An interim  Report

to the Filey Bay Initiative

19 January 2010

By Anthony Green

An investigation into a probable Ballast stone from the wooden Wreck

In Filey Bay, Yorkshire, England.

In August 2000, Donald G Shomette of Cultural Resources, Maryland, USA undertook an archaeological reconnaissance of an eighteen century shipwreck in Filey Bay Yorkshire, England.  He summarised his findings in a report dated January 2001 in which he commented on the presence of a field of large round cobbles twenty feet to the east of the main section of wreckage.

Prior to the August 2000 investigation, a single stone was recovered for scientific investigation that appeared to rounded cobble similar to samples found at the Filey Brigg harbour site. The harbour site investigation known as The Spittals Rock Survey was carried out by the Filey Brigg Research Group and is believed to date from Roman or medieval times. Examination of a fragment by Dr Ann Linn of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C. determined the fragment of be shingle, thereby suggesting that some if not all of the stones are shingle cobbles. Though shingle is found in the area, it is in slab form and not round stone, which is normally formed by rivurine erosion,

Following Dr Ann Linn's report, Don Shomette asked Dr Garrison of the University of Georgia, the Franklin college of arts, Geology Department to investigate the stone further.  Dr Garrison kindly provided funds from his own resources for the investigation in which a thin translucent slice of the stone was prepared and mounted between glass slides.  It was then photographed and analysed by a Petrographer.  The photographs and conclusions of this investigation are shown below.

	Slide 1		Slide 2

	Slide 3

Dr Garrison and his Petrographer concluded that the sample is a meta-granite e.g. unsuspecting granite that got metamorphosed.  This is possibly closer to a meta-diorite because of all the feldspar (grainy whitish matrix). The one photomicrograph of the quartz inclusion shaped like a shell is curious and they are unable to determine what this is.

The investigation into this stone is continuing.

Anthony Green and the Filey Bay Initiative thank Dr Garrison, his Petrographer and Donald Shomette for completing this analysis on behalf of the people of Filey and their Heritage. Without support from distinguished individuals and organisations such as these, expanding the frontiers of knowledge would not be possible.

Dr Ervan G Garrison The University of Georgia Professor, Ph.D., Missouri, 1979		Donald G Shomette D.Litt Director, Cultural Resources Management, Dunkirk Maryland

Cobble Photograph © A Green, Photomicrographs © Dr E Garrison, Photograph Dr Garrison © The University of Georgia

Bibliography

Shomette D. G. Investigation of an eighteenth century shipwreck in Filey Bay, Yorkshire, England, January 2001

Shomette D. G. Private correspondence

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