What researcher are calling the oldest discovery of a seagoing ship in Dutch waters was discovered entirely by accident .
I know , veracious ? I ca n’t even get hold correspond socks most mornings .
The 16th - century Dutch ship was revealed before this calendar month during a salvage exploit to obtain more than 200 shipping containers that were thrown overboard from the MSC Zoe to begin with this year during a violent tempest . The ship was sailing from Portugal to Germany at the time . Though some containers and other confounded freight washed ashore in Germany and the Netherlands , official have been searching for other military mission loading using ship - behave asdic . When seeker picked up on something on the seafloor , they think it might be a shipping container – it turned out to be 300 - class - old timber and almost five net ton of copper plate , reportsLive Science .
Wooden beam with an imprint of round copper plates.Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
“ This find can truly be promise a lucky accident . This spectacular discovery was made while save the container . I am very queer about what data will be break . That is also the beauty of archeology : it stimulates your curiosity and imagination . I call back this discovery is really an enrichment of Dutch heritage , ” tell Dutch Minister Van Engelshoven in astatement .
An psychoanalysis of the tone showed that it was felled in the Netherlands in 1536 , while the 13 - meter - long ( 42 - ft ) ship was build around 1540 . The vas was channelise copper plates date stamp to around the same period with marking from theFugger sept , a German mercantile and banking dynasty during the 15th - and 16th - centuries who has been credited with developing capitalistic economic concept .
Wooden beam with an imprint of circular copper plates . Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
Four round plates found in the ship.RCA
The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands says the discovery is of “ high cultural and archeological value . ”
This year has already been one filled with shipwreck discoveries . In January , a series of violent storm wash cargo from the Dutch merchandiser ship theSchiedam , which sunk in 1684 and was n’t discovered until 1971 . Among the new finds were rusty , worn 17th - 100 hand grenade and decorative marble . Just last calendar month , an anchor dating back to between 1600 and 1800 was find of Britain ’s Cornish coast , its size and long time leading some to believe it could be from the English vas theMerchant Royallost in 1641 .
The history of the ship is as mirky as the waters it was found in , and it continue unclear who it belonged to and where it was going . Dutch official say they will be conducting further research on the wreck .
Four rotund plates find in the ship . RCA
