We excavated and documented the chance find of a ship's rudder, which was then transferred to a safe underwater depot.

In the summer of 2023, we carried out archaeological site supervision during the munitions clearance on a planned cable route in the Bay of Greifswald. Among other objects, a ship's rudder measuring over four metres in length was found and identified by us. Due to its size and the construction details, it is most likely associated with one of the shipwrecks from the nearby Swedish ship barrier of 1715.

During the following year, we were therefore commissioned to excavate the rudder, recover it and, after photogrammetric documentation, transport it to a safe underwater depot in order to clear the cable route.

It is a well-preserved trapeze rudder with a tiller and iron fittings that belonged to a smaller to medium-sized ship. We were able to excavate the rudder in a single day in fortunately calm conditions, document it underwater, recover it and transport it to shore. It was then measured and documented in three dimensions using a structured light scanner. After a short storage in a temporary water basin, it was later transferred to an underwater depot, where it now lies well protected deep in the sediment and will be preserved for any possible future investigations.