Jedinorog - The Unicorn Wreck

In the early 1990s the Norwegian oil company Statoil was planning to build a new gas pipeline from a platform in the Norwegian Sea to the shore. According to Norwegian law regulations, investigations had to be carried out to establish whether this pipeline could damage possible cultural heritage on the sea bed.

The pipeline route was chosen based on topographical and technological requirements. It soon became clear that the pipeline would be installed close to a small bay where a ship was wrecked. Cannons and other objects had been found in the bay earlier, but the hull had never been discovered. Cannons are situated in shallow water from 3 to 26 meters depth. From 32 meters, the sea floor falls quickly to a depth of approximately 250 meters, and then becomes flat and sandy. The pipeline was to be built at large water depths, far from the shore, but at this point, near the bay, parts of the ships hull could be situated on the sea floor near the pipeline and potentially be destroyed by the subsea installation.

A marine archaeological project was initiated in 1994, funded by Statoil, and carried out by the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology at NTNU.

Sæbu island where Jedinorog was wrecked

THE WRECK

The ship called Jedinorog or the Unicorn, was built in 1758/59 in Arkhangelsk as a Pink. According to documents and drawings found in Russian and Norwegian archives the ship was approximately 130 feet long, carrying 22 cannons. It was on its way from Kronstad in the Baltic Sea to the Navy base in Arkhangelsk loaded with an unknown number of cannons, lead, anchors and other commodities.

On November the 16th 1760, the ship reached Smøla island off the central section of the coast of Norway when a storm broke. Two days later the three masts broke and the ship was drifting in the dangerous waters of the Ramsøy fjord without control. During the following night the ship hit the shore at Sæbu island and broke up and later sank. No one is reported to have survived the wrecking, except 12 sailors who had been put ashore at Smøla island some days earlier.

Illustration of a pink.similar to Jedinorog

The history of the wrecking was kept alive by the inhabitants of the island, but throughout the years some elements were added and some removed, until the identity of the wreck could not be ascertained.

In 1877 over 100 cannons were recovered from the shallow part of the site. With the introduction of scuba diving a few objects were recovered from the site in the 1960-1970`s by amateur divers and archaeologists.

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

The object of the marine archaeological investigations was to make sure that the pipleine would not damage parts of the shipwreck-site More spcifically the purpose was to:

1. Survey and document the deepwater areas where the pipeline would be installed.
2. Investigate the shallow part of the site containing parts of the cargo and cannons.

A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar systems and video cameras was used to locate and document parts of the wreck in deep water. Many fragments of the wreck were found, e.g. wood, lead and iron objects. The ROV was also used to excavate parts of the site and bring a few additional artefacts to the surface.

An ROV is about to be launched

Diving archaeologists documented the shallow parts of the site, and made a detailed site plan. In total 17 cannons were found and documented, in addition to wood and lead fragments.A trial trench was also excavated with an ejector, and several objects were brought to the surface. Among these were a ship weight made of lead, several gun flints and fragments of porcelain, glass, iron and wood.

Divers getting ready

The Jedinorog investigation confirmed that the shipwreck is the Russian pink Jedinorog. The investigation also showed that the ship had run aground on Sæbu Island and deposited a lot of material on the seafloor. A lot of material is also deposited along the steep underwater cliff, all the way down to approximately 260 m depth. This conclusion enabled the oil company to lay its pipeline without damaging the wreck on the seabed.

For further information see article in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology No 2, 1998.

Read More...

UNKNOWN SHIPWRECK IN TRONDHEIM HARBOUR

In the spring of 1995, a scuba diver discovered bulkhead frames and wood on the seabed in Trondheim harbour. He had dived in the area around Munkholmen island in Trondheim harbour when he discovered an unknown wreck. The water depth is more than 60 meters in the area.

Anthony Coucheron`s map of Trondheim (end of the 17th century)

Since the archaeologists from NTNU are limited to dive to 30 meters, a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) was used to investigate the site. The wreck was filmed with the video cameras, and a wood sample collected using the ROVs manipulatorarm. The sample was dated, and the wreck was found to be from the 17th or 18th century.

ROV investigates the bow of the shipwreck

Additional investigations were carried out in 1996, and it was established that the ship is ca. 25 meters long. The hull is clearly visible on the seafloor, there are traces of a hatch in the middle section, and parts of the bow is standing up in front. Objects such as ceramics, yellow bricks and lead can be seen by the stern.

In 1997, this shipwreck was, as the first in Norway, partly excavated using remotely operated equipment. The ROV was equipped with a dredge and an advanced manipulator arm. Sediments covering parts of the stern section of the shipwreck were removed and brought to the surface for closer examination. The manipulator arm was used to pick up larger objects, which were placed in a basket and raised to the surface. Unfortunately we have not yet been able to identify the shipwreck but the work will continue.

The ROV which was used in 1997

NEW INVESTIGATIONS IN TRONDHEIM HARBOUR

In 2004 NTNU carried out a new survey in Trondheim harbour in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Norway. Two additional unknown shipwrecks were discovered along with various other items including WW2 airplanes, a coral reef and a steel buoy. A comprehensive survey of the harbour area is planned for 2005.

Read More...

Spitsbergen

Spitsbergen is the name of a group of arctic islands which is found between 74-84 degrees North and 10-35 degrees East. The main islands are Spitsbergen, Nordaustlandet, Edgeøya and Barentsøya. The total area is approx. 63.000 sq.km, of which about two thirds are covered by glaciers.

Activities on Spitsbergen since the 17th century have left traces that are unique in a European context. These cultural remains are very often the most northerly find of there kind. The excellent conditions for protection of these remains create unique possibilities for access to data which can not be found at other latitudes.

Archaeological excavations at Schønningholmane

PHASES IN THE HISTORY OF SPITSBERGEN

There are four phases of Spitsbergen`s history which are of importance for maritime archaeological research and protection:

1. HYPOTHETICAL STONE AGE SETTLEMENTS ON THE ISLANDS

The hypothesis of stone age settlements on Spitsbergen, launched by Povl Simonsen and Hans Christiansson in 1970, is still very much alive in the archaeological literature. According to the two authors, stone age populations followed herds of reindeer going from the northern parts of Russia to Spitsbergen along the pack ice. Recent genetic research, on the other hand, shows that the reindeer on Spitsbergen is related to the reindeer found on Greenland, and not to the reindeer found in northern Russia. These results do not however mean that there could not have been stone age migrations to the islands. It is just as likely that stone age settlers walked along the pack ice from Greenland to Spitsbergen as from the Petchora district in Russia. Earlier attempts to register such settlements on the marine terraces outside of Spitsbergen have yielded negative results.

According to geological and geomorphological investigations, it can not be ruled out that possible stone age settlements are positioned under water (if existing at all). This is especially likely for the west coast of Spitsbergen. Surveys with advanced acoustics and seismic equipment can, in theory, discover such settlements on the sea bed.

2. HYPOTHETICAL NORSE ACTIVITY ON SPITSBERGEN IN THE MIDDLE-AGES

The second phase in the history of Spitsbergen is also only hypothetical. The theory concerning Norse activity on the islands in the Middle-Ages is based on equivocal fragments of Icelandic sagas. We lack evidence to prove that the areas that the Icelandic sagas refer to really is the group of islands which were to be called Svalbard or Spitsbergen when Norway was granted sovereignty of the islands in 1925. Archaeological investigations have not unearthed evidence which can be dated to the Middle-Ages. One can not, however, rule out that Norse seafarers reached Spitsbergen or other parts of the archipelago during their voyages in the Arctic Ocean. Norse settlements were never established in this area and therefore it is maritime archaeology which offers the best chance of confirming the hypothesis through the discovery of, for instance, medieval shipwrecks.

3. WELL DOCUMENTED WEST-EUROPEAN WHALING IN THE 18TH CENTURY In this period we move from hypothesis to confirmed data from written sources and archaeological investigations on land. The West-European whaling around Spitsbergen started early in the 17th century, and lasted for the rest of this century. Several wrecked ships from this period have been documented in written material, and the localisation of these wrecks on the sea bed with the help of modern marine archaeological methodology should present no problem.

Due to beach erosion, many of the unique whaling stations on Spitsbergen from this period have been partly destroyed whilst other parts have disappeared into the sea. The question concerning whether the material which has disappeared in to the sea still exist, and thus could represent a problem for the management of cultural remains protection, can be answered through marine archaeological investigations in the relevant areas.

An excavated Russian whaling station built with materials from a West-European shipwreck

4. RUSSIAN HUNTING IN THE 17-19TH CENTURY

According to the most recent research results, walrus hunting was the main target for Russian hunting activities on Spitsbergen in the period 1650-1850. The necessity to spend the winter on Spitsbergen caused by the ice situation in northern Russia also led to hunting of fur-bearing animals. Maritime hunting was very important, and Russian sources describes many dramatic wreckings in this area.

An excavated Russian site in Hornsund

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES ON SPITSBERGEN

Any hunting expedition to Spitsbergen started and was finished on board a ship or a boat. This fact defines and describes the extent of the maritime aspects of Spitbergen`s cultural history.

Archaeological activities on Spitsbergen has a more than 100 year old tradition. As mentioned above, the confirmed phases of activities on Spitsbergen in the period 1600-1800 (whale and walrus hunting) had a clear maritime profile. This has meant that most of the research that has been carried out on the islands have a maritime perspective, even though the majority of this research has been carried out on shore.

Whaling in the arctic. Engraving by A. van der Laan (1781)

Most archaeological publications from Spitsbergen discuss maritime aspects of historical processes that took place in this area. Several of these aspects have a unique research content and contribute towards our understanding of the cultural dynamics in arctic areas in general. Some of the results that have been obtained in Spitsbergen have already achieved international recognition, and have put the group of islands on the maritime archaeological research map.

The archaeological activity on Spitsbergen has an international character, investigations have so far been carried out by researchers from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Netherlands and Poland.

NTNU has a long tradition of research activities on Spitsbergen. A marine archaeological registration of cultural remains under water in Spitsbergen is currently being planned. This investigation will be carried out with the help of remotely controlled equipment. The goal of this project is to locate and register underwater cultural remains and thereby improve the basis for future underwater investigations. Researchers from Norway, USA, England and the Netherlands will participate in this work.

Dutch whale oil production in the Arctic Ocean. Painting by Cornelis de Man (ca. 1639).

Read More...

Martnadsundet, Nærøy

Maritime archaeological investigations of Martnadsundet, the old Market Strait, was initiated in 1984 when NTNU in cooperation with Nord-Trøndelag diving district and Woxeng`s Collections surveyed the area. This investigation was continued eight years later with the same partners.

THE MARKET STRAIT - A MARITIME CENTRE

Nærøy island is situated in a central position near the shipping fairway, midway between Kråkvåg (old harbour by the entrance to the Trondheim Fjord) and Vågan (the medieval administration and trade centre of northern Norway). A Market Fair was situated on Nærøy from the beginning of the medieval period. Here, commodities from the countryside were traded with commodities from the coast. In addition, Nærøy was a religious centre. According to some sources, a pagan temple worshipping Njord, the seafarers` god, was situated on the island. With the introduction of Christianity, the county church was also placed on Nærøy, and Nærøy became a vicarage in the 12th century. This contributed to the fact that Nærøy was a cultural centre for several hundred years.

According to tradition, old maps and names, the market was held on the northern parts of the island, on land and in the strait between Nærøy and Svinøy, thus the name the Market Strait. The market place could accomodate many market booths, and the harbour was also good. Large quantities of archaeological material has, intentionally and unintentionally ended up on the bottom of the strait. Garbage from the market booths and from passing and moored ships and objects dropped into the water constitute valuable material for archaeologists today.

Objects on the seabed in Martnadsundet

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN 1984

Several objects were collected from the sea bottom. The objects found were bottles, ceramics, stoneware, glass, clay pipes etc. Most of the material can be dated to the 19th century. The oldest object found was a small pitcher from the medieval period, probably from the 14th century. The youngest object dated from 1870, when the market ceased to exist. Most artefacts came from the south side of the strait. This confirmed the location of the marketplace, and also showed that much of the activity had taken place in the strait itself on board vessels moored in the strait during the market.

THE INVESTIGATIONS IN 1992

The field work in 1992 had two goals:

1. Continue the registration under water to define the area containing cultural remains.

2. Examine the stratigraphy of the bottom sediments in the strait.

Excavations with ejector in Martnadsundet

The investigations in 1992 resulted in some important observations. The investigation showed that there are objects on the sea bottom all over the strait. Several anchors, ceramics, glass, roof tiles and clay pipes were observed near the entrance. Also, on shore near the water line on both sides of the strait are several cultural remains such as mooring stones, mooring bolts and landing places. It was also discovered that the area investigated in 1984, was again covered with objects. This probably means that underwater currents move objects continuously. It was therefore important to penetrate the sediments to examine the deposited material.

A trial trench (4x1 meters) on the bottom of the strait was excavated. Objects from the 19th century were recovered from the surface. Further down in the sediments it was possible to distinguish between two layers. These were clearly different both with respect to structure and to objects content. The first layer revealed, among other objects, a Danish coin from the 18th century. The other layer contained clay pipes of older chronology and older tail pottery, small cooking pans with three feet and a handle or ears. Typically, the older objects were deposited in the lower layer, something which is obvious on land, but not so common in underwater archaeology where the sea bottom is much more subjected to pressures from the forces of nature.

Tail pottery found during the excavations in the Market Strait

Underwater excavations with an ejector is very time consuming. During the investigation in 1992 the divers managed to excavate about 40 cm in the trial trench . This work was documented with drawings, underwater photography and video.

Excavations with ejector in the Market Strait

INVESTIGATIONS IN 1993 AND 1994

New investigations were carried out in 1993 and 1994. A new trial trench was established, it reached 120 cm, and 5 cultural layers were uncovered. The oldest objects were dated back to the 14th century.

The most important result of these investigations has been the confirmation of the research potential of the Market Strait area, both for the cultural history in general but also for the development of marine archaeological excavation methodology. We intend to continue the work in the future.

Read More...

King Øystein's Harbor at Agdenes

The harbour at Agdenes has a special status in Norwegian cultural history. It is mentioned in several sagas, and is one of very few sites so far recorded in Norway where wooden constructions are preserved. A number of elements are present in three zones: on shore, intertidal and seabed. It consequently constitutes an natural and combined area for maritime archaeological research.

King Øystein`s harbour at Agdenes

The site is situated in a key position where the Trondheim channel and the Trondheim fjord meet, making this an ideal location for construction of the harbour in a small bay on the northern point of Agdenes.

Agdenes and the harbour in the bay at Agdenes are mentioned several times in Snorre and Håkon Håkonsson's saga. The Magnus's sons saga reports that the harbour at Agdenes was built during the reign of King Øystein (1103-1123). In the comparison of the achievements of King Øystein and his brother, King Sigurd, Øystein claims that he built the harbour whilst his brother was on a journey in 1108-1111.

Parts of the harbour constructions are very well preserved

The harbour was probably built for political and military reasons. Its construction required a great deal of manpower and technological expertise. The choice of the location also confirms the strategic importance of the site. Agdenes bay is not a good natural harbour, but its geographical position is ideal for the establishment of a control and defence post. Trondheim, or Nidaros as it was called then, functioned at this time as both a trading and a political centre in central Norway. The harbour was built during a period when civil wars still occurred and central Norway was only loosely attached to the rest of the kingdom. In this context, the construction at Agdenes had, in addition to purely practical purposes, a clear symbolic value signalling royal power.

The investigation of King Øystein's harbour has a history lasting more than 220 years. This was in fact one of the first medieval monuments to be investigated in Norway. As early as 1773, Gerhard Schøning tried to gather information about the harbour when he spent a night at Agdenes.

Remains of the harbour at Agdenes were found 92 years later. In 1865, the chairman of the Trondheim section of the Society for the Preservation of Norwegian Ancient Monuments,O. Krefting, reported that he had observed the remains of harbour constructions and church foundations in a small bay. At the request of the society, the site was mapped and described in 1869 by J. Meyer. His exceptionally precise drawings, along with his description of the site, now form a very valuable source of information for archaeologists.

Other investigations, of varying scales and goals were undertaken in 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1982, 1984 and 1986.

In 1991, the sea floor was inspected by the Museum of Natural History and Archaeology in Trondheim for the first time, and the submerged construction was photographed and described. Nearest land in the southwest corner of the area is a pile of medium-sized stones and larger blocks. From this, two distinct, elongate mounds of stones stretch into deeper water.

A crib is situated in the middle of the pile of stones, between these mounds. Investigation of the crib showed that the same technique had probably been used to build this as was used for the cribs on the beach. The crib is located approximately in the middle of the pile of stones which originally filled it. An approximately 5 m long timber extends from beneath the stones uppermost on the easterly mound of stones. This marks the outer limit of the crib. Perpendicular to this are three additional timbers with diameters of between 27 and 46 cm. Between these are eight smaller logs.

Geological studies were also carried out and data collected to draw up a shoreline displacement curve for this part of central Norway. Sections of the site deeper than 30 m were investigated with a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) equipped with a video camera. This survey located among other objects a small iron anchor at a depth of about 34 m.

In 1993 a 2x1 m trench near the crib was excavated. This revealed a thick, compact layer of material originating from human activity, covered by 5 cm of sand. Work continued on land where a detailed survey was made of the eight basal timbers on the beach and of the rampart. The aim here was to clarify the relationship between all the elements recorded so far.

Maritime archaeological investigations carried out at Agdenes have contributed some valuable new data. Nonetheless, studies here are certainly far from complete, and many unsolved problems and questions remain. The investigations both on land and under water will continue.

http://www.hf.ntnu.no

Read More...

Greenland

NTNU participated in an international research project in Greenland in cooperation with the German oceanographic institution Geomar and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland in 1998 .

Greenland was discovered by Eric the Red in 982, and in the following centuries 3-5000 people settled on Greenland. The last written piece of evidence concerning the Norse settlements on Greenland is from 1408, and nobody knows what happened to the settlers after this. The aim of the project was to find new evidence of the reason for the disappearance of the Norse. NTNU was responsible for the marine archaeological part of the project, while the geologists collected core samples from the seabed to investigate if a deterioration of the climatic conditions on Greenland (the so-called little Ice Age) could have been the reason why the Norse settlements were abandoned.

Using the RV Poseidon the international team of marine geologists and archaeologists investigated the south-west Greenland inshore waters of the former Viking-age "eastern settlement". Main target areas were Tunugdliarfik and Igaliku Fjord.

Hvalsøy church

These fjords were investigated using Poseidon's 18 kHz hull-mounted sediment echosounder, a CHIRP high-resolution (2-10 kHz) towed subbottom profiler system, a deep-tow EG&G 59 kHz sidescan sonar, a 100 kHz Klein sidescan sonar and a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) with underwater video system. Furthermore, a hull-mounted ELAC multi-beam system specially installed for this cruise was used. For sediment sampling a Reineck box corer and a 6-m gravity corer were deployed.

Sub-bottom profiler data, sidescan sonar information and sedimentary sequences retrieved by coring correspondingly indicate that downslope sediment transport processes are a characteristic feature in both fjords investigated. A well-defined multi-lobe debris flow complex was found in Tunugdliarfik Fjord. Iceberg plough marks are widespread in this fjord at water depths of less than approximately 100 m. The seabed of Igaliku Fjord is generally much less disturbed by iceberg reworking. The CHIRP records indicate that undisturbed acoustically laminated sediments found in some of the deeper parts of the fjords have a thickness of at least 30 m.

Core sampling

One particularly interesting sonar target was investigated by ROV. The target turned out to be a 20-30 m long mound. According to the geological analysis it is probably not natural, but due to the strong sedimentation in this area it was not possible to confirm if there is a shipwreck buried in the mound. A new project is now being planned to verify this. Additional ROV seabed records from various bathymetric settings of Igaliku Fjord showed major elements of the benthic flora and fauna of this fjord.

The 100 kHz sidescan sonar records from shallow coastal waters indicate the presence of a former coastline at water depths of 2-4 m below present mean sea level. This could mean that a lot of grazing land gradually disappeared. The geological analysis which has been carried out on the sediment cores indicate that a climatic deterioration took place in the actual time period. It is therefore natural to conclude that climatic deterioration together with a general deterioation of the living conditions (less pasture/conflict with the Eskimos) initiated the abandonment of the Norse settlements. The main population flow has probably been back towards Iceland and Norway, but also to other countries in Europe where fertile land was available due to the decrease in population associated with the Black Plague.

http://www.hf.ntnu.no

Read More...

The Bulgarian-Norwegian Deep-Water Archaeological Survey

NTNU initiated a cooperation with the Bulgarian Center for Underwater Archaeology in 2003 to survey the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The project has four major goals:

· The study of coastal dynamics and their impact on the cultural landscape, to conduct a detailed study of related submerged and coastal sites
· The study of ancient seafaring along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast through a survey for shipwrecks and harbor constructions using remote sensing equipment,
· The testing, modification and development of equipment and methodology suitable for the investigation of underwater and coastal archaeological sites and,
· To assist in the development of legislation concerned with the protection, preservation and investigation of underwater cultural heritage in Bulgaria.

The first fieldwork was conducted in 2003 near Kitten in the southeastern part of Bulgaria. Using the Bulgarian Center for Underwater Archaeology's boat the team employed side-scan sonar to image known submerged Bronze Age settlements in the area as well as known shipwreck sites. This was done to gain experience on how to detect sites in the Black Sea region. During the survey at least one unknown shipwreck was detected. The project continued in 2004 when a remotely operated vehicle was used to document a shipwreck site and a petrified forest.

http://www.hf.ntnu.no

Read More...