An excavator driver was working to remove rubble when suddenly unusual planks appeared. The construction workers became curious as to what this could be. – We do not have many finds of this type, and that is why it is so exciting, says an engaged Staale Normann, marine archaeologist at the NTNU Science Museum. The excavated boat is still lying in the mud at Trondheim Central Station, but is planned to be moved. Photo: Fanny Feragen Solheim / news Exciting construction After more digging in the clay, the construction began to take shape like a boat. Both the county council and professional authorities were notified. – We have found a boat, says Normann. The boat is 12 meters long and approximately 3.5 meters wide. And not least very old. Encased in clay The discovery that has been made can currently be dated back to the 19th century. – There is a boat that was here before it was filled in in the last half of the 19th century, so it is older than 150 years, says Normann. The boat is not seaworthy at first, but it is still well preserved. – It has been encased in clay, explains Normann. Thus, the boat has been well preserved in the clay due to the lack of oxygen. Unique find for the port city By finding such a boat, you can learn a lot about the port city of Trondheim. – The find shows that there has been good activity here, and there have probably been many such boats on the lake, says Normann. He explains that through working with the boat we can get an insight into everyday history from Trondheim that we don’t know about. In addition, we can learn about how it is built. The boat is a barge, built for the transport of slightly heavier and stronger goods. It is not built for its own propulsion, but has been towed by another vessel. From left: Arnfinn Aune from Veidekke, marine archaeologist Staale Normann and builder Arne Hognestad in front of the discovery of the boat. Photo: Fanny Feragen Solheim / news Moving on Work on Trondheim Central Station naturally stopped in the area around the find. – But fortunately in an area that was not so critical in terms of progress, says Arnfinn Aune from Veidekke. Now it remains to photograph and document the boat. – We have started taking pictures and will create a 3D model. It is the first round of the documentation work, says Normann. Now the plan is to dig under the boat and then hoist it up with a crane. The boat is currently being moved to another location in the area for further investigations.
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Found a 150-year-old boat at Trondheim central station – news Trøndelag
