A staff of researchers from Norway just lately uncovered a medieval treasure on the backside of Mjøsa, the most important lake in Norway. The shock discovery of the 700-year-old shipwreck got here throughout a authorities analysis mission scouring the underside of the lake with high-resolution sonar expertise.
In accordance with CNN, the vessel was by accident found at 1,350 ft beneath the floor whereas archeologists have been on a authorities analysis mission to map the 140-square-mile lake mattress. The shipwreck is near-pristine and dates again to someplace after the 1300s, and is believed to have gone down on account of unhealthy climate, given its location in the midst of the lake.
The sonar pictures present the distinctive look of the vessel, which is distinctive of a “clinker-built” ship, a conventional Norse boatbuilding technique throughout that point, LiveScience explains. The lake’s surroundings is believed to have stored the vessel in distinctive situation, with just a few areas of corrosion.
The archeologists haven’t been capable of examine the wreck website additional with digital camera tools on account of unhealthy climate and poor visibility. Nevertheless, situations within the lake could approve subsequent yr to have the ability to get a close-up have a look at the medieval treasure.
The Norwegian College of Science and Know-how analysis staff by accident stumbled upon the vessel whereas executing Mission Mjøsa. The federal government-funded challenge has a mission to map out the lake mattress utilizing a remotely operated automobile to seek for any munitions that had been dumped throughout World Struggle II.
“My expectation was that there is also shipwrecks found whereas we have been mapping dumped munitions — that turned out to be the case,” Øyvind Ødegård, a senior researcher in marine archaeology on the Norwegian College of Science and Know-how and the mission’s principal investigator stated.
“It was simply purely that the statistical likelihood of discovering shipwrecks that have been properly preserved was thought of to be pretty excessive.”
The analysis staff hopes to return to the lake subsequent yr for a more in-depth have a look at the wreckage. Ødegård stated because the mapping challenge continues, he anticipates extra medieval discoveries can be made.
“We might discover vessels from for the reason that starting of human exercise within the space. They could possibly be current and in good situation,” Ødegård stated. “You may’t rule out something.”
