2023-06-07 15:33:00
In 2021, at the bottom of the Trave River near the German city of Lübeck, at a depth of about 11 meters, a well-preserved ship of the Hanseatic period was discovered – a cargo sailboat that sank here in the second half of the 17th century. The discovery was made by chance during geodetic work carried out near the confluence of the Trave into the Baltic Sea.
The city authorities of Lübeck first reported this last summer after completing a preliminary survey – an analysis of data obtained during the initial inspection of the site by divers.
Underwater archaeological work has now begun here, during which the location of the wreckage and other parts will be accurately recorded, for which three-dimensional scanning of the remains of the ship and cargo carried in the hold will be carried out.
As a result, scientists hope to obtain additional valuable information about the history of economic relations between the members of the Hanseatic League – an association of free trading cities of North-Western Europe, the unofficial capital of which was Lübeck.
According to a dendrochronological study, the sailboat was built around 1650 and sank, presumably in 1680. The city archive contains written evidence of such an incident on the Trava River. The cause of the crash was, presumably, the ship aground.
On board were about 150 wooden barrels – presumably from Scandinavia. Previously taken samples of the contents made it possible to determine the nature of the cargo. The barrels contained calcium oxide, that is, quicklime, a substance necessary for the production of building materials. It should be noted that the main goods of the Hanseatic merchants for several centuries were salt, herring, beer, wine, spices, furs and various fabrics.
In early June, as can be seen in the photographs of the dpa news agency, the first of them was lifted from the bottom of the river aboard a special vessel. Underwater excavations will take several months and should be completed in September.
At the first stage, the sediment layer will be removed from the bottom of the Trave, after which the wreckage of the ship and other objects that can be found will be gradually raised to the surface. All of them will then be subjected to a conservation process for preservation and use as museum pieces. Funds for this have already been allocated from the city budget.
Landmarks and history of Lübeck
It should be noted that Lübeck recently took second place in the ranking of the popularity of World Heritage sites in Europe. Also, shortly before this, the historical letters and certificates of the Hanseatic League became the “Memory of the World” – they were included in the UNESCO documentary heritage list.
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