Construction workers in a part of Barcelona that was once waterfront have unearthed the remains of a large medieval boat that has been there since the 1400s or 1500s, along with remnants of later city life.
The area, near Ciutadella Park, was being prepared for construction of a new biomedicine and biodiversity center. The site, which once housed the city’s main fish market, has also turned up remains from the market and from a Civil War-era air raid shelter.
The ship, built with a mix of wooden and iron nails, has been named Ciutadella I for its location, and is being carefully dug out by teams of archaeologists who hope not only to preserve the remains for display but also to learn more about boatbuilding in that period. As they work, the site is being kept damp to maintain the conditions in which it has survived.
It’s Barcelona’s second recovered ancient vessel; two decades ago a boat, designated Barceloneta I for its discovery location was found. That boat was of a type found in trade on rivers; the new discovery is a sea-going type.
