| Date | Venue | Event | My contribution (title and abstract) |
| 26.09.-01.10.2021 | Zadar (Kroatien) | 16th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology  | An early 17th-century ‚half-carvel‘ construction in the North Frisian Wadden Sea: The Japsand wreckage near Hallig Hooge, Germany In February 2017 an articulated slab of mixed lapstrake and carvel planking was discovered east of Japsand, an outer shoal of the island of Hooge in Germany. In May another slab of evidently the same wreck was discovered at a distance of 400m. With a terminus post quem of 1609 it is the second oldest so-called ‚half-carvel‘ construction hitherto known after the Åkroken wreck of 1577 from the Swedish town of Sundsvall. Half carvel constructions are mainly linked to Sweden and occured between the 16th to the mid 20th century, but similar constructions are also known from Denmark, Norway and northern Germany. In contrast to most Scandinvian half-carvels, this wreck is built entirely of oak, which originated from a singular source in southern Sweden or northern Germany. Both the timber selection and way of construction indicate a rural origin, which is consistent to the type’s preconceived perception. The find location in an inhospitable and dangerous part of the Wadden Sea – bereft of natural harbours and sheltered anchorages – and the wreck’s fragmentary state suggests a violent loss, which may have been linked to a natural disaster like the historic storm floods of 1625 or 1634, which depopulated the North Frisian Islands.The location of the wreckage in the intertidal zone posed an additional challenge, as it was only accessible at low tide after traversing nearly two kilometres of tidal mudflats and creeks. The circumstances required a fast recording methodology, as newly discovered wrecks are swiftly reclaimed by the sea in this part of the world. It included an extensive photo-documentation for the creation of a SfM-photomosaic, in situ recording, and dendro-sampling. Another critical factor was the involvement of the island community, which local knowledge proved of vital importance for the reporting of new archaeological sites and the logistical support on site. |
| 8.4.2022 | Istanbul (Türkei) | Mustafa V. Koç Maritime Archaeology Research Center (KUDAR) | Shipwreck Archaeology in the Intertidal Zone of the North Frisian Wadden Sea (Germany) In recent years there has been an exponential increase of wreck discoveries in the North Frisian Wadden Sea of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. This can be linked to coastal erosion, tidal currents and storms, which effects are amplified by climate change. Each of the wrecks has a unique story to tell, like the ‘half-carvel’ Japsand wreckage from the early 17th century, which seems to be a local variation of a construction that is most commonly found in Sweden. Or the two ‘Double Dutch’ shell-first carvel constructions from Hörnum Odde (Sylt) and Süderoogsand – dating to ca. 1690 and 1733 respectively – that are comparable to Dutch Eastindiamen and whaling ships in their constructional style. And, last not least, two additional wooden wrecks on Süderoogsand that were uncovered by a storm in late February 2022. None of the wrecks have been identified yet. A cooperation with historians is currently forged – both locally and internationally – to identify the wrecks and shed light on the fate of their crews. The work hitherto done presented a special challenge, as the wrecksites are located in very remote parts of the Wadden Sea. They can be neither investigated by conventional terrestrial nor underwater archaeological methods, and the time frame for surveying is set by the tidal calendar. The challenging conditions are further aggravated by the lack of funding for maritime archaeological research in Germany. Due to the sovereignty of the German federal states in cultural politics (‘Kulturhoheit der Länder’), there is no central German authority responsible for maritime archaeology. The littoral states often lack the resources to build up capacities for a highly specialised subject as maritime archaeology on their own accord, and archaeological excavations carried out by state authorities are typically only developer-funded. Notwithstanding, the maritime cultural heritage is under threat particularly in areas affected by coastal erosion, and there is a concerted effort to raise awareness in the public and academic sphere for this pressing issue. |
| 16.-22.5.2022 | Pula (Kroatien) | In Poseidons Reich XXVII – Maritime landscapes | In the maelstrom of history: The wrecks of the North Frisian Wadden Sea Within the last few years several unknown shipwrecks from the 17th-18th century were discovered in Schleswig-Holstein’s Wadden Sea as a consequence of coastal erosion. The Wadden Sea is a maritime landscape subject to constant change. Tidal currents change, and thus erosion and deposition patterns, coastlines, while tidal creeks are meandering like snakes across tidal mudflats, exposing new wrecks and swallowing them shortly thereafter. The window of opportunity to study wrecks in greater detail is slim to none. If discovered, there is not much time left until wrecks are either silted in again or reclaimed by the sea and washed away. Nonetheless, it was possible to wrest some secrets from the new wrecksites in recent archaeological fieldwork campaigns. This paper presents some interim results, in which also the historical context of these discoveries is highlighted, combining a regional and global perspective. The maritime landscape encompasses not only the tidal mudflats that are flooded with each incoming tide, but also the terrestrial inhabitated areas. The maritime influence is omnipresent in the homes of coastal and island communities, in which decors and objects of everyday life are expressions of a distinctive Frisian maritime culture. |
| 6.-10.06.2022 | Helsinki (Finnland) | 7th International Congress for Underwater Archaeology | Integrating the Maritime Cultural Heritage in Spatial Planning: A BalticRIM-Project interim report In October 2017, the Interreg-funded BalticRIM-Project (acronym for Baltic Sea Region Integrated Maritime Cultural Heritage Management) was launched by 13 project partners from Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Russia under the lead partnership of the State Archaeology Department of Schleswig-Holstein (ALSH). The principal aim of this project is to designate areas of high archaeological significance on the seafloor and the coast for inclusion in maritime spatial plans in order to saveguard a sustainable in situ protection and management. A secondary aim is to support the ‘Blue Growth’ and ‘Multi-Use’ initiatives by seeking synergies with other stakeholders. New ideas of how the valorisation of the maritime and underwater cultural heritage can be enhanced by public participation are explored in pilot management areas and transboundary cooperations. This presentation will outline the implementation strategy in the light of the statutory framework, methodology, data availability, and cross-sectoral cooperation. Moreover, tangible examples and interim results of various BalticRIM-initiatives shall be showcased. |
| 17.-18.6.2022 | Christianslyst | 19th Arkæologi i Slesvig / Archäologie in Schleswig | Schiffwracks im Nordfriesischen Wattenmeer: Zum Stand der aktuellen Forschungn English summary: Between 2016 and 2020 four new shipwrecks were discovered in the North Frisian Wadden Sea as a result of coastal erosion. All wrecksites are located in the intertidal zone, i.e. on Hörnum Odde (island of Sylt), as well as the outer shoals of Japsand and Süderoogsand, which form part of the North Frisian barrier islands and have been navigation hazards since time immemorial. The investigated wrecks date between the 17th and 18th centuries. Some remarkable constructional features could be observed, which allow inferences on the wrecks‘ origins and shipbuilding traditions. Two of the wrecks feature double-planking carried out in the characteristic Dutch-style shell-first technique that was – until recently – regarded as a fleeting and rare phenomenon of the late 16th and early 17th century, but based on these new discoveries, this peculiar construction can now be traced to the mid-18th century. In general, the North Frisian Wadden Sea was a heavily Dutch-influenced area, which finds not only expression in the majority of shipwrecks, but also the maritime culture of the islands. Another aspect worth noting in the context of shipwreck research in the intertidal zone is the involvement of enthusiastic local citizens, who facilitate the work of the archaeologists in these remote areas with vital logistical support and knowledge of the local environment. This highlights the public responsibility of archaeologists to involve and share their knowledge with the local community. This paper will provide an overview of shipwrecks hitherto investigated and an update on new research results. |
