The image above was produced from Emu's sidescan sonar data. The feature is an elongated dark reflector measuring approximately 114m long by 15m wide. It is clearly a man made object, most probably a wreck that is partially buried. This find demonstrates how much still lies buried and undiscovered in British waters. The sediments in the area of the find are known to move by approximately 100m a year. This high level of movement, equating to 8m a month, could rapidly bury and re-expose large wreck sites and other archaeological material.

Historical records from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and National Monuments Record Office were consulted by WA staff to try to identify this new find. The recorded wreck losses in the area indicate a high percentage from the 19th century. Within 2km of Hanson_0085 are six losses of unknown identity. Although none of the records coincide with the new find, the positioning techniques available at the time of the losses were not as accurate as those of today. 

Hanson_0085 could therefore be an unrecorded wreck or one of the six reported losses. These six sites were rediscovered in the late 1980s by the UKHO and resurveyed in 1993, when only magnetic anomalies were found. By the turn of the 21st century none of the wrecks were detected. It is possible that later surveys did not use a magnetometer and the remains are still buried or that they have been completely broken up and dispersed.

The remains of Hanson_0085 are likely to be primarily wooden in construction with iron structural parts and fittings as well as iron steam engines. Shipbuilding in the 1800s followed the practice of constructing wooden hulls with iron fittings. By the 1850s larger iron hull parts were being fitted and steam engines were replacing sails. Brunel's SS Great Britain was the first completely iron hulled vessel built in the UK. Iron or steel hulled ships became common in the second half of the 19th century.