28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1,300-year-old shipwreck found in southwest France

Archeologists in France have discovered the wreck of a ship that navigated the Garonne river in southwestern France in the 7th-8th century.

The French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) revealed the 12-meter (40-foot) boat to the public Wednesday in Villenave-d’Ornon on the banks of the Garonne in southwest France.

The wooden ship was discovered buried beneath the Estey de Lugan, a silted-over creek just outside of Bordeaux. The biological parts of the ship, including some rope fittings, have been preserved for 1,300 years by the thick, water-logged clay.

There is almost no surviving written history chronicling navigation methods from the period, so the survival of this shipwreck is a unique testimonial to naval design in early medieval France.

The wreck is about 40 feet long, out of an estimated original length of about 50 feet when it was intact. The keel and dimensions indicate it was a cargo ship capable of both river and coastal navigation. It has a flat floor that would have allowed it to carry bulk goods. Both oak and softwood were used to construct it.

The foreground of the boat. Photo: Patrick Ernaux, Inrap
The foreground of the boat. Photo: Patrick Ernaux, Inrap

However, the wreck’s beams of oak, chestnut, and pine are delicate enough that air could destroy it. That’s why watering every 30 minutes is necessary to limit the degradation of the wood.

The boat is being taken apart to uncover its true nature and to learn about shipbuilding in the Middle Ages. Piece by piece will be dismantled and numbered. This dismantling will allow for a detailed analysis of the boat’s construction, an important operation to identify the naval architectural tradition to which it is attached.

The wreck’s clearance will provide archaeologists with an unprecedented opportunity to investigate how it was built and how it traversed the rivers. The crew will also be able to do research on the waterways themselves.

Other artifacts were found within the wreckage.

General view of the middle part of the boat. Photo: Patrick Ernaux, Inrap
General view of the middle part of the boat. Photo: Patrick Ernaux, Inrap

Laurent Grimbert, Inrap archaeologist said: “Inside the boat, between the floorboards, between the ribs and the hull, we found some ceramic elements, which correspond to the 7th-8th century, so that s not too bad,” said Laurent Grimbert, Inrap archaeologist.

“Pieces of leather that may have belonged to someone who worked with leather on board the boat and who threw away a scrap, a fragment of a wooden spoon that may have belonged to someone who lived in the boat or who had lunch there,” he added.

Cover Photo: General view of the boat. Photo: Patrick Ernaux, Inrap

INRAP

Related Articles

Archaeologists uncovered a kurgan tomb from a previously unknown culture

8 January 2023

8 January 2023

Archaeologists from the Siberian Federal University have unearthed a kurgan tomb and numerous bronze tools and artifacts from a previously...

2,000-year-old altar found in Alexandria Troas

9 October 2021

9 October 2021

A 2,000-year-old altar was unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Alexandria Troas, in a region close...

The discovery of great importance for Urartian archeology in Çavuştepe castle: Discovered a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit in its jaw

28 September 2023

28 September 2023

Archaeologists unearthed a horse skeleton with a bronze curb bit (a metal piece inserted into its mouth to guide the...

4,500-Year-Old Three Warrior Graves Found in Germany, One Still Wearing an Arm Guard

30 January 2025

30 January 2025

Extraordinary discovery during the construction of a New Power Line: Archaeologists unearth a cemetery from the Copper Age with Three...

Poland’s largest megalithic cemetery discovered

3 March 2021

3 March 2021

Archaeologists excavated in Poland discovered a large megalithic complex, including dozens of tombs dating back 5,500 years. The site was...

A well-preserved comb discovered in a 4th-century rare Alemannic chamber grave in Germany

4 September 2024

4 September 2024

During a rescue excavation in the center of the village of Gerstetten, located in the Heidenheim district of southwestern Germany,...

A wash-basin decorated with 2500-year-old Mythological creatures and Chariot races was discovered in Izmir, Turkey

28 September 2022

28 September 2022

Unique ceramic figures were discovered in the excavations carried out this year in the ancient city of Klazomenai in the...

Over 20 terracotta warriors have been discovered in the Terracotta Army pit in China

24 January 2022

24 January 2022

More than 20 Terracotta Warriors were unearthed from the Terracotta Army pit in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province, according to...

In Germany, a well-preserved octagonal tower unearthed, which may have been inspired by towers on the city walls of Constantinople

5 September 2023

5 September 2023

During excavations at Neuenburg Castle near the town of Freyburg (Burgenlandkreis) in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the extraordinarily well-preserved,...

Archaeologists Uncover 4,800-Year-Old Bronze Age Tombs in Başur Höyük, Türkiye, Where Teenage Girls Were Ritually Sacrificed

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

As the first civilizations began to emerge in Mesopotamia and Anatolia, significant transformations in social structure, economy, and culture took...

Aspendos Excavation Reveals Rare 1,700-Year-Old Roman Emperor’s Statue Head

9 August 2025

9 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable marble head believed to depict a Roman emperor during excavations in the ancient city of...

Czech archaeologists discovered a unique bronze belt buckle dating back to the eighth century

12 December 2023

12 December 2023

Czech archaeologists have unearthed a bronze belt buckle from the early Middle Ages, depicting a snake devouring a frog-like creature....

Luxurious Feather Beds of Iron Age Warriors

27 March 2021

27 March 2021

According to a new study, two warriors from the 7th century in Sweden were buried in graves where they were...

2600-year-old Med period artifacts found in Oluz Höyük, in Turkey

17 October 2022

17 October 2022

During the Oluz Höyük excavations in Amasya, artifacts dating back to the Med Kingdom period were found, dating back to...