Latest news with #SantiPalacios
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Barcelona's old fish market reveals a 15th-century shipwreck, which might hold secrets
History that got lost to time and remains buried under the land has always made humankind curious. May it be the sunken cities of ancient civilizations or the forgotten relics lying beneath our feet, archaeological discoveries give a rare window into lives and worlds long gone. In coastal cities like Barcelona, where the past and present intertwine along cobbled streets and historic harbors, the ground olds centuries of untold stories about shipwrecks, boats and how life might have been in the older times. Every excavation has the potential to find fragments of the city's evolution from Roman foundations to medieval maritime power. The discovery of long-lost ships not only propels research but also sparks a deep poetic curiosity in all of us. This time, with the discovery of a medieval ship beneath the old Mercat del Peix, Barcelona has once again offered a piece of its hidden past. The wooden hull of a centuries-old ship has been found in Barcelona, beneath the Mercat del Peix that was the old fish market in the city. The ship has been tentatively dated to the 15th or 16th century and has been named 'Ciutadella I' after the nearby park. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Aged 50-85 With No Life Insurance Could Get This Reassured Get Quote Undo What does the hull look like? Measuring more than 30 feet in length and about 10 feet wide, the vessel was found in good condition because of the damp, waterlogged soil that preserved the wooden structure. 'It's not every day we come across a ship of these dimensions,' said Santi Palacios, lead archaeologist on the project from the heritage group Arqueò during a press conference, according to Catalan News. He described the discovery as 'exceptional' and said that it has the potential to provide important information into the 'context of Barcelona's old port.' Where was the ship discovered? The ship was found more than 18 feet below sea level and is classified as 'derelict,' a marine archaeology term for vessels abandoned and later buried by sediment. Excavation teams believe the ship was likely a cargo vessel used in regional trade along the Mediterranean coast. The wooden structure, made up of about 30 ribs held together by a mix of iron and wooden nails, remains extremely delicate. To prevent deterioration, archaeologists have decided to leave it in situ for now, covering it with its original soil and applying wet sponges to retain moisture. 'The wood has to be kept constantly damp so as to keep it in a good state,' said Delia Eguiluz, a restorer on the project, in an interview with The Guardian. 'When we move it, we'll have to dismantle it piece by piece so we can continue our research.' The conservation team will begin by noting the structure using 3D imaging. Once disassembled, the individual parts will be transported in water-filled containers to maintain their condition. Specialists will then inject a hydro-soluble wax into the wood to strengthen its internal fibers, ensuring the ship can eventually be reassembled for study or display. What are the other similar discoveries? This isn't the first medieval vessel discovered in Barcelona. In 2008, archaeologists found a similar ship called 'Barceloneta I' near the Estació de França. That ship originated from Spain's Cantabrian coast, representing Barcelona's position as a trade hub between regions. How is the recent discovery different from the previous ones? 'Ciutadella I,' by contrast, is believed to have come from the Mediterranean coast. Further studies, including radiocarbon dating and resin analysis, are expected to confirm its origins. 'We'd thought some archaeological boat remains might turn up on this site,' Palacios, a Spanish archaeologist, told The Guardian, '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 were lucky enough to find a boat.' Since excavations began in March 2023, the site has also found other historical layers, including remnants of an 18th-century citadel and a Spanish Civil War air raid shelter. With only 85% of the site excavated so far, archaeologists are hopeful that even more discoveries may lie ahead. 'This is a very important discovery,' Palacios said. 'It's not just about finding one boat because we now have two examples of perfectly documented naval construction in the city of Barcelona.'
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.
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Archaeologists find wreck of large medieval boat in Barcelona
Archaeologists excavating the site of a former fish market in Barcelona have uncovered the remains of a large medieval boat that was swallowed by the waters off the Catalan capital 500 or 600 years ago. The area, which is being dug up in order to build a new centre dedicated to biomedicine and biodiversity, has already yielded finds ranging from a Spanish civil war air-raid shelter to traces of the old market and of the city's 18th-century history. But earlier this month, archaeologists came across the ruined stern of a big vessel that may have sunk during a storm in the 15th or 16th centuries, when that part of Barcelona was still under the sea. A large fragment of the boat, 10 metres long and three metres wide and crossed by more than 30 curved wooden ribs, has been uncovered at a depth of 5 metres below sea level. The structure was held together by a mix of wooden and iron nails. The construction is typical of the medieval boats that were found in the Mediterranean and throughout Europe from the middle of the 15th century. '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,' said the lead archaeologist, Santi Palacios. 'Two years later, we've been lucky enough to find a boat.' The surviving wood of the boat – which has been named the Ciutadella I after the nearby Ciutadella park – is very fragile and has been kept damp and covered with the sand in which it lay for centuries to help prevent further deterioration. 'The wood has to be kept constantly damp so as to keep it in a good state,' said Delia Eguiluz, a restorer. 'When we move it, we'll have to dismantle it piece-by-piece so we can continue our research.' The team is mapping the site, labelling all the pieces and taking samples from the boat. In the next phase, the wreck will be taken to a special facility where it will be treated with water-soluble wax to reinforce and preserve the structure. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Experts hope its old timbers and nails will help shed light on how boats were built in the medieval period. Its discovery comes 17 years after another 15th-century boat, known as Barceloneta I, was found near a railway station in the city. BUnlike the Ciutadella I, that boat was Cantabrian, rather than Mediterranean. The team believes that analysis of the newly discovered vessel's wood and resin will help establish where it was made. 'This is a very important discovery,' said Palacios. 'It's not just about finding one boat because we now have two examples of perfectly documented naval construction in the city of Barcelona.'
