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Shipwreck Discovery

A 19th-century shipwreck has been uncovered in the Baltic Sea, revealing a significant cargo of champagne bottles and mineral water. The discovery was made by Polish divers off the south coast of Sweden.

Cargo Details

The ancient sailing ship was found “loaded to the sides with champagne, wine, mineral water, and porcelain,” according to the Baltictech team responsible for the find.

Diver’s Reaction

Tomasz Stachura, the leader of the diving team, expressed his amazement at the scale of the find. With 40 years of diving experience, he noted that discovering such a large quantity of cargo was unprecedented for him.

Initial Identification

The divers initially mistook the wreck for a fishing boat when they first detected it on sonar. The extended duration of their dive indicated they had encountered something of significant interest.

Findings

The team encountered over 100 bottles of champagne and clay bottles of mineral water. While the champagne was deemed valuable, the mineral water was considered even more precious.

Historical Value

The mineral water, which was highly prized in the past, was transported with police escorts. The bottles were identified as coming from the Selters brand, a German mineral water still in existence today, bottled for over 800 years.

Date and Origin

The shipment is dated between 1850 and 1867, based on the shape of the stamp and historical research. The pottery factory where the water was bottled still operates, and the team is working to gather more details.

Notification and Extraction

The divers have reported the find to Swedish authorities. Stachura indicated that retrieving the bottles will be a lengthy process due to administrative restrictions.

Potential Historical Link

Stachura suggested that the shipment might have been intended for Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, who reportedly lost a ship in the same area during that period.