Background

The Ritthem Shipwreck is located near the entrance of the Sloehaven port in Zeeland, the Netherlands. It lies at a depth of approximately 19-22 meters below NAP (Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, a Dutch reference of water height) and another part lies in the nearby shipping channel at approximately 40 meters below NAP.

The ship is probably from Zeeland. The site contains at least nine pieces of artillery of different caliber. One of them bears the coat of arms of Burgundy.

Maritiem Museum Rotterdam/Wikimedia Commons

Shipping on the Westerschelde near Fort Rammekens, Willem van Diest, 1657. To the left is Fort Rammekens, the Haringbuis (the rounded fishing vessel in the front right) is approximately on the spot were the Ritthem wreck lies.

It is quite likely that the Ritthem Shipwreck is an armed merchantman. This is a merchant ship which has been fitted for warfare/defence. In order to accomplish this, some adjustments had to be made. The ship's hull and masts were strengthened and gun ports and guns were added.

In Dutch legislation passed in 1550/1551, merchants were required to arm their ships for defence. So from then onward this became a common practice.

RCE

The coat of arms of Burgundy on a cannon from the Ritthem Shipwreck.

Archaeological Survey

In 2005 a local group of recreational divers, called 't Zeebeest, found a large lump of stones, in which they could see the remains of a ship structure. They saw that these remains were on the edge of a very deep shipping channel and feared that some of the wreckage had already plunged into the trench. 

In September 2006 the archaeological diving team of the former ROB/NISA (the ROB is the predecessor of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, NISA was its diving team) spent three weeks conducting an archaeological survey, after an appeal for help received from a local amateur diver's association (Wrakduikstichting de Roompot). Although this was a archaeological survey, three cannon and some pottery were salvaged because of the risk of treasure hunters. Other cannon from this wreck were already taken and sold by divers; including a bronze, richly decorated canon (canon Rit-024). The cannon bears the Inscription 'Mester Merten' ('Master Merten/Maarten'). A document in the city archives of Middelburg dating from 1532 mentions two cannon (of the so-called veldslang type) bought from a Maarten Pasternakel, a cannon caster in Mechelen in present-day Belgium. It is possible that this gun came from his workshop.

RCE/Ton Penders

Cannon Rit-024.

RCE/Ton Penders

Detail of cannon Rith-024

RCE/Peter Leensen

Drawing of the Ritthem Shipwreck site.

• Vos, A. (2009).
  Wrak Ritthem, een onverwacht oud scheepswrak in de westerschelde.
  Rapportage Archeologische Monumentenzorg 174.
  Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed.
• Louis Sicking en Ronald de Graaf.
  Nieuwe Maritieme Geschiedenis van Nederland, deel 1.