Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 2015, Side 168

167PÓSTSKIPIÐ PHØNIX
Summary
The mailboat Phønix
The Danish steamer Phønix, heading for Reykjavík with mail, coal and general
cargo, was wrecked at the Snæfellsnes peninsula in January 1881. A team of
divers from the University of Iceland carried out an archaeological survey of the
wreck from 2011 to 2013. Their objective was to archaeologically survey the
entire shipwreck, in order to assess the potential for underwater archaeological
research under Icelandic marine conditions as well as to lay the groundwork for
the archaeological excavation and heritage management of the wreck.
The survey found that the wreck was in a bad state of preservation. The
superstructure and the upper part of the hull had broken into pieces and was
scattered around the wreck. The stern had broken off and was lying on its side
and the bow and the front portion of the ship was badly damaged. The lower part
of the hull was buried in sand and assumed to be in a better state of preservation.
The wreck itself lies in shallow waters, the bow is three metres and the stern is
nine metres below the surface. The bow rests on a large submerged reef, which
lies along the port side of the wreck. There are strong currents around the wreck,
stirring up sediments and reducing visibility.
The wreck site covered an area 12 x 70 m, which could be divided into four
main sections: the aft-, mid-, front sections of the wreck and a field of debris on
the starboard side. The stern section had broken off and lay on its starboard side,
which was buried in sand. The mid-section had split open and was tilted at a 20°
angle towards starboard, with the port side resting against the reef. The front
section, which consisted of the cargo hold and the stern of the wreck, was notably
buried under more sand and overgrown with more benthic macrophytes and algae
than the other sections. This section also split open but was nearly upright.
A number of exposed artefacts were recorded in situ during the survey of the
wreck, most of them close to the engine and boiler. Among these were different
engine parts, pipes, wheels, valves, handles and other unidentified fractions of
the engine. On the eastern side of the boiler five ceramic vessels were observed,
two complete soup bowls, two complete dishes and broken fragments of the same
type. The outer rims of the dishes were decorated with a rope pattern and the
inner with a chain pattern. On one soup bowl a potters stamp was clearly visible.
The stamp was circular in shape and in the centre was a rope, formed into a knot,
which is called a Staffordshire knot. Around the knot the words „Bodley & Co.,
Burnslem“ were printed and on the outer rim of the stamp the words „Genuine
Ironstone China“. The stamp gives a terminus post quem of 1862 for the wreck.