The “Portowiec” wreck in Gdańsk reveals more secrets. A child’s shoe and suspenders found

A fragment of a child’s leather shoe with a felt element, as well as part of a pair of suspenders, have been found by archaeologists from the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk, who are examining the Portowiec wreck at the entrance to the Port of Gdańsk. The objects will add to the collection of artefacts from the 19th-century sailing ship, whose historical name and origin remain unknown.

The shoe does not prove a child was on board

The sole of the footwear recovered in the bow area measures approximately 16 cm. The shoe dates from the 19th century and was found inside the wreck, between the floor timbers, which are structural elements of the hull. Its location may indicate that it belonged to a member of the crew, but this is not sufficient to confirm the hypothesis.

The researchers point out that the work currently covers only the upper layer of the site, near the seabed surface. Objects carried by water from the surrounding area may accumulate there. The remaining hull structure traps them. The shoe may therefore have been washed into the interior after the sailing ship sank, and its discovery is not evidence that a child was on board.

Further research may confirm this. So far, only 2–3 m from the bow area have been searched. The work is expected to continue at least until the end of September, and, weather permitting, also into October. The researchers hope to find, among other things, the mast step.

However, conditions at the site can change quickly. The shallow wreck is sometimes covered again by sediment, and this can happen in as little as two days. For this reason, exposed elements require detailed documentation. After the structure has been cleared, photogrammetry is carried out to create a three-dimensional model of the remains that have been uncovered.

What is known about the Portowiec wreck?

The wreck of the wooden sailing ship, identified in research documentation by the code F53.14, lies at the entrance to the Port of Gdańsk, and it is this location that gave rise to its informal name, Portowiec. The site is only 82 m from the shore, on the side of Nowy Port and Brzeźno.

The remains of the vessel were discovered on 23 July 2009 by employees of the Maritime Office in Gdynia, while the first underwater inventory surveys were carried out in the summer of 2014.

Research has shown that the sailing ship was built from oak after 1804, most likely during the first decade of the 19th century. The timber came from eastern Pomerania. The vessel is estimated to have been at least 30 m long, with a cargo capacity of at least 300 tonnes. A significant part of the hull remains embedded in the seabed, with sections of the sides and elements supporting the deck protruding above it. According to the museum’s description, the keel may be more than 2.5 m below the seabed surface.

However, the origin of the timber does not establish the identity of the ship. It is still unknown whether it was associated with Gdańsk or belonged to a shipowner from a foreign port.

Earlier finds from the wreck

The search for answers also relies on objects recovered from the hull. During the 2025 research season, archaeologists found a cast-iron stove, coal, broken ceramics, a wooden pipe and a box containing a ship carpenter’s tools. The latest discoveries are therefore not the first remains of equipment and clothing found at the site.

The museum’s artefact inventory also includes fragments of footwear, faience and stoneware vessels, a small glass bottle, an axe, a file and fragments of clay pipes. It also records iron bolts and pins, the scoop of a pewter spoon and four oyster shells.

Why does the Baltic Sea favour the preservation of artefacts?

Cold water and locally low oxygen levels favour the preservation of organic materials in the Baltic Sea. In waterlogged sediments, limited oxygen availability inhibits the growth of many microorganisms responsible for decomposition. The low salinity of much of the sea also limits the occurrence of the shipworm (Teredo navalis), a bivalve that destroys wooden structures. However, the condition of artefacts depends on the conditions at a particular site, and decay processes never cease completely.

Survival underwater does not mean resistance to changing conditions after recovery. The leather shoe must remain wet until conservation begins, because uncontrolled drying can cause the material to crack. For this reason, finds from the Portowiec are secured on board as soon as they are recovered and, after documentation, transferred to conservators at the National Maritime Museum.

Every find from the Portowiec is a new piece of the historical puzzle. Although the name and origin of the sailing ship remain a mystery, systematic research may bring archaeologists closer to identifying it and help reveal more about the people who sailed on it.

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main photo: Wirtualny Skansen Wraków (wsw.nmm.pl) – Narodowe Muzeum Morskie w Gdańsku