View panel 5. Shipwreck

Rugged Zuiderzee
Unsurprisingly, dozens, if not hundreds, of ships perished 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'
Numerous wrecked ships emerged during the reclamation. In June 1967, an agricultural surveyor from the Rijksdienst voor de IJsselmeerpolders (RIJP) discovered a sunken ship here, in the bottom of lot OC 60. Some employees of the RIJP's archaeological department carried out an initial reconnaissance. After investigation, it was decided to leave the ship undisturbed in the soil.

Second survey
In May 1980, the shipwreck was investigated for the second time. The investigators now concluded that it was a water vessel from the 17th century. A water ship is a fishing vessel equipped with a bun. This is an enclosed hold in which the caught fish can be kept alive. This allowed the fish to be brought fresh to the market. As the ship is almost completely preserved, it is a special find.

Kneppel and Juffer blocks
The wooden water vessel of lot OC 60 is 16 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. It has decks in the bow and stern. Two juffer blocks were found in the wreck. These wooden blocks were used on old sailing ships for tensioning the rigging on the mast. Shards of red pottery were found near the stern of the ship; remains of a colander, plate and cooking pot. Also found
the archaeologists a toggle, a beam that spreads the end of a fishing net, making it easier for fish to swim into the net.

Infestation
Protection of the shipwreck became necessary because after the reclamation of Eastern Flevoland in 1957, the groundwater level had dropped sharply. The wreck had largely dried up. Exposure to open air caused mould and wood rot.
To protect the shipwreck, it was wrapped in plastic and buried under protective conditions. This is called ensiling. This involves raising the groundwater level around the ship. The groundwater and rainwater expel oxygen from the soil, giving moulds less chance to attack the wood.

Buried
The fragile wooden water ship was covered with a one-metre-thick layer of soil, creating an artificial mound. The thick polder clay, on which the wreck rests, prevents water from running off. All this is enough to protect and preserve the shipwreck for decades
protect and preserve the shipwreck for decades. The shipwreck OC 60 has been declared a protected archaeological monument. The wreck finds are part of the collection of Batavialand in Lelystad.