Editing Batavia (1628 ship) (section)

== Wreck ==
[[File:Shipwreck Galleries, Fremantle, WA.JPG|thumb|The stern section of the ''Batavia'' hull and reconstructed gateway, both housed in the [[Commissariat Buildings|Shipwreck Galleries]] in [[Fremantle]], [[Western Australia]].]]
Surveying the north-west coast of the Abrolhos Islands for the [[British Admiralty]] in April 1840, Captain [[John Lort Stokes]] reported that "the beams of a large vessel were discovered", assumed to be {{ship||Zeewijk|1725|2}}, "on the south west point of an island", reminding them that since ''Zeewijk''{{'}}s crew "reported having seen a wreck of a ship on this part, there is little doubt that the remains were those of the ''Batavia''".{{Sfn|Kimberly|1897|p=10}}

In the 1950s, historian [[Henrietta Drake-Brockman]] argued, from extensive archival research, that the ''Batavia'' wreck must lie in the Wallabi group of islands. The wreck was first sighted in 1963 by lobster fisherman David Johnson.

A systematic archaeological investigation was carried out in the 1970s. Most of the excavation work was carried out over four years, starting in 1972, with an initial survey in 1971. A large amount of the surviving hull was raised and conserved. This is about 20 tons of timber, which is about 3.5% of the original ship's hull.{{sfn|Van Duivenvoorde|2015|p=23}} Other large items including port-side stern timbers, cannons and an anchor. A large selection of smaller items were excavated, with a many pottery containers, weapons, cooking equipment, navigation items (including four astrolabes). Added to this were various trade items carried as part of the ship's cargo.{{Sfn|Richards|2002}}

The excavation was carried out in challenging conditions, with the swell coming in from the Indian Ocean preventing diving on 173 days of the 447 days spent on site. Some of that diving was restricted to the inner wreck site, where material had been carried to an area sheltered from the swell inside the reef. In the fourth season on site (starting September 1975) only 10 days of diving were possible on the more exposed main wreck site.{{Sfn|Green|1989}} 

To facilitate the monitoring and any future treatment, the hull timbers were erected on a steel frame. Its design—and that of a stone arch, also recovered—was such that individual components could be easily removed.{{Sfn|Richards|2002}}

In 1972, the Dutch government transferred rights to Dutch shipwrecks in Australian waters to the Australian government. Excavated items are on display at the [[Western Australian Museum]]'s various locations, though the majority of cannons and anchors have been left ''in situ''. The wreck remains one of the premier diving sites on the Western Australian coast.{{Sfn|Souter|2006}}

===Bullion and jewels===
[[File:Batavia treasure.jpg|thumb|Rijksdaalder silver coins recovered from the wreck site]]
''Batavia'' carried a considerable amount of silver coins, manufactured silver items and jewels. The manufactured silverware were trade goods that Pelsaert had specifically requested to use in improving the VOC's trading capability{{snd}}he had found that these were sought after by the "great men" he had dealt with in [[Agra]]. Though Pelsaert's divers recovered some of the silverware in his salvage operations, a large quantity still remained to be recovered in the archaeolocial investigation. As well as more usual tableware, the silver finds included parts of bedsteads.{{Sfn|Green|1989|p=195}} 

Each ship in the ''Batavia'' class carried an estimated 250,000&nbsp;[[guilder]]s in twelve wooden chests, each containing about 8,000&nbsp;silver coins.{{sfn|Dash|2002|p=55}} This money was intended for the purchase of spices and other commodities in [[Java]]. The bulk of these coins were silver [[rijksdaalder]] produced by the individual Dutch states, with the remainder being mostly made up of similar coins produced by German cities such as [[Hamburg]].{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Pelsaert was instructed to recover as much of the money as possible on his return to the Abrolhos Islands, using divers "to try if it is possible to salvage all the money [and] the casket of jewels that before your departure was already saved on the small island".{{sfn|Drake-Brockman|2006|pp=257–258}} Recovery of the money was far from easy. Pelsaert reported difficulties in pulling up heavy chests, e.g. 27&nbsp;October 1629, when a chest had to be marked with a [[buoy]] for later recovery. On 9&nbsp;November, he recorded sending four money chests to ''Sardam'', and three the next day, but then abandoned further recovery work. By 13&nbsp;November, Pelsaert recorded that ten money chests had been recovered—about 80,000&nbsp;coins—leaving two lost since there had been twelve loaded originally. One was jammed under a cannon, and the other one had been broken open by Cornelisz' men.{{sfn|Drake-Brockman|2006|pp=218–220}}

''Batavia''{{'}}s cargo also included special items being carried by Pelsaert for sale to the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal Court]] in India where he had intended to travel on to. There were four jewel bags, stated to be worth about 60,000&nbsp;guilders, and an early-fourth-century [[Cameo (carving)|Roman cameo]], as well as numerous other items either now displayed in [[Fremantle]] and [[Geraldton]], Western Australia, or recovered by Pelsaert.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/wreck-of-the-batavia |title=Defining Moments Wreck of the Batavia |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=15 June 2020 |website=nma.gov.au |publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]]|access-date=8 July 2020 }}</ref>