Zuytdorp: Unfinished business

Author/s M. McCarthy

Year of publication 2009

Report Number: 256

Abstract
The Western Australian Museum’s investigations at the wreck of the Dutch East India Company ship Zuytdorp (1702–1712) first began in 1969. They were originally driven by concerns about the threat to the vessel’s bullion until 1986 when pre–historians, historical archaeologists, private scholars and others joined the Museum in a multi–faceted, interdisciplinary archaeological research program.

This paper will serve to provide the reader with an insight into the evolution of the methods and underlying philosophies used in approaching the Zuytdorp site(s), the problems encountered in working in such a difficult environment and some of the solutions found in pursuing this combined maritime and terrestrial, historical and pre–historical archaeological project. The forces at work in shaping the various approaches will become evident, as will the fact that the work remains unfinished on land and at sea.