Archive research sheds light on sunken merchant steamer

Archive research has helped clarify the story of a merchant steamer that sank in Estonian waters, as 15 shipwrecks have been added to the country’s protected underwater heritage list, ERR reports.

The newly protected wrecks include 12 sailing ships, the wreck of a destroyer identified as S31, a steamer and the merchant steamer Success. Four lie in Estonia’s inner waters, nine in its territorial sea and two in its exclusive economic zone. All are sufficiently well preserved to serve as important archaeological sources.

Underwater archaeologist Maili Roio said the Baltic Sea’s conditions have helped preserve wrecks, but increasing use of Estonian waters means the state must ensure underwater heritage is considered when activities are planned. Protection does not prohibit all use of the sea, but activities near wrecks must take their preservation into account. For example, wind turbines should be built far enough away to avoid damage during construction.

Roio said the 15 wrecks are only a small part of the underwater cultural heritage on the Baltic Sea floor. The Transport Administration surveys the seabed each year and discovers new wrecks, but finding one is not enough to justify protection. Researchers first need information about what the wreck is, how well it has survived and what historical evidence it may contain.

One of the newly protected wrecks lies more than 60 metres deep. Its narrow, elongated shape caught archaeologists’ attention and suggested it could be an older vessel. An initial assessment dates it to the 16th or 17th century.

Researchers used video recorded by an underwater robot to examine parts of the wreck without beginning more complex underwater archaeological work. The footage shows two masts, indicating it was a two-masted sailing ship, but only a small part of the wreck is visible. Further research is needed to establish its age and origin more precisely.