The remains of a boat have been identified on the banks of the Vistula river near Łomianki Dolne, a village within Warsaw West County, Poland.
The existence of the boat has been observed by locals for several years, but only recently has it been reported to the Mazovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments for further inspection.
According to experts, the boat dates from the period of the Swedish Deluge, a series of 17th-century military campaigns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Swedish Empire. It is referred to as the “Deluge” because of the scale and devastation it caused to Poland.
Archaeologists are yet to inspect the site due to high water levels of the river, but based on photographic evidence the vessel is up to 30 metres in length and is likely a flat-bottomed barge used for transporting cargo.
These types of barges were manually propelled by raftsmen, with as many as 20 individuals needed to operate a vessel of this size.
During the 16th to 17th century, the Vistula River was dominated by merchants operating in Gdańsk, who controlled an extensive network of granaries and ports along the river for the transport of grain. When the barges arrived in Gdańsk, they were generally dismantled and sold as lumber, as making the return journey up the river was deemed unprofitable.
“It is not known how much of the vessel remains embedded in the riverbed. However, the submerged section is likely the best preserved due to the anaerobic conditions. There may even be traces of the cargo still surviving,” said Robert Wyrostkiewicz from the Archaeological Emergency.
Header Image Credit : Robert Wyrostkiewicz/ Archaeological Emergency
Sources : PAP
