The Wismar Ship: The Construction of a Large Clinker-Built Merchant Vessel from the 12th Century AD

ABSTRACT

In December 2017, archaeologists from the State Service for Culture and Monuments in Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Germany, excavated the remains of a clinker-built cargo vessel in the seaport of Wismar, one of three medieval shipwrecks found during the extension of the port. With riveted outer planking and the presence of bitis, the wreck can be placed in the Nordic clinker shipbuilding tradition. It was built from oak and pine sourced from western Sweden in the period AD 1184–90. The construction shows striking similarities with a number of large 12th-century AD cargo vessels found in northern Germany and Scandinavia.

RESUMEN

En diciembre de 2017, arqueólogos del Servicio Estatal de Cultura y Monumentos de Mecklenburgo, Pomerania Occidental, Alemania, excavaron los restos de uno de los tres pecios medievales hallados en el puerto marítimo de Wismar. Se trata de una embarcación de carga construida a tingladillo. Dada la presencia de tracas de forro externo remachadas y bancadas fijas alineadas sobre las varengas (i.e. bitis), es posible ubicar el pecio dentro de la tradición nórdica de construcción naval a tingladillo. La embarcación fue construida con maderas de roble y pino procedentes del oeste de Suecia en el periodo 1184-90 AD. La construcción muestra notables similitudes con varios barcos de carga de gran porte del siglo XII hallados en el norte de Alemania y Escandinavia.

摘要

2017年12月，梅克伦堡西波美拉尼亚国家文化和古迹局的考古学家在维斯玛海港发掘出一艘鳞状搭接建造的货船残骸，这是港口扩建过程中发现的三艘中世纪沉船之一。凭借铆接外板及横梁（bitis）的存在，该沉船可以归入北欧鳞状搭接造船传统。此船是用公元1184-90年期间于瑞典西部采购的橡木和松木建造的。它的构造与在德国北部和斯堪的纳维亚半岛发现的许多12世纪大型货船有着惊人的相似之处。

摘要

2017年12月，梅克倫堡西波美拉尼亞國家文化和古跡局的考古學家在維斯瑪海港發掘出一艘鱗狀搭接建造的貨船殘骸，為港口擴建過程中發現的三艘中世紀沈船之一。憑借鉚接外板及橫梁（bitis）的存在，該沉船可歸入北歐鱗狀搭接造船傳統。此船是用公元1184-90年期間從瑞典西部采購的橡木和松木建造而成。它的構造與在德國北部和斯堪的納維亞半島發現的許多12世紀大型貨船有著驚人的相似之處。

KEYWORDS:

• Maritime archaeology
• ship construction
• Nordic clinker
• 12th century
• Wismar
• Germany

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Arqueología marítima
• construcción naval
• tingladillo
• siglo XII
• Wismar
• Alemania

关键词:

• 海洋考古
• 造船
• 鱼鳞式
• 十二世纪
• 维斯玛
• 德国

關鍵詞:

• 海洋考古
• 造船
• 魚鱗式
• 十二世紀
• 維斯瑪
• 德國

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the excavation and recording team of the Wismar wreck for all the hard work put in under often less than favourable conditions: Marie Couwenberg, Daniel Dalicsek, Daniel Diez Merida, Michal Grabowski, Benjamin T. Halkier, Bartosz Kluz and Franziska Steffensen. Further thanks go to the Seehafen Wismar GmbH for constant support during the excavation, to the contractors on site for helping with lifting the keelson and to Dipl. Ing. Christoph Bünger who coordinated the construction activities on site and supported the archaeological work wherever possible. Finally, we are indebted to the anonymous peer reviewers, whose comments, suggestions and notes helped provided food for thought and helped to refine and improve this paper. Writing of the current article was done in the authors’ own time, without external funding.

Author Contributions

Jens Auer was the project director for the excavation and recording of the Wismar wreck. Jens Auer and Massimiliano Ditta carried out the post excavation analysis of the shipwreck and compiled the initial client report. Massimiliano Ditta created the digital and physical ‘as found’ reconstructions of the wreck. Jens Auer and Massimiliano Ditta both contributed to the content and structure of this manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript and take responsibility for the contents of the article.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Permission Statement

The development-led archaeological project during which the wreck was recovered and recorded was carried out by the State Authority for Culture and Monuments in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Landesamt für Kultur und Denkmalpflege Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). The authors have obtained authorisation from the State Authority for Culture and Monuments in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Landesamt für Kultur und Denkmalpflege Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) to present the primary data on the Wismar Wreck (Wismar, Ostsee II, Fpl. 32) in this article.

Declaration of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.