A historic shipwreck has been discovered after emerging from beneath a sand dune, according to a recent study.

The wreck, which represents the remains of a roughly 90-foot-long vessel, was found on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran’s Mazandaran province.

The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world, located in a semi-arid region encompassing southern Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. It stretches about 750 miles from north to south, with an average width of about 200 miles.

Sometimes referred to as the largest lake in the world, the water in the Caspian Sea shows considerable variability over time and experiences fluctuations related to climate change in the region.

These periodic rises and falls of sea level have significantly changed the beach profile of Iran’s Caspian coast. And over the past two decades, fluctuations have led to the discovery of several cultural monuments and historical wrecks along this coast.

In the fall of 2003, the remains of a wooden ship emerged from under a sand dune north of the Iranian village of Zaghemarz, which was later excavated by a team of archaeologists over two seasons. The results of these excavations and subsequent analysis are detailed in a study published this month in Journal of Maritime Archaeology.

“Its formation near the coast in an unexpected coastal position was attributed to wave action resulting from rising sea levels that eroded some of the sand covering the submerged ship,” the authors wrote in the study.

Before the excavation, scientists assumed that removing the sand around the ship would expose it to violent sea waves. As a precaution, a protective wall was built parallel to the ship’s hull using thousands of 50-kilogram (110 lb) sandbags.

The wreck, eventually identified as most likely a three-masted, double-hulled ship, was long buried under a sand dune approximately 10 feet high.

Despite the degradation caused by the passage of time and human activity, the investigation allowed the identification of the ship’s type, dimensions, method of construction, the most likely date of construction and the remains of its cargo.

After the team removed the sand from the ship, the vessel’s overall dimensions and shape could be determined: measuring 92 feet in length and 26 feet in width.

Researchers hoped to uncover goods and objects that could shed light on the ship’s intended function. But the cargo yielded “disappointing” results because it was nearly empty, according to the researchers. The purpose of the vessel thus remains something of a mystery.

The only things found included animal bones, remains of wood and rope, and three baskets containing plant material, which may have formed part of the ship’s stores and provisions.

The team also carried out dating work on wood samples and other remains from the ship which, combined with available historical records, indicate that it was built between the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century.

Some time after, the vessel’s operations ceased due to sinking or stranding on the beach, leading to its abandonment.

Link

Costantini, L., Donne, M.D., & Soortiji, S. (2024). The Zaghemarz Shipwreck, Mazandaran, Iran: Archaeology, Archaeobotany and Absolute Dating of an Eighteenth-Century Caspian Ship. Journal of Maritime Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-024-09430-6