2500 Year Old Wooden Boat Found in Neuchâtel Lake
Published: Wednesday, Sep 6th 2023, 15:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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A 2500-year-old dugout canoe made of oak from the Iron Age has been discovered in the Neuenburgersee near Grandson VD. The 12.30-meter-long boat is in an exceptionally well-preserved condition. The Cantonal Archaeology Office has described the find as significant, as it is one of the largest and most complete boats of its kind discovered in Switzerland. The boat was pulled from a sandbank at a depth of 3.5 meters on the north shore of the lake last Friday, with the help of experts in underwater technology. Radiocarbon dating has placed the canoe between 750 and 520 BC. It is believed to have been used for transporting goods and people, or for fishing. This is the second Iron Age dugout canoe to be discovered in Switzerland, with the oldest being found in the Moossee BE and dated to the middle of the 5th millennium BC. The find is of great importance for understanding the prehistory of the region, and is a very fragile object. It was made from an oak tree that was approximately 13 meters long and one meter in diameter.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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