Sunken history: shipwreck Scheurrak SO1 in the late sixteenth-century Dutch maritime cultural landscape

Abstract

In 1984, Scheurrak SO1, a four hundred year old shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Texel. It turned out to be the remains of a large grain carrier that sunk shortly after 1590. It was in operation during a transitional phase in Dutch history. Rapid developments and innovations on a political, economic and cultural level marked the last decade of the sixteenth century. This study aims to examine the full width of the material culture of the wreck within the widespread network the ship was operating in. This network, or the maritime cultural landscape, consists of many components: groups of people, individuals, geographical locations, historical events, cultural patterns, political structures, and climate conditions. All these factors somehow impacted the ship and its voyage. To study Scheurrak SO1 in its network, archival sources are being combined with archaeological ones, with the ship being the vantage point of research. Ship and objects determine what is being included in this study. This approach leads to an innovative way of doing maritime historical research, and offers new perspectives on the past.