I've worked several times as an external advisor on archaeological leather for the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE) of the Netherlands. One of my recent assignments concerns the new leather discoveries from the famous Palm wood wreck (BZN17). This unique 17th-century shipwreck continues to yield fascinating insights, and I'm proud to contribute to unlocking these stories for future research and the public.
Ludolf Bakhuizen, Dutch ships in the Texel roadstead; in the middle the 'Golden Lion', the flagship of Cornelis Tromp, 1671. Rijksmuseum SK-A-8
An exceptional shipwreck lies hidden at the bottom of the Wadden Sea, near Texel: the Palmwood Wreck (Burgzand Noord 17). This 17th-century ship, named for the numerous trunks of palm wood on board, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the riches of the Dutch Golden Age. At the end of May 2024, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) began additional research into the size and condition of the wreck.
Using advanced techniques, including a 3D sub-bottom profiler, the wreck was examined to determine its integrity. Test trenches were also dug to better understand its construction. The goal? To gain insight into how best to preserve this unique heritage for the future. After the investigation, the wreck was re-covered to protect it from erosion and disturbance.
The wreck is covered from erosion and disturbance.
The Palm wood wreck is a time capsule filled with artifacts from a lost world. Previously discovered in the wreck, besides the wood for which it is named, were a unique, beautifully crafted collection of 17th-century textiles and associated utensils. The absolute highlight is a nearly intact silk dress, now on display in a specially designed display case at Museum Kaap Skil. But less well-known are the leather finds that were also recovered from the wreck and described in the report Wereldvondsten uit een Hollands wrak (World finds from a Dutch wreck). Besides thirty-two book bindings, several shoes and numerous shoe fragments were found.
During the 2024 supplementary investigation into the Palm wood wreck, new leather fragments were found. The leather book bindings are being examined by Herre de Vries of RNA Conservation. Research and reporting on the remaining learning fragments has been awarded to Waardevol d’Ing.
The first phase of the work, identification of the leather fragments, already took place in April at the home of conservation centre Restaura in the city of Heerlen. Here, all the artifacts from the wreck are being preserved so they will also be well-preserved above water. For the leather, this means impregnating it with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a proven method for preventing archaeological leather from deteriorating. Both the drying process of wet and dry archaeological leather, as well as the treatment with PEG, causes the leather to shrink slightly. This can cause things like sewing holes to close up. It is therefore crucial to study, measure, and document the leather artifacts and fragments as quickly as possible to safeguard any important data.
In the upcoming months, the results will be further studied and documented. The final report on all new discoveries will be published by the RCE in early 2026.
