Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

ZW5581 - Cargo

Zeewijk

Cargo artefact recovered from Zeewijk

Nails from barrel. Iron hand-wrought nails, shank round in section, four-faceted nail head, four lines of vice marks around upper shank of nail directly below nail head, tip tapers to a point. Two types; most were originally ca. 8 cm, but some were 10 cm in length.

Site Location xyz- one raised at end of 1978 expedition from inside reef Area B (SP 13).

Number of Items 1491

Material Cargo

Museum Reference

Registration Number 5581

ID 19897

Status Commonwealth

Map of shipwreck

Zeewijk

Zeewijk was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos on 9 June 1727. The Zeewijk did not break up immediately and goods, including the treasure chests, were transferred to Gun Island. It was obvious to the crew that the ship could never be floated from its position locked into the reef.
A rescue group of eleven of the fittest survivors and First Mate set off for Batavia in the longboat on 10 July...