16th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology

77 Zadar, Croatia | 26 September – 1 October 2021 Julie Satchell Maritime Archaeology Trust, Southampton, UK The potential of digitised historic archives for the interpretation of shipwrecks: examining the Flower of Ugie , wrecked 1852 The rapid digitisation and online availability of historical documents and archives related to ships is fast-changing the pace and scope of research, leading to an in- creased depth of interpretation of wrecks and a more nuanced understanding of their wider social significance and impact. Between 2004 – 2011 archaeological investigation and research of the Flower of Ugie , a 350 ton sailing barque wrecked in 1852 in the Eastern Solent, UK, revealed initial details of the ships a 14-year career sailing the globe, trading across oceans and between continents, swapping sailing routes and cargoes de- pending on demand driven by economic and social circumstances. Since this date a range of newly digitised records and archives have become available; this exceptionally detailed historical material is now available at the click of a button. These sources have provided information that has shed light on specifics of the ship’s components and repairs, ports of call, incidents during voy- ages, time spent in port loading and unloading, cargoes imported and exported, and the role of merchants and owners. Through such sources we now have a more in-depth understanding of the physical seabed remains of the Flower of Ugie and the impact of its career as both enabling and reflecting the mulitscalar process of colonialism, capitalism and glo- balisation that were driving cultural transformation in this period. While the historical sources used are not themselves new, the method of identifying and researching them has required technology for the digitisation, on- line presentation and rapid searching of archives, which is revolutionising access to data. Further growth in the availability of digital archives will further transform our ability to interpret ships and their roles in the complex web of international networks.