Shipwreck

All the above offers great challenges to the marine archaeologist when attempting to bind the pieces of a certain shipwreck together. However and despite these challenges, even if the information retrieved does not appear to be sufficient, or a poor preservation is achieved, authors like J.A. Parker, claim that it is the historical value of the shipwreck that counts, as well as any slight piece of information and/or evidence that is acquired.
Construction materials
Exposed wooden components decay quickly. Often the only wooden parts of ships that remain after a century are those that were buried in silt or sand soon after the sinking. An example of this is the Mary Rose.