Archaeologists uncovered a 15th-century ship beneath Barcelona during car park construction; its wooden hull had around 30 ribs

Archaeologists uncovered the remains of a medieval ship beneath Barcelona’s former fish market during construction work for a new car park. The vessel dated back to between the 15th and 16th centuries and offered further knowledge about the city’s maritime history. Provisionally named Ciutadella I, the discovered section measured around 10 metres in length and more than three metres in width.Its wooden structure included around 30 ribs and at least seven planks covering the hull. According to Barcelona City Council, the remains, which had been covered in sediment over time, were in a very fragile state of conservation as of 2025. Archaeologists began documenting and preserving the structure to protect it from further damage.Medieval ship was discovered beneath Barcelona’s former fish marketThe ship was found during construction work for a new car park on the site of the former Mercat del Peix. The section discovered, provisionally named Ciutadella I, measured 10 metres in length and more than three metres in width. Its structure consisted of around 30 wooden ribs, which formed the curved frame along the sides of the vessel, and at least seven strakes, or wooden planks covering the hull.The remains had been covered in sediment over time and were found in a very fragile state. The discovery provided further knowledge about the diversity and complexity of medieval maritime activity in Barcelona, including the sailing and naval construction techniques used in the city during the 15th and 16th centuries.How did archaeologists preserve Barcelona’s medieval shipThe Barcelona Archaeology Service worked to document and conserve the ship after its discovery, advised by the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya’s Underwater Archaeology Centre (CASC). The waterlogged wood was extremely sensitive, and drying could have caused it to fall apart. To prevent this, parts of the structure were covered with the original soil surrounding it.The initial conservation stage included three-dimensional documentation, labelling individual pieces, collecting samples, and preparing the remains for transfer into containers filled with water. The planned process also included desalination and the impregnation of the wood with water-soluble wax. The substance was intended to penetrate the material and strengthen its internal structure, helping ensure the remains could be preserved over the long term.What did the ship reveal about 15th- and 16th-century shipbuildingThe archaeological value of Ciutadella I lay in the information it provided about sailing and naval construction techniques used in Barcelona during the 15th and 16th centuries. The discovery added to evidence from another similar vessel found in 2008 near Estació de França. That ship was named Barceloneta I.The newly uncovered remains were being documented and conserved because of their fragile condition. Their wooden components and structure formed part of the archaeological evidence.How did the car park project connect research and sustainable mobilityThe excavation was linked to the construction of a 7,000-square-metre car park designed as a sustainable mobility services hub. The facility was intended to serve the future Barcelona Biomedical Research complex of the Spanish National Research Council and Pompeu Fabra University.The development formed part of the Ciutadella del Coneixement strategy, a scientific and urban project intended to turn Parc de la Ciutadella and its surroundings into a leading European space for knowledge, dissemination, research and innovation. The excavation also generated 40,000 cubic metres of sand from Barcelona’s subsoil. This material was used to regenerate Sant Sebastià beach through a joint operation involving the Port of Barcelona and BSM.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.