Betsy Cabinet Shelf (VCU_3D_3309)

sketchfab

This wooden shelf originated from the vessel Betsy (44YO0088), which sank in the York River near Yorktown. British forces deliberately scuttled Betsy and other vessels in 1781 as part of a larger strategy. The shelf was once attached to a china cupboard in the captain's quarters on Betsy, securing delicate ceramic containers even during rough seas. To learn more about Betsy's intricately designed china cupboards, visit https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/spotlight-on-dhr-collections/spotlight-on-collections-high-tea-on-the-high-seas/. Additional insight into the Yorktown Shipwreck Archaeological Project is available in John Broadwater's 1992 paper "Shipwreck in a Swimming Pool: An Assessment of the Methodology and Technology Utilized." The shelf was 3D scanned using a Go!Scan 50 on February 23, 2018. Due to its fragile state, one side that rested against a flat surface during scanning remains unscanned. This artifact is courtesy of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.