Shipwreck in 1540 found during salvage of lost containers at Sea

An archaeological blessing in disguise: the mountains of the containers during the turn of the year overboard beat at the Wadden islands is the wreck of a ship from 1540 were found. It is the oldest seagoing vessel ever built in Dutch waters is found.

Maritime archaeologist Martijn Manders estimated that a ship of about 30 metres long, with a border of at least 7 metres wide. It is one of the first examples of a new Dutch method of construction for larger ships. This made the position of Holland on sea and in the trade is much more important.

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The bergers made the spectacular discovery in the mountains of the containers during a storm on January 1, overboard struck. A gripper of the bergers, who initially thought that the container went, brought some wood and copper plates at the shore. That findings were to the depot of the National office.

Koperbaronnen

The plates show the marks of the family Fugger. That family of 'koperbaronnen', from the southwest of the current Germany, owned a number of copper mines in the sixteenth century, and secured a monopoly, and was immensely rich. The wood from the wreck showing around 1536 in Belgium and Germany, is cut down, the ship was probably in 1540, built in the Netherlands. The copper plates, square and round, stems from about the same period.

“I am very curious as to what information is still more above the water. That is also the beauty of archaeology: it stimulates your curiosity and imagination”, said the Dutch minister of Culture, Ingrid van Engelshoven at the find. The Netherlands Cultural Heritage agency (RCE) is going to the wreck as quickly as possible, further investigations with divers.