Archaeologists have made an extraordinary discovery in Lake Constance, which lies between Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
This lake, with an area of 536 square kilometers and surrounded by over 2.5 million inhabitants, has turned out to hide an extraordinary underwater history.
The latest expedition found 31 rare objects, which scientists describe as “time capsules.” Among them stand out 17 wooden barrels, some in excellent condition, which still retain their lids, bottoms and even ownership marks. It is not known for sure which means of transport they belonged to, but they shed light on the ways in which goods were stored and transported in the past.
Underwater robots have also documented metal remains believed to belong to steamships such as the SD Baden and SD Friedrichshafen II, which played an important role in regional navigation centuries ago.
The largest and most impressive discovery is a nearly intact transport sailing ship, still retaining its mast. This rare relic provides researchers with valuable information on shipbuilding techniques at the time, as well as the types of goods transported across Lake Constance.