The Stray Finds Project - Recording Objects

Divers have always recovered objects from under the sea; sometimes the objects have been taken from a shipwreck and sometimes they were found on their own. The object may be well cared for and be displayed on a shelf or it may be left forgotten in a garage. In most cases the objects have not been recorded or photographed so they are a missing piece of our shared maritime history.

The Stray Finds Project team is tracking down these lost objects, recording them and publishing what we find in the hope that they may help tell an untold story:

• Locate - We track down objects found by divers.
• Record - We record and photograph the objects so their story can be told.
• Rescue - We rescue important or unwanted objects and give them to museums

It is sometimes thought that divers do not find anything historically important, but from what we have seen it is not just brass and bottles! The objects may be a clue to a hidden shipwreck, they may provide the answer to a historical mystery or be the only surviving evidence of an event that happened many years ago. So far we have recorded many historical objects like cannons, ancient stone anchors and Roman amphoras.

How you can help:

• Do you have any objects found under the sea that we could record?
• Do you have tales of early diving in the South Coast of the UK?
• Do you know of any divers that can tell us about diving in the UK before 1980?
• Do you know of anyone that would like to donate their finds to the Stray Finds Project?

Mission Statement:

The Stray Finds Project aims to record objects recovered from the sea, and the ihe information we record about the objects will be published on our website and on social media. The Stay Finds Project can provide conservation advice and also offers assistance to re-home any unwanted objects to relevant museums.

To get involved with The SHIPS Project please send us a message below: