By: Bruno Werz
Link to YouTube Live event: https://youtu.be/ewuxFSAWAoc

 

On the 25th of March 1647, shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon, the United Dutch East India Company ship Haarlem wrecked in Table Bay. The events that followed had far-reaching consequences, and this incident can be regarded as the catalyst that created one of the roots of modern South Africa. Since 1989, a project has been underway to search for Haarlem. This presentation provides a brief overview of work undertaken to date. This has resulted in the location of a site that, based on currently available evidence, possibly contains the wreck.

 

Dr Bruno Werz, FSA, once the youngest diver on the world famous ‘Mary Rose project’, introduced scientific maritime archaeological research to southern Africa in 1988. Previously a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town, he is currently CEO of the African Institute for Marine & Underwater Research, Exploration & Education (AIMURE) (http://www.aimure.org), as well as research associate at the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, University of Pretoria. In 2010, he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London for his services to maritime archaeology and history.

Link to YouTube Live event: https://youtu.be/ewuxFSAWAoc