| Ships of De Meern | |
|---|---|
 The De Meern 1 | |
| Created | 85-200 AD |
| Period/culture | Roman Empire |
| Discovered | 1997-2008 De Meern,Utrecht,Netherlands |
| Present location | Museum Hoge Woerd |
The Ships of De Meern are the collective name for a set ofDutch Roman wooden vessels in the town ofDe Meern,Utrecht.
From 1997 to 2008, a series of ships have been recovered in varying states of preservation, within the proximity of Romancastellums of Laurum (present dayWoerden) and Nigrum Pullum (present dayZwammerdam) along theRhine.[1]
From 47 to 260 AD, the present day sites were part of thelimes, part of the border frontier and defense posts of theRoman Empire, and as such, became a site of frequent military activity, with ship traffic formilitary personnel and supplies. As such, the ships provide insight in provenance of the region's supply chain and activities.[2]
De Meern 1 was discovered inLeidsche Rijn in 1997, but was finally excavated in 2003.[1][3] Upon exhumation, the ship was measured 25 by 2.7 meters, with dendrochronology narrowing thelumber being cut around 148 AD, and being active from 150 to 200 AD.[1][2][4]
The vessel contained a hold, a cabin, and a cooking area, and within the cabin, the captain's personal belongings, and a set of tools were preserved, found within the cupboard and a box. The tools indicate the boats use for carpentry and stonework. Military objects found within the ship indicate its owner may have been a veteran of the Roman army, who conducted repair work along the limes.[1]
The ship was presumably wrecked due to navigational error, and the roof tiles excavated were found to have charring, which indicates traces of a fire.[1]
The remnants of the vessel are on display at the Museum Hoge Woerd.[3]
De Meern 2 and 3 are two log canoes dated to the 2nd century.[5]
After the excavation ofDe Meern 1, De Meern 4 was discovered 150 meters away in 2003, excavations were subsequently made in 2005.[1][4]
The ship is estimated to be 27 meters in length with the biggest beam measured at 3.7 meters.[1] The lumber used determined a felling date of 100 AD, with the provenance of it being local in the mid-Netherlands, aroundHolland.[1][4] The ship utilized a mixture ofMediterranean and local shipbuilding techniques, with the wood parts connected withdowels andmortise and tenon joints, though the joints are utilized in a crude manner.[1][4]
The vessel was sunk as landfill, to reinforce the bank against a Roman road.[6]
The ship was covered up after 2005 for future research.[4]
De Meern 5 was found a few decades ago, but was subsequently lost and has not been rediscovered.[5]
De Meern 6 is apunt discovered in March 2008, dated to 158–180, but used as late as the 3nd century.[5][7] A bottom plank and a frame was found, but the details allowed the ship to be reconstructed.[7] It is an unclassified type of Roman ship measuring 7.49 meters by 0.62 meters, with an estimated length of 9 meters, with a lancet shaped bottom, and a notch for the bow.[7]
