Doel 2: a second 14th‐century cog wrecked in den Deurganck, Doel, Belgium

Abstract

In 2002, the preserved bottom part of a wreck was excavated, identified as a cog, and named Doel 2. An interdisciplinary research programme (2010–2014), revealed that the ship was constructed after 1328 with wood from northern Poland. Complete 3D‐registration of the timbers, and structural analysis showed it had a keelplank with a natural upward curve at the bow that served as a hook, and that most bottom planks were recaulked, among many other repairs. The ship ended up in ‘den Deurganck’, a creek near the Scheldt river where it was partially disassembled before the surviving remains were inverted, probably as a result of a flood. This paper presents the detailed recording and archaeological interpretation of the ship remains, and the results of the dendrochronological analysis.

Key words:

• Maritime archaeology
• cog
• ship construction
• dendrochronology
• provenance
• 14th century
• Flanders

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all members of the ‘De Kogge’ team (Flanders Heritage Agency) for their assistance and valuable input. The authors would also like to thank the members of the scientific committee of De Kogge project and also Mike Belasus, Staffan von Arbin, Alice Overmeer and Daniel Zwick are thanked for their valuable input. Carrying out dendrochronological research can never be done without the generosity that colleagues and institutions in Northern Europe have shown in making their tree‐ring data available, and to those colleagues we are most grateful. Lastly the authors would like to thank the peer reviewers and editor for their comments which improved the quality of the paper.