Archaeologists Examining 'Extremely Rare' 1,300-Year-Old Ship They Need to Water Every 30 Minutes

Abigail Adams

Fri, June 17, 2023

An archaeologist from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) sprays water during a hot day to maintain the moisture of an unearthed mysterious 1,300-year-old wreck during its presentation to the media in Villenave-d'Ornon near Bordeaux, southwestern France, on June 14, 2022.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty

Archeologists in France have uncovered an "extremely rare" yet fragile shipwreck in France believed to be 1,300 years old.

The French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) revealed the 12-meter (40-foot) boat to the public Wednesday in Villenave-d'Ornon on the banks of the Garonne in southwest France, according to NBC News.

However, the wreck's beams of oak, chestnut and pine are delicate enough that air could destroy it, having not been in contact with oxygen or light since it sank, per the report.

Excavation leader Laurent Grimber told the outlet that workers "are watering" the partial remains of the wreck "every 30 minutes" as they aim to "limit the degradation of the wood."

Doing so, Grimber explained, is "especially" important at the moment as southwest France experiences a heatwave.

Two archaeologists from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) look at a unearthed mysterious 1,300-year-old wreck before its presentation to the media in Villenave-d'Ornon near Bordeaux, southwestern France, on June 14, 2022.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty

On its website, Inrap described the vessel as an "exceptional testimony to the naval architecture of the high Middle Ages," with radiocarbon dates between A.D. 680 and A.D. 720, per NBC News.

The excavation and dismantling portion of the shipwreck project is running on schedule and "should be finished by mid-September," Grimber told NBC News.

As it is cleared, the shipwreck will be "documented by photo surveys, 3D restitution, [and] topography," according to the institute. The pieces of wood will also be recorded "and numbered piece by piece" as the ship is taken apart.

An archaeologist from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) removes a water pump keeping dry an unearthed mysterious 1,300-year-old wreck during its presentation to the media in Villenave-d'Ornon near Bordeaux, southwestern France, on June 14, 2022.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty

Inrap called the wreck "an exceptional testimony to a little-known period of history, navigation and shipbuilding" and hopes to learn more about the ship's environment "and the reasons for its presence."

"This dismantling will allow a detailed analysis of the construction of the boat," the institute said on its website, calling the wreck "an essential operation to determine the naval architectural tradition to which it is attached."

Inrap said the shipwreck "is in a good state of preservation," with some items such as ropes "still present inside." Archeologists believe the ship "could carry bulk goods" due to "the presence of a floor" among the wreckage.

"Each piece of wood that is dismantled teaches us more about the shipbuilding techniques of the early Middle Ages," Grimber told NBC News.