Dutch bottom-based shipbuilding

While documenting the lower planks, the archaeologists made a sensational discovery. They came across spijkerpennen arranged in rows. This Dutch term describes small wooden dowels that plugged nail holes. The special thing about them is that these holes came from nailed-on battens that held the planks in place in the ship building process before they were firmly joined together by the frames that were later installed. After the frames were installed, the battens were removed and the holes sealed with the spijkerpennen. As this technique was developed the in 16th century in the present-day Netherlands, it is also known as the Dutch bottom-based shipbuilding method. It made it possible to build carvel ships without a previously planned skeleton made of frames. Due to the success of the ships built in this way, the technique also spread to the Baltic region.

Photo: F. Rösch