The National Maritime Museum Announces Definitive Location of James Cook’s Endeavour’s Final Resting Spot | Museums

Over two and a half centuries after the arrival of Captain James Cook in Australia on the HM Bark Endeavour, the Australian National Maritime Museum has released its final report on the location of the ship’s remains. Initially, the museum published a preliminary report in 2022 identifying a wreck in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island as the Lord Sandwich, formerly known as the Endeavour. Despite some transatlantic objections, the museum continued its research for an additional three years. On Wednesday, the museum’s director, Daryl Karp, confirmed the 2022 conclusions, which were the result of 25 years of research. Cook’s 1768 voyage on the Endeavour, reaching the NSW coast in 1770, marked the spirit of Europe’s Age of Enlightenment, yet others viewed it as the beginning of colonization and oppression of First Nations people. The museum collaborated with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (Rimap) to locate the shipwreck, which had been intentionally sunk by the British in 1778 during the American War of Independence. Before confirming the identification of RI 2394, researchers studied the history and examined evidence such as the ship’s hull and repairs. The museum acknowledged Rimap’s ongoing analysis despite the 2022 confirmation and commended their historical analysis and artifact recording. Karp emphasized that the final confirmation was the result of 25 years of thorough archaeological investigation. The museum suggests additional work should be done to preserve the site, continue research, and launch an educational project.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jun/04/final-resting-place-of-james-cooks-endeavour-confirmed-by-national-maritime-museum