Further dark secrets of Batavia shipwreck uncovered in UWA archaeological expedition lead to new project

An archaeology project conducted by The University of Western Australia and The Western Australian Museum has revealed more secrets from the wreck of the Batavia in the Abrolhos. The Roaring Forties project from 2014 to 2019 was operated under UWA and The WA Museum and lead to the discovery of 12 skeletal remains of passengers of the Batavia as revealed in the report finished at the beginning of May this year. Subsequently informing a new expedition to unveil more knowledge on the heritage of The Batavia Coast, the new project will begin in late July. Project lead, Professor Alistair Paterson, helped unveil secrets from one of the most dramatic events in the history of European encounters with Australia and is excited to move into the new project, focusing on piecing together the story with information acquired from the past 50 years. The new project, “Mobilising Dutch East India Company collections for new global stories” (MDE), the sister investigation to The Roaring Forties, will operate until 2027 as an interdisciplinary study between multiple universities. Staff and students from UWA, Flinders University, The University of Amsterdam and Lydon University will collaborate with the help of the $800,000 grant from The Australian Research Council. It is timed to finish as commemorations begin for the 400-year anniversary of the wreck of the Batavia in 2029. Professor Paterson said the artefacts and grave sites told a story of survival, resistance and grim consequences faced by those involved. The study will use isotopes from the remains to discover the heritage of the people on board. “It’s likely they had people not just from Holland, a diverse workforce — which sounds very contemporary,” Professor Paterson said. “We want to identify the role of these sites in regional identities and be more informed on how they shape regional cities.” The work will be done by undergraduate, honours and PhD students across the duration of their studies, with trips to the collection sites planned. However, the focus has shifted from new excavations to existing artefacts in storage from the past 50 years and putting the puzzle together.