Shipwreck: F53.20 Smug

Site description

The F53.20 wreck constitutes the remains of flat-bottomed inland vessel or auxiliary port lighter of at least 19 meters in length and ca. 5 meters in width, used in the second half of the 16th century. The ship’s total length amounts to at least 19 meters. The wreck is lying upside down on the seabed. The recognized elements include: 7 oak staves laid edge to edge forming the vessel’s flat bottom. The staves have V-shaped bevels for moss caulking. The caulk is fastened with wooden slats and the slats are mounted with iron clamps (visible in 3D model); oak floor timbers are mounted to the staves with pine pegs. Some floor timers have sewage culverts and in one floor timer there is a rectangular opening probably used for mounting the base of superstructure (elements visible in 3D model).

Circumstances of the discovery

The wreck was discovered in 2010 by the employees of the Department of Maritime Measurements of the Maritime Office.

Location

The object is located at a depth of 5 meters near Westerplatte, ca. 400 meters away from the shore. The axis of wreck structure runs along NW-SE direction. The end of structure at the north-west side submerged in the seabed sand.

Course of research

The exploratory works of the wreck were conducted by the archaeologists of the National Maritime Museum (NMM) between 2010 and 2011. In 2018, the NMM research team performed thorough inventory of the site.

Chronology

The dating of wood samples indicates that the ship was built after 1547 and was used probably in the second half of the 16th century.

Artefacts from the shipwreck

The anchor and parts of pottery were collected from the wreck. Due to the wreck’s location close to the shore and seabed significant dynamics in this region the artefacts may have been carried from another locations and may not originally come from this shipwreck.