In the depths of the Baltic Sea, a surprise for archaeologists: the properties of the sea determined the excellent state of the find.

Volunteer divers from the nonprofit Badewanne are more likely to find underwater relics from the 20th century sunk during the naval battles of WWI and WWII, so this time the find is a big surprise: a Dutch merchant ship 17th century intact, writes sciencealert.com.

The ship was found at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, in the northern part of the Baltic Sea. The ship has survived almost all of them and is at the bottom of the sea, at a depth of 85 meters.

The only perceptible offenses are those likely to be caused by trawling in later times. The ship itself looks like it was from the 17th century, frozen in time. This good survival of the ships is due to the properties of the water in this part of the Baltic Sea: the low salinity, the low temperature and the absence of light act as a preservative that keeps these sunken ships unchanged for centuries.

Carnivorous organisms that thrive in warmer waters can cause irreparable damage to this type of relic. However, the chemical properties of the Baltic Sea and the hitherto unknown circumstances of the shipwreck have preserved this extraordinary relic for future research.

According to divers, even the ship’s holds are full of supplies and cargo needed to survive at sea since times when Danish ships dominated maritime trade.

The construction of this type of boat began in the 16th century. They were called “flutes”. It stood out from other ships of the time when it was fully adapted for cargo transport. Most ships at that time were adapted to perform two functions: serve as cargo ships and as military. However, the three-track “flute” was cost-effective and spacious.

As a result, the flutes could carry twice the load of other ships. Due to the ship’s design, it could be operated by a small crew, which is a “flute” value for even more profitable ships.

Despite the successful design and great popularity in the 16th to 18th centuries, relatively few ships of this type have survived to this day. Further investigation of this particular find may reveal interesting facts about this historical treasure.