A TEAM of amateur archaeologists has discovered one of the world’s oldest shipwrecks off the coast of Devon, believed to date back to 1,300BC.

The find, in 60ft of water, has caused much excitement among marine archaeologists, who believe that the artefacts on board could give the clearest picture yet of life in the Bronze Age.

The South West Maritime Archaeological Group, who made the discovery, found bronze axes, swords and a cauldron hanger, along with a torc — a solid gold bracelet — suggesting that the ship may have been more than an ordinary trading vessel.

The items are believed to have come from the Seine Valley and could shed light on the sophistication of Britain’s earliest links with the Continent.

Some experts believe that the shipwreck could prove to be the earliest ever discovered. Two other vessels from roughly the same period have been found off Britain and a third off the coast of Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean.

The amateur marine archaeologists made the discovery while investigating the site of a previous discovery, the wreck of a 17th-century trading ship laden with Moorish gold and pottery.

Chris Yates, one of the explorers who found the new site in October, said: “We were expecting to find artefacts from the 17th century and instead found objects that are more than 3,000 years old.”

Both ships are believed to have sunk after taking shelter from storms. The bay, near Salcombe in South Hams, has a reputation for attracting the worst of weather, and that has made diving conditions unpredictable.

Mr Yates said: “The seabed is very exposed and the objects were just lying there or in gullies. The condition was quite incredible. One of the bronze axes came out of the water looking as though it had been made yesterday.”

The divers, who are planning further investigations of the wreck site this summer, believe that there is little chance of finding the remains of the ship itself. The flimsy wooden vessel would have disintegrated long ago.

However, the objects will tell a fascinating story about trade links with the Continent in the Bronze Age, which preceded the Iron Age. There are already clues that the vessel may have come from France as some of the objects are of French origin.

The wreck dates around 3,300 year ago. Another wreck from roughly the same period was found just around a headland off Moor Sands in the 1970s.

Mr Yates said: “Salcombe would have been a busy trading port at the time, which would explain why two wreck sites have been found so close to each other.”

The artefacts found so far have been given to the British Museum for examination and conservation.

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