Twelve years after they were first assessed, and after ten years of archaeological campaigns, the wrecks have been given a well-earned rest. Natière 1 and 2 are and will no doubt remain one of the world's most thoroughly excavated modern underwater sites.
Studies at the Natière site have produced thousands of pages of data that are crucial to our understanding of the early 18th century maritime world. The goal became two-fold: to study, analysis and publish the site, and to display the findings in a major museum.
Although the Natière site was minutely studied, photographed and sketched across nearly a thousand square metres, it was not destroyed during the excavation. The ships' heavy wooden framing was only partially dismantled, and still rests on the ocean floor, as do a number of vestiges including the guns. Covered with sand and geotextile fabrics, the wrecks must remain out of reach of marine erosion, fishing boats and careless divers, as it is certain that they can furnish future generations with many rich research opportunities.
