Large barrels - Small barrels

After documenting all 160 preserved barrels, it is now clear: almost 150 specimens have the same size. The barrels are 72 centimetres long, with a belly circumference of 60 cm. The volume is about 200 litres, while the weight is on average about 300 kilograms. This uniformity speaks for a high degree of standardisation among the barrels. This allowed traders but also craftsmen and customs officers a high degree of controllability and comparability.

The other barrels are a good deal smaller and have only about half the volume of their larger siblings. They were found exclusively in the fairway of the Trave next to the ship. From this it can be concluded that they were located at the top of the cargo hold and were the last to be stored. If necessary, their small volume could have exhausted the last capacities in the hold.

Photo: F. Rösch