Recently discovered shipwrecks in Sri Lankan waters

Abstract

During the last fifty years, many wrecks of Dutch and European steam powered ships, circa 17th century CE have been discovered around Sri Lanka. Stone anchors used by Chinese and Arab traders of 13th–14th century CE are suggestive of wrecks of different origins. The era beyond that is shrouded in mystery. Recent investigations by the Maritime Archaeology Unit of Sri Lanka have shed light on some of these ancient ghosts. A wooden wreck located in 2008 in southern Sri Lanka was dated to the 2nd century BCE. Now known as the Godawaya wreck and it is still under excavation as of this now. Another, known as SS Indus, wrecked in 1885 containing treasures of precious antiquities for the British Museum, was found on the north coast