400-year-old shipwreck found during pipeline survey in Germany's Bay of Greifswald

edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan

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Add as preferred source A photo-based map of the wreck pieces and a magnetic map. Credit: M. Grabowski 2023 / LaKD M-V in Grabowski et al. 2026 In 2023, in preparation for the construction of an underwater gas pipeline, divers were sent to clear a cluster of anomalies in the Bay of Greifswald, a sheltered lagoon in northern Germany. But as they dove deeper into the murky depths, they discovered things they had not expected: shoe soles, pulley blocks, and a rusty anchor.

They had found a previously unknown shipwreck, built roughly 400 years ago. A preliminary report published in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology describes the findings of the hurried rescue excavation.