great glass cork stopper, I've notice that the bottle contains something in it. What is it?
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Anchor Awaits
Photograph courtesy NOAA
Warship, privateer, or passenger ship: The identities of three early 19th-century shipwrecks resting on the seafloor in the Gulf of Mexico (map) could be any number of things. But a group of researchers have spent the past week mapping and excavating these well-preserved finds in order to find out.
Their initial target, dubbed the "Monterey shipwreck," is a copper-clad sailing vessel that came to rest in 4,300 feet (1,330 meters) of water, making it the deepest wreck currently under investigation in U.S. waters, say experts. (Related: "Deepest Shipwreck Explored off U.S. Yields Treasures.")
After spending several days exploring the Monterey wreck, the expedition investigated two additional sonar targets less than five miles (eight kilometers) away. They turned out to be two other shipwrecks—one copper-clad and the other a deteriorating wooden ship.
All three vessels had exceptionally well-preserved artifacts including anchors (pictured), eyeglasses, blocks of tallow, leather-bound books, muskets, and cannons.
"We think all three vessels were sailing together," said James Delgado, director of maritime heritage with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Marine Sanctuaries. They were found in the same area and had the same kinds of bottles and octants, a navigational tool.
Delgado noted that it's likely all three went down at the same time, and quite violently at that.
One of the anchors looks like it was ripped away from its usual position on one of the ships and slid halfway back, he added.
—Jane J. Lee
Published July 25, 2013
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Arm of Exploration
Photograph courtesy NOAA
Since the shipwrecks sit in very deep water, researchers must use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) as their eyes, ears, and hands underwater. A robotic arm (pictured) enables scientists to turn over rocks and pick up artifacts.
Published July 25, 2013
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Field of Bottles
Photograph courtesy NOAA
The Monterey shipwreck contained bottles (pictured) that appeared to contain liquor, medicine, and sauces, said NOAA's Delgado in an interview last week.
Published July 25, 2013
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Pickup Artist
Photograph courtesy NOAA
A suction cup attached to the end of a robotic arm gently picks up an artifact from the Monterey shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico.
Pilots sitting on a boat thousands of feet up must carefully manipulate the controls to place the precious cargo into storage boxes so that the ROV can bring them back to the surface.
Published July 25, 2013
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Silent Cannon
Photograph courtesy NOAA
A cannon sits 4,330 feet (1,300 meters) down on the seafloor amidst the remains of the Monterey shipwreck.
Although cannons aren't the only weapons archaeologists have found—muskets manufactured in England were also on board—experts are unsure whether the 84-foot-long (25-meter-long) vessel was a warship, a privateer, or passenger ship.
Published July 25, 2013
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Dinnerware
Photograph courtesy NOAA
The expedition streamed video footage of their explorations in real time, allowing people from around the world to follow their progress.
In fact, the public helped experts spot artifacts that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. "Somebody spotted a syringe from the medicine chest," said NOAA's Delgado.
Others asked researchers to nose their video cameras into a bowl—such as the one pictured—in order to see if they could spot a manufacturer's mark.
Published July 25, 2013
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Gritty Feast
Photograph courtesy NOAA
Researchers investigate plates and bottles strewn on the seafloor with their remotely operated vehicle. Since they had permits to excavate only the Monterey Shipwreck, they were unable to bring back anything from the two additional wrecks they found.
They were able to map all three vessels using high-resolution imaging techniques.
Published July 25, 2013
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