– We have found over 75 shipwrecks on Heddalsvatnet and 5 on Norsjø. It is the largest shipyard Norway has ever seen, says project manager Thor Olav Sperre.
The find is of great importance to Norway’s history, said archaeologist Pål Nymoen of the Norwegian Maritime Museum.
– This is an archaeological treasure.
MORE WRECKS: 75 wrecks have been found at the bottom of Heddalsvatnet.
Photo: Project Norsjø 2022
Sperre says that there has been transportation on Heddalsvatnet for thousands of years. The rock carvings at Ulefoss show this.
– We must not ignore the fact that there are Viking relics at the bottom.
Shining new light on world heritage
50 of the wrecks were barges that had been used in connection with industrial development at Notodden. Notodden is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and these 50 shipwrecks help shed new light on the maritime portion of the World Heritage Site.
“What we are looking for are underwater cultural monuments to fill in history where something is missing,” Sperre said.
Another 25 wrecks of various sizes were also found. This is a smaller barge for two large sailing ships, over 30 meters long.
A ship marked “Tinfos 35” was one of 75 wrecks found at the bottom of Heddalsvatnet. Thor Olav Sperre said the ship might have belonged to the Tinfo paper mill or the Tinfo lumber mill.
Photo: Project Norsjø 2022
– Above all expectations
These findings will be investigated with remote controlled underwater vehicles. The freshwater shipwrecks are remarkably well preserved and hopefully can shed new light on Norway’s maritime history.
Pictures of shipwrecks found underwater.
Photo: Project Norsjø 2022
– We use the world’s best mapping technology from Kongsberg Maritime and EIVA. Although we hoped to find some ruins, the results exceeded all expectations, said NTNU’s Professor Fredrik Søreide in a press release.
A team of specialists in underwater mapping and marine archeology have, over the last two years, scanned large portions of the seafloor across Norsjøvassdraget, Sauarelva, Bråfjorden and Heddalsvatnet.
– The next phase is to go down to the wreck and examine it more closely. It had never been done in this area before, Sperr said.
Skiensvassdraget is Norway’s most trafficked waterway historically.
Archaeologist Pål Nymoen explains just that Heddalsvatnet and Norsjø were once part of the sea.
– The water gfresh water successively around the Bronze Age. More recently, it has become one of the largest inland ports in Norway, which explains the large ship traffic.
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