Hannah Booth

Archaeological emergencies, latitudinal traps and a lucky escape North Sea Dispatches #06

This month’s North Sea dispatches from me — featuring footprints, fossils and a stranded Amazon delivery van

Satellite image of the Wadden Sea along the Danish and German coasts, showing sediment-rich coastal waters in reds and oranges. From Copernicus Sentinel-3A, celebrating its 10 years in orbit.

Sediment plumes in the Wadden Sea — yesterday's Copernicus image of the day

(European Union, Copernicus Sentinel-3 imagery)
www.copernicus.eu/en/media/ima...

Thank you, Kiki!

A window mainly of white glass, but with anchors, crosses & coats of arms.

Danish Memorial Window - 2002
Artist - Mike Davies

The window has coats of arms of Newcastle & 3 Danish ports. It contains glass from Denmark & the North East.

Denmark was invaded by the Nazis in 1940. After which thousands of Danish sailors made Newcastle their home port.

#StainedGlassSunday

Thank you -- that means a lot!

Wow, did not realise it would be that much. Fascinating to think about.

Thanks for reading, Beccy!

On the margins Changing perspectives on land versus sea

This week’s writing from me — on mapping sea versus land, plus some thoughts from my own travels through sea-heavy lives and times

Nice coincidence! That book looks great -- I wasn't aware of it so thanks to you too!

Yes, I saw him in the curling!

Indeed!

Just had a quick look here for mentions in Norwegian newspapers at the time but didn't find the sketches. May have to remain a mystery!
www.nb.no/search?q=mou...

Yes, I guess so!

Yes, I wondered about that too. Unfortunately couldn't find any more info...

The bay on the island of Lepsøya where Betty and the Columbine finally reached land is still known as Colombinebukta (‘Columbine-bay’) today

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📸 Colombinebukta, Fotoagelias (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Betty's routine journey to Lerwick as the sole passenger on board turned into a 9-day trial, during which she made a meagre few biscuits and a bottle of milk last

Eventually the Columbine ran aground in Norway near Ålesund, where Betty was rescued by local fishermen

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🖼️ The Graphic 13.3.1886

North Sea Friday Folk #5 — lives shaped by the shallow sea on our doorstep

Today it’s the turn of Shetland knitter Betty Mouat, who in Jan 1886 found herself alone and adrift in a North Sea storm on the Columbine, after its captain was washed overboard

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🖼️ The Graphic 13.3.1886

Timbers from 17th Century shipwreck appear on Dorset beach Experts believe timbers found at Studland Beach form a missing piece of the Swash Channel wreck from 1631.

And in other news, thanks to Storm Chandra, our colleagues from @bournemouthuni.bsky.social Maritime Archaeology have found a part of the Fame of Hoorn, an armed Dutch merchant ship that sank in 1631

#Archaeology

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

@projectfishistory.bsky.social additionally for NL: the coat of arms of Zandvoort, up the coast from Scheveningen

Does your town (or any you know of) have HERRING🐟 in their coat of arms/flag? Please reply tagging in @projectfishistory.bsky.social if so! @thefsbi.bsky.social @icesmarine.bsky.social @ystadaucymru.bsky.social

Ceredigion County (Wales)
Great Yarmouth (England)
Nefyn (Wales)
Scheveningen (NL)

Norwegian and Scandinavian History and Heritage in the British Isles - CALL FOR PAPERS - RHS Norwegian and Scandinavian History and Heritage in the British Isles, 6–7 October at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Cardiff Bay.  Call for Papers deadline - 15 May. Since December 2023, the team at...

Anyone out there want to tell the good people of Cardiff about #vikings?
royalhistsoc.org/calendar/nor...

Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea – Will there be a major inflow of saltwater from the North Sea? Photo of turbulent waves on the Baltic Sea during stormy weather.

Record low sea levels in the Baltic Sea – Will there be a major inflow of saltwater from the North Sea? - IOW

www.iow.de/message/item...

Indeed, Chris! Hadn't been till yesterday. Well worth a visit.

Looking up yesterday @naturalis.bsky.social in Leiden

England.
Leaking away.

#CoastalErosion

Risking all for three casks of barley Terje Vigen and the long shadow of the Skagerrak blockade

Written nearly half a century after the real Skagerrak blockade, Ibsen’s poem brought the harsh realities of life in this part of Norway to new generations.

✍️ My piece on Terje Vigen from last year

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The opening vignette to Ibsen’s Terje Vigen from the workshop of F Hendriksen after August Jerndorff, 1876–1881, 1882

Svend had run the British blockade of the Skagerrak during the Napoleonic Wars to bring back food from Denmark, an experience that would inspire Ibsen to write his poem Terje Vigen, about a determined mariner in wartime.

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🖼️ F Hendriksen after A Jerndorff (Statens Museum for Kunst)

Bust of Henrik Ibsen in Grimstad, taken in 1939

North Sea Friday Folk #4 — lives shaped by the shallow sea on our doorstep

Today it’s the turn of Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) who in his youth lived in Grimstad on the south coast of Norway, becoming friends with local sea pilot Svend Hanssen Haaø.

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📸 AB Wilse (Norsk Folkemuseum)

View on Antwerp anno 1540, when the city was Europe’s most important trading hub. Antwerpia in Brabancia, MAS, Antwerp.

Coastal erosion has forced vulnerable villages to confront ‘hard truths’ Accelerating coastal erosion is destroying homes, threatening burial grounds and exposing the absence of a national response

Accelerating coastal erosion is destroying homes, threatening burial grounds and exposing the absence of a national response | Owen Sennitt, Local Democracy Reporter