Archaeologists discover 600-year-old wreck of Henry V's 'Holy Ghost' warship

A long-lost warship that sank 600 years ago and belonged to Henry V, a 15th century king of England, was discovered in the muddy River Hamble in Hampshire, The Telegraph reports. Used in the English campaign against France between 1416 and 1420, in the midst of the Hundred Years War, the Holigost (or "Holy Ghost") was found using aerial photos of a region where Henry's flagship, the Grace Dieu, was previously uncovered in the 1930s.

"In my opinion, further research leading to the rediscovery of the Holigost would be even more important than the identification of the Grace Dieu in the 1930s," historian Dr. Ian Friel told The Telegraph. "The Holigost fought in two of the most significant naval battles of the Hundred Years War, battles that opened the way for the English conquest of northern France."

The warship, which weighed around 750 tons, was reconstructed from a Spanish vessel, the Santa Clara, captured in 1413 or 1414; it carried a crew of 200 sailors. Archaeologists will use sonar, remote sensing, drone technology, and the study of tree rings to learn more about the warship in the coming years, The Telegraph reports. The Holigost could potentially teach archaeologists more about naval life in the 1400s as well as English and Spanish shipbuilding techniques.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"It holds the possibility of fascinating revelations for months and years to come," Duncan Wilson, the chief executive of Historic England, said.