Over £20k awarded for new research of the Sanday Wreck to help further reveal its secrets

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has awarded £21,000 to Wessex Archaeology and Dendrochronicle to carry out further research of the Sanday Wreck, an intact section of shipwreck timbers uncovered on Sands o’Erraby earlier this year. The funding will support in-depth analysis of the wreck including dating, reporting and archiving to help shed light on this remarkable discovery. 

In February, winter storms and coastal erosion revealed the shipwreck on a beach in Sanday, Orkney Islands. The section of wooden hull measuring 8 x 5 m and weighing around 10 tons had become exposed within intertidal sands, catching the attention of the local community who alerted the authorities. HES commissioned Wessex Archaeology who undertook rapid assessment and recording of the wreck. They also worked with Dendrochronicle, an organisation that specialises in dendrochonology (a dating technique that utilises tree rings to provide precise dating and provenance information for historic timber) for archaeology, to sample 19 timbers from the wooden wreck. 

In September, the wreck was carefully transferred into a freshwater conservation tank funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund with the help of Wessex Archaeology’s marine specialists and members of Orkney Island Council’s Culture Team.  

Thanks to HES funding, over the coming months the historic timber specialists at Dendrochronicle will undertake dendrochronological assessment then analysis of the tree-ring samples. It is hoped that this will provide precise dating evidence for the vessel and provide clues as to where the ship was built. 

Wessex Archaeology’s Coastal & Marine specialists will take the initial results of the dating and provenance of the timbers and conduct further study to establish what the timbers can reveal about the development of shipbuilding during a time when large sailing vessels were the pinnacle of technological advancement, regarded as the most complex technology societies were producing. 

Working with community researchers and the Sanday Heritage Centre the project will look at the archive material relating to wrecks in Orkney to better understand the overall resource and bring together an island-centric archive of wrecks. 

This work will be crucial for identifying the significance of the wreck, including where it came from, when it was built and what it can tell researchers about the networks of maritime trade and exchange which flowed through and around Orkney and connected the islands to the world. 

Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said: 

“The wreck on Sanday is an incredible and rare finding, providing an exciting opportunity to study and preserve a unique facet of Orkney’s past. We’re thrilled to be supporting the work of Wessex Archaeology as they carry out this work, whilst also providing a rare opportunity to engage local and wider audiences with marine archaeology.” 

Senior Marine Archaeologist from Wessex Archaeology, Ben Saunders, said: 

"The opportunity to complete dendrochronological dating and further research on this incredible piece of Orkney's history is extremely exciting. It could allow us to identify the ship and its origin, adding to our understanding of the complex maritime connections within the North Sea. We look forward to working with researchers in Sanday and at Dendrochronicle to write a new part of the island's story" 

Contact Information

• Laura Ely, Communications Officer
• Historic Environment Scotland
• 0746 875 9137
• laura.ely@hes.scot

Notes to editors

About HES Grants Schemes 

Historic Environment Scotland offers grants and funding schemes to support projects that promote and protect our historic environment through the Historic Environment Grants Programme, the Partnership Fund and the Heritage & Place Programme. More information including how to apply can be found on the Historic Environment Scotland website. 

About Wessex Archaeology 

Bringing together leading minds and practitioners in the sector, Wessex Archaeology is a trusted archaeology and heritage service provider and educational charity. From our network of international offices, we work in partnership with our clients to deliver sustainable solutions to manage the historic environment - above ground, below ground and underwater. We are committed to our social impact. This means using the knowledge and connections we make through our commercial activities as a catalyst to engage the communities in which we work. Follow us on social media @wessexarch 

About Dendrochronicle 

Dendrochronicle is a specialist consultancy based in Edinburgh providing tree-ring dating and related services to projects across Scotland. For more information see: https://dendrochronicle.co.uk