Archaeologists plan on reassembling 15th century ship

From The History Blog

The Newport Ship, the largest, best-preserved 15th century ship ever found, is being pieced back together like a giant jigsaw puzzle in a warehouse in Newport, Wales.

The remains of the massive merchant ship about 400 tons displacement and 100 feet long were discovered in June 2002 during construction of an arts center on the banks of the River Usk. Archaeologists from the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust (GGAT) built a coffer-dam around the site and excavated the remains of the large vessel capable of carrying a load of about 200 tons.

The ship was not laden with cargo, belongings or even ballast. It was in dock when it gave up the ghost, slated for repair or demolition. One coin – a French petit blanc — placed in the keel likely for good luck, dated the ship to the late 1440s. A smattering of other artifacts were found, including a gaming piece, a brass fitting from a helmet, stone shot for a swivel gun, a bilge bump and the ubiquitous nit comb. The artifacts and tree-ring analysis of the timbers indicate the ship was built in the Basque Country in 1449, and carried wine on the Lisbon-Bristol trade route for the next 20 years. While it was docked in Newport, the ship collapsed and the hull flooded. The part of the ship that could be easily accessed was disassembled leaving the lower part of the hull for archaeologists to discover 600 years later.

Whole story and photographs at: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/57655