A
wreck was found in 1931 during land reclamation work near Lake Łebsko in meadows
adjoining the village of Czarnowsko (Żarnowski). The wreck was lying on its keel in a
gravel stratum at 0,5 - 0,6 m distance below the modern ground level. A stratum
of sand sealed the entire cultural context.
In 1934 the wreck was investigated by Otto Lineau and in 1937 after the initial
testing, the excavators uncovered the wreck for recording purposes. In 1957
the wreck was excavated and taken for conservation to Szczecin.
It was built of oak. Seven planking strakes on the port side and nine strakes
on the starboard side were preserved in good condition. With a maximum thickness
of 2,5 cm and a width of 18-20 cm, the strakes were assembled in the lapstrake
manner. The luting was of moss, animal hair, and textile material. The seams
were secured with pine treenails 1,2-1,3 m in diameter.
From
a total of eleven preserved frames, six were shorter and had mortises cut in
the upper side above the center line of the keel. The other frames (five preserved
and a sixth added in Lienau's reconstruction) were made of floor timbers and
futtocks; two futtocks were joined to a floor timber through horizontal scarfs
located at the turn of the bilge. These frames reached up to the sheer strake.
The floor timbers measured 0.13-0.15 m moulded and 0.07 m sided. Notched at
almost each planking seam, the floor timbers were fastened with treenails to
the planking. A T-shaped keel measured 20 cm sided; the vertical foot of the
keel was moulded 10 cm and sided 10 cm. The keel was vertically scarfed at both
ends for the joint with the sternpost and the stem; the posts did not survive.
The scarf joints were riveted.
A mast-step timber made out of birch (Betula sp.) was lashed with willow (Salix
sp.) twigs to one side of the main floor timber and was set above the keel.