Latest news with #OldFishMarket
Euronews
29-04-2025
- General
- Euronews
Spanish archaeologists find 500-year-old medieval shipwreck in Barcelona
ADVERTISEMENT The discovery of a large medieval ship by archaeologists in Barcelona could offer fascinating new insights into the city's maritime history. Thought to be approximately 500-years-old, the boat's remains were unearthed during the excavation of a former fish market — found more than five metres below sea level. Made up of 30 curved wooden ribs and seven hull planks, it measures 10 metres long and three metres wide. Its skeletal construction of wood and iron nails is traditional of mid-15th-century medieval boats once found in the Mediterranean and across Europe. Related Lions vs Gladiators? Archaeologists find gruesome evidence of ancient Roman bloodsports in York The boat has a skeletal construction that's traditional of 15th-century Mediterranean boats. Photo: Emiliano Hinojo (Arqueò Named Ciutadella I, after the nearby Ciutadella Park, lead archaeologist Santi Palacios called the shipwreck 'a very important discovery.' It's the latest — and most impressive — in a series of curious finds at the former Mercat de Peix (fish market) site, which is being redeveloped for a new biomedicine and biodiversity centre. 'We'd thought some archaeological boat remains might turn up on this site, which is near the port and the artificial stone quay that protected the port, and which was a working zone in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two years later, we've been lucky enough to find a boat,' Palacios told The Guardian. Other notable finds from the site include an air raid shelter built in 1938, along with structures associated with the 18th-century Bourbon Citadel and 19th-century Old Fish Market. Due to being submerged for centuries, the Ciutadella I's fragile skeleton is especially susceptible to further degradation. To combat this, researchers are using sand to prevent the wood from drying out, according to restorer Delia Eguiluz. 'The wood has to be kept constantly damp so as to keep it in a good state,' Eguiluz told The Guardian. 'When we move it, we'll have to dismantle it piece-by-piece so we can continue our research." Archaeologists have been using sand to help preserve the boat's fragile remains. Photo: Emiliano Hinojo (Arqueò It will eventually be transferred to a specialist facility where conservation procedures can be carried out. These involve the wood being treated with a water-soluble wax that strengthens and preserves the integrity of the original structure. In the meantime, researchers are busy taking samples of the boat — and hope these will yield new information about medieval maritime constructions, along with details about where exactly it was built. This is the second medieval boat to have been found in Barcelona, with the Barceloneta I discovered near the Barcelona França railway station 17 years ago. Notable for being Cantabrian-made rather than Mediterranean, it currently resides at the Barcelona History Museum. 'We now have two examples of perfectly documented naval construction in the city of Barcelona,' Palacios said. Together, the boats provide a rich new perspective on Barcelona's diverse medieval maritime endeavours, and highlight the city's importance as an international port of trade during that time.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Spanish archaeologists find 500-year-old medieval shipwreck in Barcelona
The discovery of a large medieval ship by archaeologists in Barcelona could offer fascinating new insights into the city's maritime history. Thought to be approximately 500-years-old, the boat's remains were unearthed during the excavation of a former fish market — found more than five metres below sea level. Made up of 30 curved wooden ribs and seven hull planks, it measures 10 metres long and three metres wide. Its skeletal construction of wood and iron nails is traditional of mid-15th-century medieval boats once found in the Mediterranean and across Europe. Related Lions vs Gladiators? Archaeologists find gruesome evidence of ancient Roman bloodsports in York Named Ciutadella I, after the nearby Ciutadella Park, lead archaeologist Santi Palacios called the shipwreck 'a very important discovery.' It's the latest — and most impressive — in a series of curious finds at the former Mercat de Peix (fish market) site, which is being redeveloped for a new biomedicine and biodiversity centre. 'We'd thought some archaeological boat remains might turn up on this site, which is near the port and the artificial stone quay that protected the port, and which was a working zone in the 15th and 16th centuries. Two years later, we've been lucky enough to find a boat,' Palacios told The Guardian. Other notable finds from the site include an air raid shelter built in 1938, along with structures associated with the 18th-century Bourbon Citadel and 19th-century Old Fish Market. Due to being submerged for centuries, the Ciutadella I's fragile skeleton is especially susceptible to further degradation. To combat this, researchers are using sand to prevent the wood from drying out, according to restorer Delia Eguiluz. 'The wood has to be kept constantly damp so as to keep it in a good state,' Eguiluz told The Guardian. 'When we move it, we'll have to dismantle it piece-by-piece so we can continue our research." It will eventually be transferred to a specialist facility where conservation procedures can be carried out. These involve the wood being treated with a water-soluble wax that strengthens and preserves the integrity of the original structure. In the meantime, researchers are busy taking samples of the boat — and hope these will yield new information about medieval maritime constructions, along with details about where exactly it was built. This is the second medieval boat to have been found in Barcelona, with the Barceloneta I discovered near the Barcelona França railway station 17 years ago. Notable for being Cantabrian-made rather than Mediterranean, it currently resides at the Barcelona History Museum. 'We now have two examples of perfectly documented naval construction in the city of Barcelona,' Palacios said. Together, the boats provide a rich new perspective on Barcelona's diverse medieval maritime endeavours, and highlight the city's importance as an international port of trade during that time.
Miami Herald
28-04-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Medieval shipwreck unearthed during construction in Barcelona. Take a look
At a construction site in Barcelona, Spain, archaeologists sifted through the sandy soil. They'd already uncovered ruins of an air raid shelter, old fish market and 18th century citadel — but the medieval ship that reemerged left them stunned. A team of archaeologists and restoration specialists began excavations at a plot of land near Ciutadella Park in downtown Barcelona in 2023 ahead of some zoo-related construction, the Barcelona Archaeology Service said in an April 24 news release. For over two years, archaeologists worked at the site, but their most significant find came from the final phase of the project in early April. While digging about 15 feet down, the team unearthed a ship. The shipwreck, dubbed Ciutadella I after the nearby park, dated between 1400 to 1600 and was either sunken or abandoned, archaeologists said. Photos show what remains of the 400-year-old ship, which measures about 32 feet by 10 feet. Dozens of wooden planks survive, along with several wooden dowels and a few iron nails. Archaeologists also found some plant materials, including hazelnut seeds and pine cones, near the ship and some bones, a photo shows. Although wood is a historically common shipbuilding material, it is a rare material for archaeologists to find, officials said. Wood deteriorates rapidly unless preserved in a low-oxygen environment, such as water or mud. To preserve the fragile ship, archaeologists kept the wreck partially buried while taking samples and studying it, officials said. Another photo shows the excavation process. Archaeologists said they plan to transfer the ship to a specialized facility for further conservation. Excavations near the Ciutadella Park also uncovered an air raid shelter built in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War to protect workers at an old fish market, archaeologists said. The partially destroyed shelter was documented then dismantled. Other finds included structures related to an 18th century citadel and various 19th and early 20th century structures linked to the Old Fish Market. Barcelona is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain and a roughly 390-mile drive northeast of Madrid. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Barcelona Archaeology Service.
