Attempting to Name the Nameless: Copper Alloy Analysis of Artefacts from Unidentified Shipwreck Sites on Greater Detached Reef, Great Barrier Reef

Philpin, Aurora;McAllister, Madeline;van Duivenvoorde, Wendy

Abstract

The Queensland Museum (QM) houses the state maritime archaeology collection, including artefacts collected from various shipwrecks within the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. This paper analyses collection material from an unidentified shipwreck (Greater Detached Reef 1) on Greater Detached Reef in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Six copper alloy fastener artefacts are selected and sampled for elemental analyses using a Scanning Electron Microscope to reveal the composition of each. Additionally, the results combined with archaeological analysis of the wreck site and historical records are used to address claims that the unidentified site is the wreck site of Aert van Nes, which wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in 1854.

Journal

Australasian Journal of Maritime Archaeology

Publication Name

Australasian Journal of Maritime Archaeology

Volume

ISBN/ISSN

2652-0516

Edition

N/A

Issue

N/A

Pages Count

Location

N/A

Publisher

Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

N/A