STANDARDS

NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change • People, Places, and Environments • Production, Distribution, and Consumption • Science, Technology, and Society

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.5, RH.6-8.6, RH.6-8.7, RH.6-8.8, WHST.6-8.1, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.9, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.3, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.5, RI.6-8.8, W.6-8.1, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.9, SL.6-8.1, SL.6-8.3, SL.6-8.4

DEBATE

Pick a Side

**Should Artifacts Be Removed From the Titanic?**

The world’s most historic shipwreck is slowly disintegrating. What should happen to its remains?

February 2025

By Shay Maunz

RMS Titanic, Inc.

This bronze statue once adorned a room on the Titanic.

The Titanic was famous before it ever set sail. Built in the early 1900s, the ocean liner was one of the largest and most luxurious ships of its time. But it came to a tragic end: The Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, and sank. About 1,500 passengers and crew members died.

The shipwreck lies at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of objects from the Titanic—including pieces of the ship itself—have been salvaged, or retrieved, from the seafloor. Only one company, RMS Titanic, Inc., is legally allowed to remove such artifacts. It has made millions of dollars from exhibiting them around the world.

This past July, RMS Titanic sent two remotely operated robots to photograph the shipwreck. The images show that the Titanic’s decay is worsening. Ocean currents, salt water, and metal-eating bacteria are damaging the ship and its contents.

The revelation has stirred up a decades-long debate. Some people argue that more artifacts should be salvaged so people around the world can see and learn from them. But others contend that the shipwreck should be left intact as a memorial to those who lost their lives.

Consider the arguments, then decide for yourself.

The Voyage of the RMS Titanic

Watch a video about the first and only voyage of the Titanic, the most famous shipwreck in history.

Preserving History

Since the shipwreck was found in 1985, RMS Titanic has recovered about 5,500 artifacts. The company displays them in exhibits that can cost about $40 to attend. More than 35 million people have seen the objects, the company’s website says.

“It would be a real shame to just let those artifacts lie there on the ocean floor—so that only those rich or fortunate enough to be able to go down in a submersible can see them,” says Tomasina Ray. She is the president of RMS Titanic.

Showing the artifacts is the best way to honor those who lost their lives, Ray says. “Looking at their possessions helps us tell their story, helps keep them alive.”

Plus, experts are still trying to fully understand what happened the night the ship sank. Tim Maltin is a historian who has written books on the Titanic. He says the entire ship should be raised.

“In the future, we may have scientific techniques that will help us better understand what happened to the Titanic,” Maltin says. “But we won’t have the opportunity if the ship is a rust stain on the mud of the Atlantic Ocean.”

Titanic Artifacts

A: These shoes belonged to a toddler who was traveling with his parents.

B: This teacup was likely used by one of the ship’s wealthiest passengers.

C: After spotting the iceberg, one of the ship’s lookouts rang this bell three times to alert the crew.

Honoring the Dead

Taking artifacts from the Titanic amounts to grave robbing, other people say. Scavenging objects is disrespectful to the dead—especially when the company doing it profits from the items, critics point out.

James Delgado is a marine archaeologist who has visited the shipwreck. Historians can learn from its artifacts, he says, but items should be removed sparingly—and only if there is a valid reason to examine them. Delgado worries about the motives of a private company, which are different from those of public institutions like museums.

“When you start making decisions about what’s going to come up or not based on what you can sell [tickets] for—that’s not archaeology,” Delgado says. At other shipwrecks, divers have destroyed artifacts in search of treasure. Indeed, RMS Titanic hopes to cut through the Titanic to salvage the telegraph used to call for help.

Besides, others say, it’s possible to study the Titanic without disturbing it. Robots can record and map what is left. Then people can visit the site using virtual reality.

“I would never tell someone not to study something that fascinates them,” says Christopher Dostal. He is a maritime archaeology expert at Texas A&M University. “But the need to have trinkets from it—that’s not something I can get behind.”

YOUR TURN

Make Your Case

Should artifacts be removed from the Titanic? Make a list of reasons that support your opinion. Use details from the article and your own research. Then write a short essay for or against removing artifacts from the shipwreck.

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