A Shipwreck Was Discovered Under A Sand Dune On The Coast Of The Caspian Sea
Along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Manzandaran, Iran, the remains of a shipwreck were discovered under a sand dune.
The Caspian Sea is surrounded by five countries—Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan—that have used it as a trading route for a long time.
The body of water stretches for around 750 miles and has an average width of about 200 miles. The water of the Caspian has experienced fluctuations driven by climate variability.
The rising and falling sea levels have significantly altered the coastal landscape, leading to the exposure of cultural artifacts and shipwrecks.
The wooden ship from under the sand dune was found in 2003. It took two seasons for archaeologists to complete excavations of the wreck.
“Its emergence near the shoreline in an unexpected coastal location was attributed to wave action, resulting from rising sea levels, which eroded part of the sand covering the submerged ship,” wrote the authors of the study.
Before excavations, researchers were concerned that removing sand around the ship would make it vulnerable to violent sea waves. So, a protective wall made of thousands of 110-pound bags of sand was built parallel to the ship’s hull.
The wreck was a 90-foot-long, three-masted vessel with a double hull. It was buried under a sand dune approximately 10 feet tall. The dune was located just north of the village of Zaghemarz.
The researchers were able to determine the ship’s dimensions, construction method, date of construction, and the remains of its cargo. The overall dimensions of the vessel came out to be 92 feet long and 26 feet wide.
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The team hoped to uncover goods that would tell them what the ship was used for, but the cargo was nearly empty. The purpose of the vessel is still unclear.
The only objects they managed to recover were animal bones, pieces of wood, remnants of ropes, and three baskets containing plant materials.
The baskets were found in the ship’s lower compartment and may have been part of the ship’s stores and supplies. The team also looked at historical records and conducted dating work on the wood samples and other remains.
They concluded that the ship was built between the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Its structural elements contained Scots Pine and Spruce/Larch wood, indicating that the wood may have been sourced from the Volga basin region or the Caucasus. In addition, a tool made from poplar wood was found.
At some point, the vessel’s operations came to an end after it either sunk or got stranded on a beach and was subsequently abandoned.
The full report and details of the excavations were published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
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