Archaeologists excavating a former fish market in Barcelona, northeast Spain, have discovered the remains of a ship believed to have sunk around 500 years ago. The team uncovered the ruined stern of a large vessel that potentially sank in the 15th or 16th centuries.
A substantial fragment of the boat, measuring 10 meters in length and three meters in width, featuring over 30 curved wooden ribs, was found in good condition at a depth of five meters below sea level. “It is of great importance because it is unusual to find underwater archaeological remains and when we do the studies on the keel and wood, etcetera, more details will be known,” Santiago Palacios Nieto, 30, director of the archaeological team, told Reuters. An archaeologist uses a hose to water the keel of the medieval ship, preserving the wood after its discovery during excavation work at a former fish market, at the construction of car park, in Barcelona, Spain April 28, 2025. — Reuters “What we’ve found is a fragment of a ship, likely of Mediterranean-style construction, but with Atlantic influences — probably from the Basque Country or Galicia.” Archaeologist Andrea Sanz works on wooden pieces of the medieval ship’s keel, to take samples while preserving the wood after its discovery during excavation work at a former fish market, at the construction of car park, in Barcelona, Spain April 28, 2025. — Reuters The vessel’s timbers were preserved by the damp sand that enveloped it. The team must now ensure the wreck is protected from drying out by continuously watering it day and night.
