will work with MSDS Marine and Historic England to develop two products for forensically marking protected wreck sites and a method of application for large scale wreck sites. Both products can be used by enforcement agencies to establish if recovered artefacts have come from a particular wreck. These methods are to be trialled on four protected wreck sites in the UK and on various Dutch sites in international waters.
The forensic marking of underwater cultural property will deter potential thefts and will provide law enforcement agencies with the ability to accurately identify the provenance of objects or artefacts that have been recovered as part of a criminal investigation or process of due diligence. Throughout the course of the project MSDS Marine will engage with, and help, communities and volunteers care for marine heritage assets.
MSDS Marine are delighted to announce the forensic markers which have been under development were deployed on protected wreck sites in Autumn 2023. The forensic marker is a kind of traceable product (used to mark lead on church roofs on land) that helps reduce the risk of theft, as artefacts can be traced back to a particular site. This is invaluable evidence in court and a real game changer for protecting marine heritage assets.
Speaking about the new forensic marking system, Mark Harrison, Head of Heritage Crime Strategy at Historic England said: “This will act as a clear deterrent to those looking to unlawfully lift and remove historic material from Protected Wreck Sites. If someone breaks the law and removes any property, the new markings will give police the ability to link the offender to the crime scene and implement criminal proceedings.”
Alison James, Heritage and Systems Manager at MSDS Marine said: “This protective marking project is a game changer for maritime archaeology and how authorities protect sites underwater. 2023 is the 50th anniversary of the legislation that enables the protection of wreck sites and it seems completely fitting that this product has finally been deployed to help protect them for the next 50!”
You can read the most recent update from the project here.