4,000-Year-Old Wood Canoe At Bottom Of German Lake
These images capture the restoration of an ancient 4,000-year-old dugout canoe which was salvaged from the bottom of a lake in southern Germany.
The 4,000-year-old canoe was discovered in Lake Constance located on the borders between Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The German state of Baden Wurttemberg which is carrying out the restoration project announced that it would begin the restoration process of the eight-metre (28-foot) canoe on 31st March.
In a statement obtained by Newsflash Katrin Schutz, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics Baden-Wurttemberg provided more details about the canoe. She said: “The canoe dugout is the oldest watercraft from Lake Constance ever found. Its discovery underlines the extraordinary importance of Lake Constance as an archaeological treasure trove of our country.”
The restoration of the over eight-meter-long canoe remains dating back to the 24th or 23rd century BC which were found in Lake Constance located on the border between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. (LAD, RPS-F. Huber, submaris/Real Press)
The water vessel which researchers believe dates back to 2,400-2,300 BC was first identified in the second half of 2018 and it’s considered to be the oldest known watercraft found in the lake. Preliminary investigations revealed that the boat originating from the transitional period between the Stone and Bronze Age.
Shultz added: “We are all very excited about the results of the further investigations.” It is rumoured to be the most fully preserved prehistoric watercraft ever measuring 8.56 metres in length (28 feet), 0.81 metres in width (2.6 feet) and 40 centimetres in height (1.3 feet). It is believed that dugout canoes were primarily used in prehistoric times to transport people and goods. District President Wolfgang Reimer told local news outlet Stern: “With this find, the lake’s use as a waterway or as a fishing site can be documented for the first time.”
The restoration of the over eight-meter-long canoe remains dating back to the 24th or 23rd century BC which were found in Lake Constance located on the border between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. (LAD, RPS-F. Huber, submaris/Real Press)
He added: “The State Office for Monument Preservation of Baden-Wurttemberg has been one of the leading institutions in the field of underwater and soil archaeology for decades.” The trickiest task facing the restoration team will be to raise the craft from the bottom of the lake without damaging the quality of the wood.
Unlike other ancient canoes from the area, this one will have to be split into pieces before it can be fully put back together again and restored.
Reimer explained that: “The wood is extremely fragile and soft, so the underwater archaeologists are also involved in the restoration process to save the millennia-old watercraft.”
The restoration of the over eight-meter-long canoe remains dating back to the 24th or 23rd century BC which were found in Lake Constance located on the border between Germany, Switzerland and Austria. (LAD, RPS-F. Huber, submaris/Real Press)
The restoration project is expected to take several weeks.
