The bottom of the hull during excavation.
Some of the framework
was removed
to be studied on dry land.
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The Aber Wrac'h 1 shipwreck was discovered in 1985 at a depth of 15 meters, at the western shore of the mouth of the Aber Wrac'h, in the Finistère. An examination conducted in 1986 discovered an intact clinker-built structure that was buried under a heavy rock cover. |
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This merchant ship ran aground in the late fourteenth or first half of the fifteenth century. It is located in a zone with a strong current, and undoubtedly owes its good state of preservation to its rock ballast. The rocks have also sheltered a small number of exceptionally diverse archeological finds: animal bones, large plant fossils, pottery fragments, and coins. |
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Nonetheless, the study of the construction of the ship was of principal importance, since it provided the most important data. The Aber Wrac'h 1 wreck is 20 meters long and 5 to 6 meters wide, and is unusual for two reasons. It has a clinker construction, but it was in this instance combined with an interior skeleton that is massive and closer to the planks than in a carvel construction. The ship can therefore be considered a milestone in the evolution of shipbuilding, which progressively maturated from "clinker construction" to "carvel construction". |
| Considering the extraordinary nature of the structure of the Aber Wrac'h 1 craft, and the extreme scarcity of some of its structural details, it was decided to raise certain parts of the wreck. This would allow them to undergo conservation treatment in the ARC' Nucléart laboratory in Grenoble, before making them public. |
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Director of the excavation : Michel L'Hour (DRASSM)
Photos : Michel L'Hour et Frédéric Osada
