Marine archaeologists have found a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea that could be at least 500 years old, yet due to the unique properties of that body of water is in near-pristine condition.
The ship rests at nearly 394 feet/120 meters below the surface, and archaeologists used an underwater remotely operated vehicle to explore and study the vessel.
Oxygen is really low in that particular part of the Baltic, which is what helped preserve the ship. The aft portion of the vessel is partially destroyed, meaning it could have been sunk during one of the wars of the 1500s.
While the ship is a Northern European design, it’s still similar to the vessels used by Christopher Columbus during his 1492 expedition to the Americas.
Archaeologist Rodrigo Pacheco-Ruiz is leading the study of the ship. Pacheco-Ruiz works for MMT, a Swedish offshore survey company. Other organizations involved in the study include the University of Southampton in England and Sweden’s Sodertorn University.
(Photo credit: Deep Sea Productions/MMT)
