An extraordinary discovery was made at a construction site situated in Tallinn, Estonia, along the coastline of the Baltic Sea. The find consisted of a 700-year-old ship that was surprisingly well-preserved, making it one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Europe this year. It was found buried five feet (1.5 meters) underground near Tallinn harbor, close to where the Härjapea River once flowed. However, the river no longer exists today.
In the 14th century, an alliance known as the Hanseatic League was formed comprising of countries like the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Latvia. According to Mihkel Tammet, an archaeologist conducting research on the site, around 800 years ago, the water level in the area was almost two meters high. Tammet believes that there were underwater sand ridges that were difficult to locate due to their change in shape and position caused by ice drifts and storms.
The recently discovered shipwreck was found in an even better condition than its famous counterpart, according to archaeologist Mihkel Tammet. The excavation is still ongoing and has already uncovered wool material used for packing, tools, and fragments of medieval leather shoes. The whole area was once underwater, and the ship was found on one of the hard-to-map shallow sand ridges that changed shape due to ice drifts and storms. The wreck will be removed from its current position to allow construction work to continue, and it may either go to the maritime museum or the wreck preservation area in Tallinn Bay near Naissaar Island. Tammet explained that moving the ship in one part is not possible because of its size and the restricted construction conditions.