Upgrading trading?

Work on the new arts centre in NewportA city in Wales in the United Kingdom. looked straightforward. But then the builders made a puzzling find: some old timbers. And when the mud was cleared away, these turned out to be something amazing: the remains of a large ship.

That was in July 2002. As soon as the find became public, local people began to campaign for the ship to be restored and displayed in the city. Now, after two decades of conservation work, experts are ready to start putting it back together.

Once finished, it is expected to become one of Wales's biggest tourist attractions. As many as 150,000 people a year could visit it.

The ship, which is almost 100 feet long, was for trading. Its cargoes included wine. ArtefactsItems made by humans, especially ones of historical interest. found on board suggest that it carried armed men to fight off pirates.

It is believed to have sailed up the River UskA river in Wales. in 1468 or 1469. The theory is that it then broke its moorings and it became damaged beyond repair.

Many of the timbers were taken to be used for other things. So was much of the ironwork. But a third of it sank in the mud, where it lay undisturbed for over 500 years.

Around 2,000 timbers have survived. If they had simply been dug out and left to dry, they would have disintegrated. Instead they were very carefully cleaned, coated with wax and then freeze-dried. Last week work on them was finally completed.

Putting it back together can now begin as soon as a home has been found for it. It has been called the world's biggest 3D puzzle, and is expected to take five years to complete.

"There are archaeological ships on display around the world, but nothing from the period of the 15th Century, so this is what makes this so significant and special," says Toby Jones, the marine archaeologist in charge of the project.¹ "We have an actual medievalRelating to the Middle Ages. ship that's totally unique."

Yes: It demonstrates that shipbuilding in the 15^th Century was more sophisticated than we realised, and people were able to travel considerable distances by sea with very large cargoes.

No: Trading has gone on across the world since ancient times, with enterprising merchants undertaking astonishing journeys. The discovery of the Newport Ship simply confirms that pattern.  

Or... The real significance of the project is that it shows how ingenious humans have become in exploring the past. Thanks to new technology we are making new discoveries faster than ever before.