West Pomeranian Voivodeship/ The Kamień Land History Museum assembles fragments of an early medieval boat

The Kamień Land History Museum in Kamień Pomorski is currently assembling a preserved fragment of an early medieval boat. The wreck was discovered in 1984 during land improvement works. In recent years, it has undergone a complex conservation process.

The Kamień Museum has begun the process of assembling the preserved fragment of a boat discovered on July 25, 1984, during drainage works. The then-director of the National Museum in Szczecin, Professor Władysław Filipowiak, decided to conduct rescue archaeological research. Part of the hull was then secured and transported to the archaeological pool in Szczecin. The other part of the hull was cut by an excavator during earthworks.

In December 2022, under the supervision of conservator Anna Borowiec, a complex, over two and a half year-long conservation process was carried out on the wreck. The work included, among other things, structural impregnation of the oak wood and freeze-drying, i.e., freezing and drying the object in a specialized device.

"Dendrochronological studies and C-14 dating (radiocarbon testing) of the wood were conducted. The boat dates to the second half of the 12th century and was in use until the second half of the 13th century," said Grzegorz Kurka, director of the Kamień Land History Museum.

It is estimated that after reconstruction, the entire boat would have been 12.1 meters long, 2.84 meters wide, and approximately 1 meter high. The discovered section of the vessel measured nearly 6 meters long and 2.32 meters wide. Once completed, it will be displayed in the museum.

"The work of assembling the fragments requires enormous precision and patience, but the end result – a presentation of such a well-preserved example of Slavic shipbuilding – will be impressive," Kurka emphasizes. The director admits that it's currently difficult to say how long the entire process of assembling the boat will take, but the results of the work will soon be on display at the museum.

He also emphasises that the wreck has enormous historical value and is a source for research on the history of shipbuilding and navigation, both in the context of the development of maritime connections in Northern Europe and in relation to regional Slavic navigation.

"The boat could have served two purposes, depending on the needs. It could have been a trading vessel, but it could also have been used in combat. However, we lean towards the idea that it was a trading vessel, perhaps belonging to a local nobleman, but that's just our theory," says the museum director.

During the period when the unit was in use, Kamień Pomorski played an important political and economic role in the Duchy of Pomerania, being one of its most important centers.

The monument's conservation was financed by the National Institute for Monument Conservation, the Provincial Conservator of Monuments in Szczecin, and the Kamień Land History Museum. The results of the work can now be seen at an exhibition at the Kamień Land History Museum. (PAP)

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