BUILDERS digging up an old fish market in Barcelona have stumbled upon a giant medieval shipwreck buried five metres beneath their feet.
An archaeological excavation has now uncovered a 10-metre-long wooden vessel dating back as early as the 15th century and dubbed Ciutadella I.
Hidden just five metres below sea level, the wreck has lain undisturbed for up to 600 years.
Experts think the ship went down in a fierce storm centuries ago, only to be rediscovered during work on a new science centre near the city’s historic Ciutadella Park.
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“This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” said lead archaeologist Santi Palacios. “We always thought we might find something, but a whole boat? Incredible!”
The ship’s broken stern, over 30 curved ribs, and iron-nailed frame are still intact – giving researchers a glimpse into how medieval ships were built and sailed across the Mediterranean.
Earlier digs at the site have unearthed an old air-raid shelter from the Spanish Civil War and traces of 18th-century Barcelona. But nothing quite like this.
Conservationists are now working round the clock to keep the fragile wood from falling apart. “It has to stay wet or it’ll crack and crumble,” warned specialist Delia Eguiluz.
The ship will be carefully dismantled, studied, and preserved using wax treatments – hopefully revealing secrets of medieval maritime life.
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