Griffin (1761)

At dawn on January 20th, 1761, the Griffin, an East Indiamen, collided with a reef northwest of the island of Basilan and sank quickly, on its way from Canton to Balambagan. The crew was saved but the entire cargo was lost.

The vessel was well preserved, over 29 meters long, with two thirds of the keel as well as significant sections of the shell and lining. The wooden remains were subjected to in situ surveys and a systematic analysis of the naval architecture. The artefacts unearthed at the bow was in large part made up of chests of tea and fine quality porcelain, mostly blue and white, representative of Chinese porcelain known as the East India Company in the second half of the eighteenth century.