XV Century Ship Found at the Bottom of Lake Constance
Underwater archaeologists have discovered wooden remains of an ancient vessel near the German city of Lindau, located on an island in Lake Constance, which, according to preliminary estimates, sank in the 15th century. The discovery is already being called one of the most significant finds in recent years, as similar ships from this period are very rarely found in the lake, writes Euronews.
Photo: Bayerische Gesellschaft für Unterwasserarchäologie e. V.
Researchers were informed about the possible remains of the vessel by a sports diver who was well acquainted with this section of the lake. During the seabed survey, archaeologists found frames and parts of the wooden hull planking, which allowed them to confidently state: what they had before them were indeed the remains of a ship, and not random wooden fragments.
According to preliminary estimates, the vessel was eight to twelve meters long and about three meters wide. Its age was of particular interest. Initially, specialists assumed that the ship belonged to a later period, but analysis of a wood sample showed that it was built between 1420 and 1450.
Scientists note that until now, only a few Late Middle Ages shipwrecks were known in Lake Constance. Therefore, the new find could help better understand the peculiarities of shipbuilding and navigation of that period.
So far, researchers have conducted only two dives. They documented the location of the vessel's remains, photographed them, and took one wood sample for dating. Further studies are planned to clarify the ship's construction and actual dimensions.
Photo: Bayerische Gesellschaft für Unterwasserarchäologie e. V.
There are currently no plans to raise the vessel to the surface. According to specialists, such an operation requires significant financial outlays, and after recovery, all wooden elements would need long and complex conservation. Furthermore, the find is preserved much better underwater and beneath a layer of bottom sediments than in the air.
Archaeologists believe that further study of the ship will provide new information about the history of navigation on Lake Constance and the life of people in the Late Middle Ages.