Jacobean ‘Titanic’ discovered by archaeologists

Marine archaeologists have discovered a 600 ton vessel as luxurious as Titanic.

Among these treasures they have found a merman statue whose eye sockets are embedded with precious stones. At 130 ft the oak timbered ship has been one of the largest when it sank in around 1620.It has not been identified yet but it could probably be Dutch or British.

Marine archaeologists have carried a series of dives on the vessel which is 23 ft inside the water. There are doubts whether it is a cargo ship or a warship.

The study is being led by David Parham, who is preserving the merman statue in a paddling pool of fresh water at his home.

“It would have been a very big vessel for its day. The statue was on the outer ship, probably the stern, staring out and we believe it was part of a collection rather than an individual piece,” said Mr. Parham, a senior lecturer in marine archaeology at Bournemouth University.

“The whole vessel would have been a spectacular work or art. It was a sign of prestige and wealth.”

He added: “It would not have been a million miles from a 17th century version of the Titanic, although the Titanic was ornate for the passengers and not for those on the outside.”

There are no records of sinking and experts are unsure as to how the ship came to the founder.

X-Rays of the statue of the merman indicate that its lower portion on the body have been eaten by worms found in the Mediterranean.