Further discoveries at the construction site of the Świnoujście gas port

During works on the construction of the gas port in Świnoujście, historic items dating back to the Napoleonic wars were discovered. Divers fished the artefacts out of the outer harbour. Archaeologists, together with subsequent finds, are more and more boldly putting forward a thesis that the bay is full of historical “treasures”.

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Near the breakwater, divers found a ship’s gun and a rocket pistol. According to marine archaeologists, these are very old objects and may come from a ship that still rests on the bottom. The new find fires the imagination and raises the hopes of historians. The enthusiasm is not shared by the company leading the construction of the gas port, because some finds could significantly postpone further work.

“These may not be extremely unique objects, but they are quite interesting. It is a railing cannon, English, probably from the 17th-18th century. This will become clear during a detailed inventory. The second thing is a musket, a long gun, also from the Napoleonic Wars. While the cannon is in decent condition, the musket is quite damaged. It has a bent barrel and flask. But it’s also an interesting story, because a bent barrel and a broken butt, according to experts on the subject, are characteristic damages for weapons that were destroyed as a result of a soldier surrendering to prevent the case from reaching the enemy.” – said Andrzej Borowiec, director of the Maritime Office in Szczecin.

These are not the first discoveries made during the construction of the gas port. As A. Borowiec and the employees of construction crews admit, similar findings occur both on the land part and under water.

“Earlier, while clearing the land we found militaria, parts of soldiers’ equipment, objects of everyday use of soldiers, a fragment of narrow-gauge railway tracks, field telephones, ammunition of various types, remains of weapons and a very interesting thing, immortals from the First War,” reveals an employee of the construction teams. “We came across the immortals near the guardhouse of the garrison shooting range, which was not far from the place where the gas port tanks are being erected.”

The artefacts are stored in salt water, where they await conservation work before being transferred to the Maritime Museum in Szczecin.

Many thanks to Krzysztof Witkow from C.N. Dolphindive for sending the news and we encourage you to share diving information from your area!

Source: gs24.pl
Photo: portzewnetrzny.pl