In the still waters of Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, the long-lost bones of a ship lie buried in silt. For centuries, the wreck had no name. Now, after 25 years of international detective work above and below the waves, Australian maritime archaeologists are confident they’ve found one of the most storied vessels in history: HM Bark Endeavour, the ship that carried James Cook to the Pacific, New Zealand, and the eastern coast of Australia.
“This final report marks our definitive statement on the project,” said Daryl Karp, Director and CEO of the Australian National Maritime Museum, during the announcement this week. “It is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel.”
A Voyage That Changed the World
The Endeavour’s historic voyage began in 1768. Under the command of Captain James Cook, the ship circumnavigated the globe and made landfall on the continent the British would later call Australia. To many, this expedition marks the peak of the Enlightenment’s spirit of discovery.
But it also marks the beginning of something else.
“For others it symbolises the onset of colonisation and the subjugation of First Nations Peoples,” the museum’s final report noted, acknowledging the conflicting legacy that has grown around Cook’s journey and the imperial consequences that followed.
The Endeavour’s days of exploration were short-lived. Renamed Lord Sandwich, the ship was later used by the British during the American War of Independence. In 1778, it was deliberately sunk — one of 13 vessels scuttled in Newport Harbor in an attempt to block the advancing French fleet.
The Hunt Begins
The search for The Endeavour started in 1999, a joint venture between the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP). Together, they combed through colonial records and underwater wreckage, zeroing in on one candidate: site RI 2394.
This wreck stood out. It matched what was known of the Endeavour’s size, shape, and construction. But in archaeology, hunches are not enough.
Over the years, researchers painstakingly examined the remains, comparing hull fragments and structural features with original 18th-century ship plans. They tested the timbers and measured the ship’s “scantlings”—the size of its wooden components. All pointed toward a British-built vessel of over 350 tons.
American-built ships of the time used native woods, a medley of timbers from local forests. But the wood in this wreck — white oak and elm — was definitely European.
More crucial still were two features found during underwater excavation: the pump well and a keel-stem scarph joint. These were the smoking guns.
The pump well — a distinct structure located midship — lined up exactly with its position on Endeavour’s original plans. “It was a significant turning point in the identification of the site,” museum researchers wrote.
Then came the scarph joint, a complex timber splice used in 18th-century shipbuilding to connect the keel to the bow. The one found at the site was a near-perfect match to Endeavour’s shipyard drawings.
Only one other wreck with such a joint has ever been found, in Bermuda.
A Mystery Ship Finally Found
In February 2022, the museum went public. Based on what they described as a “preponderance of evidence,” they declared the wreck to be the Lord Sandwich — formerly the Endeavour.
But not everyone was convinced.
The Rhode Island team urged caution. They feared the announcement was premature, perhaps driven by “Australian emotions or politics.” They agreed the site might be the Endeavour — but they weren’t ready to close the case.
Three years later, the Australians have answered every objection.
The Final Report, released this week, not only affirms the 2022 claim but adds weight to it. It compiles new site plans, updated structural comparisons, and an unprecedented database of 18th-century shipwrecks across the Atlantic. None match this wreck as closely as RI 2394.
Despite lingering disagreement, the Australians are clear: “After numerous presentations at domestic and international archaeological forums, no substantive responses have refuted the identification.”
Even RIMAP, while not endorsing the conclusion, has acknowledged the thoroughness of the work. The museum praised their “fine historical analysis and detailed artefact recording.”
What Comes Next?
While the debate may quiet, the work is not over. The final report recommends that efforts continue to preserve the wreck. Marine borers — shipworms and tiny crustaceans called gribbles — are slowly eating away at the wood. Time is as much an enemy now as it was in battle.
The museum has also proposed an educational initiative to share the story of the Endeavour more broadly, and to ensure it’s told in full — both the triumphs of navigation and the troubled history of colonisation that followed in the ship’s wake.
Finding the Endeavour was never just about archaeology. It was also about understanding the stories that shape who we are.
After two and a half centuries, one of the world’s most consequential vessels has been found. The past, it seems, still has much to reveal.
