Archaeologists recently uncovered an 18th-century shipwreck in Norwegian waters containing the best-preserved cargo of its kind ever found in Northern Europe.
The shipwreck's cargo is "unlike anything ever previously found in shipwrecks in Northern Europe," said Hanna Geiran, director of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.
The organization announced the discovery earlier in June. The shipwreck was found by Espen Saastad, a watch designer who also operates a small remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and survey company.
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The wreck lies about 1,970 feet beneath the surface in the Skagerrak Strait off Norway's southeastern coast, with pictures showing stacks of porcelain dishes and other artifacts resting on the ocean floor among the ship's remains.
Geiran told Fox News Digital it's generally rare to find such well-preserved cargo from 18th-century ships.
So far, large quantities of undamaged Chinese porcelain have been identified, together with parts of chandeliers, goblets, bottles and barrels of grain.
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"Rows of crates have also been discovered but have not yet been examined," she said.
"One of these appears to contain textiles, while another has a range of organic material, which may include tea, herbs and medicines."
The cargo is "very well-preserved, considering how old it is," Geiran added, though modern trawlers have damaged some parts of the wreck.
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Researchers are still unsure where the ship sailed from or where it was heading, but Geiran said small clues recovered from the wreck may lead them to the answer.
"Besides the Chinese porcelain, we think that the other luxury goods may have originated in England or Germany," Geiran said.
"One very interesting clue is a brick from the ship’s galley that bears the stamp of Lübecker Ratsziegelei, a brickworks in Lübeck that was in operation from the 15th century until 1772."
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While researchers cannot estimate the cargo's original value, Geiran said the porcelain was considered a luxury commodity in the mid-18th century, though it had become increasingly accessible to Europe's bourgeoisie.
Today, she said, the wreck's greatest value lies in its status as a protected cultural monument rather than its monetary worth.
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Geiran added that researchers are "very excited" about future investigations and whether the wreck still holds additional artifacts.
"In the pictures from the seabed, for example, we can glimpse a spectacular lotus plant in porcelain," she said.
"We are also very pleased that this amazing find will be available for everyone to see when it is eventually exhibited at the Norwegian Maritime Museum in Oslo. This is a spectacular find that belongs to the public."
