Medieval Shipwreck Raised from the Depths for the First Time

Using advanced technology, Dutch marine archaeologists and salvagers have raised a cog (small trading ship) that plied the waters of the Baltic and North seas in the 15th century.

Construction workers discovered the 40-ton, 20-by-8-meter (65-by-26-foot) vessel in 2012 while preparing to do some excavation work in the city of Kampen. The small ship was buried in silt and sand.

Archaeologists, led by Wouter Waldus, said that they think people of the time deliberately sank the boat to alter the flow of the Ijssel River, a Rhine tributary.

“The fact that we were able to raise the Ijssel cog [a type of wooden vessel] in its entirety and in one attempt is a fantastic achievement by the entire team,” Waldus stated. “The shipwreck can become a symbol of our rich maritime history, and I fully expect many people, both young and old, to be amazed by and start enjoying this ship from the Hanseatic period's fascinating story.”

Raising the Ijssel cog in Kampen. (Rijkswaterstaat)