Doorkijkpaneel 5. Scheepswrak

RUGGED SOUTH SEA
It is not surprising that dozens, if not hundreds, of ships have been wrecked on this treacherous sea; from small fishing boats to larger cargo ships. And with the sinking of all those ships, many hundreds of sailors also drowned.

'ABOVE WATER'
Countless wrecked ships emerged during Prohibition. In June 1967, an agricultural supervisor from the National Agency for the IJsselmeer Polders (RIJP) discovered a sunken ship at the bottom of plot OC 60. Some employees of the RIJP archaeological department carried out an initial exploration. After investigation it was decided to leave the ship undisturbed in the seabed.

SECOND INVESTIGATION
In May 1980 the shipwreck was examined for the second time. The researchers now came to the conclusion that it was a water vessel from the seventeenth century. A water vessel is a fishing vessel that is equipped with a bun. This is a closed hold in which the caught fish can be kept alive. This allowed the fish to be brought fresh to the market. Because the ship has been preserved almost completely, it is a special find.

KNEPPEL AND JUFFER BLOCKS
The wooden watership of lot OC 60 is 16 meters long and 5.5 meters wide. It has decks in the fore and aft. Two damselfly blocks were found in the wreckage. These wooden blocks were used on old sailing ships to tension the rigging, the rigging on the mast. Shards of red pottery were found near the rear of the ship; remains of a colander, plate and cooking pot. Also found 
the archaeologists a nip, a bar that spreads the end of a fishing net, so that the fish can swim more easily in the net. 

CONTAMINATION
Protection of the shipwreck became necessary because the groundwater level had dropped sharply after the reclamation of Eastern Flevoland in 1957. The wreckage had largely dried up. Exposure to the open air caused mold and wood rot. 
To protect the shipwreck, it was wrapped in plastic and buried under protective conditions. This is called ensiling. The groundwater level around the ship is raised. The groundwater and rainwater remove oxygen from the soil, giving fungi less opportunity to attack the wood. 

TO BURY
The vulnerable wooden watership was covered with a one-meter thick layer of soil, creating an artificial hill. The thick polder clay on which the wreck rests prevents the water from draining. All this is enough to make the shipwreck dozens 
to protect and preserve for years to come. The shipwreck OC 60 has been declared a protected archaeological monument. The wreck finds are part of the collection of Batavialand in Lelystad.