18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

An unexpected shipwreck was unearthed at the Tallinn construction site

During the construction of the office building on Lootsi Street in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea, a shipwreck was found underground, exceeding the size of any wreck previously excavated here.

The surprise didn’t stop there; Construction at Lootsi 8 began with the knowledge of a shipwreck on the property that wouldn’t be affected by planned work, however, an unexpected second wreck was unearthed as well, and it may be one of the best-preserved in the region.

The wreck was found at the mouth of the Härjapea River. The wreck was measured to be 24.5 meters long by 9.5 meters wide, and experts hope to unearth it in as large of pieces as possible.

“We have another 13th-century wreck on our property whose location is known, but the second one came completely unexpectedly,” said EHC Lootsi representative Tarmo Mill.

Ragnar Nurk, an archaeologist in Tallinn City Planning Board’s Department of Heritage Conservation, said the previously known wreck was three to four meters deep, but the newly found wreckage was much closer to the ground, about one and a half meters deep.

 Shipwrecks were found at Lootsi 8 construction site in Tallinn. Photo: Scanpix
Shipwrecks were found at Lootsi 8 construction site in Tallinn. Photo: Scanpix

Although the site is 200 meters (ca. 220 yards) from the water today, for centuries it was a port. In the late 1930s, the area was infilled with ash and household refuse. It’s not clear if the ships sank there are were gradually buried over time by siltification, or if they were deliberately sunk after reaching the end of their natural lives.

Archaeologist Mihkel Tammet, who led the excavations at OÜ Muinasprojekt, thinks that next Thursday the debris will be cleared, the water will be pumped out and all details of the wreck can be seen.

According to Estonian Maritime Museum Priit Lätti, initial dendroanalyses indicated that the recently discovered wreck may date back to the late 13th or early 14th century, an estimate which is being increasingly supported as more details are unearthed, but that further analysis would be necessary to confirm the dating.

According to Tammet, “Definitely one of the best-preserved shipwrecks ever found.”

An unexpected shipwreck was unearthed by construction work at Lootsi 8 in Tallinn's Sadama neighborhood, near the Port of Tallinn.  Photo: Patrik Tamm/ERR
An unexpected shipwreck was unearthed by construction work at Lootsi 8 in Tallinn’s Sadama neighborhood, near the Port of Tallinn. Photo: Patrik Tamm/ERR

Finding the wreckage brought some controversy. Heritage conservationists have suggested that the overall goal might be to get the wreckage underground as much as possible.

“We will do everything we can to get these wreck out of the ground, but what’s sad is that the state’s contribution to preserving our common heritage is nonexistent,” said EHC Lootsi representative Tarmo Mill, stressing that the wreck doesn’t belong to the company and the state should support its excavation.

Small interesting finds were also found from the wreckage. One of the interesting finds is a mallet. It is a tool made of pigskin, used by sailors to tie the ends of a rope.

Postimees

Related Articles

Archaeologists in northern Spanish have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text

15 November 2022

15 November 2022

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe to be the oldest Basque language text, on  Irulegi archaeological site, near the Aranguren...

In the excavations at Tepecik Mound in Aydın, Türkiye, a palace-like structure dating back to the 13th century BCE was discovered

13 August 2023

13 August 2023

Excavations at Tepecik Mound in the Çine district of Aydın province, located in the western part of Turkey, revealed a...

Ancient Well Dating Back to 7th Century AD Discovered on Failaka Island

18 March 2025

18 March 2025

An ancient well, dating back to the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods, has been discovered on Failaka Island, providing valuable...

Archaeologists unearthed the ruins of an imposing stoa from the Greco-Roman era in Sicily

1 April 2024

1 April 2024

Archaeologists have unearthed the ruins of an imposing stoa from the Greco-Roman period in the small village of Tripi in...

Remarkable discovery of Iron Age and Roman treasures found near a boggy area on Anglesey

29 February 2024

29 February 2024

Metal detectorist Ian Porter unearthed sixteen historical artifacts in a boggy field on Anglesey. Among the items found were Iron...

A Christian monastery, possibly pre-dating Islam, found in UAE

6 November 2022

6 November 2022

A Christian monastery has been discovered on the island of Siniyah off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE),...

Medieval Moat and Bridge Discovered Protecting Farmhouse in England

14 March 2024

14 March 2024

Cotswold Archaeology’s excavations in Tewkesbury, a historic riverside town north of Gloucestershire, England, have revealed a medieval moat and bridge...

The ‘extraordinary’ Roman mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s Iliad unearthed in a Rutland farmer’s field is the first of its kind in England

25 November 2021

25 November 2021

The 1,500-year-old mosaic discovered by a farmer was considered Britain’s “most exciting” Roman find. The artwork was discovered on private...

For the first time in Turkish history, a gold belt buckle depicted the face of a Göktürk Khagan found

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

A social complex (Külliye) and new artifacts from the Western Gokturk period were discovered in Kazakhstan. Among these items, a...

1400-year-old gold foil figures found in pagan temple

19 September 2023

19 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a votive gold hoard during road development works in Vingrom, south of Lillehammer on the shores of...

Rare Celtic Helmet Unearthed in Poland, the Oldest Ancient Helmet Ever Uncovered in the Country

9 September 2024

9 September 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a rare Bronze helmet from the 4th century BC, along with 300 Celtic treasures, including axes, spearheads,...

The Gallo-Roman Sanctuary Unearthed in France

30 June 2024

30 June 2024

During a recent archaeological excavation in the old Hôtel Dieu neighborhood of Rennes in north-western France, archaeologists discovered the remains...

Fragments of the World’s Oldest Known Rune Stone Discovered in Norway

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have found fragments of the world’s oldest known rune stone at the Svingerud burial field in Norway and fitted...

New Evidence could Change the Date People First Arrived in North America

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

While investigating the origins of agriculture, researchers made an unexpected discovery. According to an unexpected finding made by an Iowa...

Researchers found evidence of the use of medicinal herbs in the Grotte des Pigeons Cave in Morocco dating back 15,000 years

5 November 2024

5 November 2024

Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage has announced an important discovery that will enhance our understanding of ancient healing...