ss Mendi - Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Wessex Archaeology

Using the physical wreck as a starting point, this assessment has examined information relating to the loss of the Mendi, from both primary and secondary sources. An appraisal of what is known about the wreck itself has also been carried out, based on available survey data and information gathered from the diving community. The project has then considered the wreck of the Mendi in its wider social and political context, particularly as a means of addressing a neglected and forgotten chapter of the history of World War I – the vast system of British and foreign labour corps which provided vital logistical support for the fighting forces of the Empire, but which is virtually invisible in the literature of the war.

The project has highlighted a range of themes and issues related to the wreck of the Mendi, its wider story and the history of the labour corps. It has attempted to demonstrate the potential this particular wreck site has for acting as a focus for a wide range of different interests and research themes, and to show how widely differing meanings of ‘place’ can be ascribed to a single archaeological site.