Direct Award - Protective Marking for Protected Wreck Sites: Longevity Testing, Evidence Gathering and Distribution

In response to a series of high-profile thefts from protected wreck sites, the 7591 project pioneered the development of a forensic marking product suitable for deployment on to high value objects on protected wreck sites around England. Several products were developed and initially tested in the laboratory and in benign sea conditions in a sheltered harbour.

This project was completed in 2023, with the markers being successfully deployed onto several protected wreck sites around the coast of England. We now need to return to these sites to establish how well the product has survived in the dynamic environment of the sea, and to determine the next steps for larger scale deployment across other Protected Wrecks and Scheduled Monuments under the management of Historic England.

Historic England has received multiple enquiries from partner agencies, including the MoD, and the heritage agencies of other nations, who are interested in purchasing the product for deployment on other wreck sites. This project will comprise archaeological diving fieldwork to assess the longevity of the product when deployed on shipwrecks in the marine environment, and will establish a procedure for production, deployment and evidence gathering in relation to heritage crime incidents. Publicity around the project will have the secondary benefit of deterring heritage crime aimed at Protected Wreck sites.