Archaeology
There are many reasons why the Pandora is regarded as one of the most significant shipwrecks in the Southern Hemisphere.
Excavating such an historic wreck is a painstaking process.
Unlike the majority of historic ships that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, the Pandora did not break up on the reef. Refloated by her crew, she later sank virtually intact and settled into the sea bed. Covered by sand, the bulk of the artefacts remained more or less undisturbed in their original setting inside the ship.
Archaeologists use the term 'Pompeii effect' to describe this kind of wreck setting. Just as in Pompeii, during the heyday of Imperial Rome, daily life on the Pandora came to a sudden halt as a result of a catastrophe. Pompeii was destroyed by an earthquake and was subsequently covered by a layer of volcanic ash; the Pandora sank after striking a submerged reef and was covered by a layer of sand. Both covering layers acted as a perfect preservation medium.
Archaeological excavation of the Pandora will provide artefacts to reconstruct:
- aspects of daily life onboard, such as diet, recreation, hygiene and medicine — not only does this tell us about life onboard an 18th century British warship, but we can also make wider inferences about society and life in general during the period;
- the cultural background of many of the crew, because many artefacts can be attributed to individuals onboard;
- the extent of exchanges between the Pandora’s crew and the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands whom they encountered on their voyage;
- 18th century customs in the Royal Navy and maritime exploration of the Pacific.
The Pandora’s real-life objects are material evidence that can shed new light on a host of questions about late 18th century European culture and maritime exploration in the Pacific.
Thus, the intact wreck remains offer archaeologists a unique opportunity to retrieve, from a functional context, a precisely dated collection of late 18th century British material culture and nautical technology.