The remains of a 17th-century ship have resurfaced after winter storms ravaged the sea off the United Kingdom.
The ship was found at Studland Beach in Dorset, on the southwest coast of England.
Bournemouth University announced the acquisition in a statement on February 9.
The ship is believed to be a ship called “The Fame,” a merchant ship from Hoorn, Netherlands, which sank in 1631 after running aground.
The timbers are estimated to be about 20 meters long and 6.5 meters wide, and officials said the ship’s hull “consists of at least 15 frames connected by nails from five outer planks.”
The statement noted, “The frames appear worn, but the leather panels are in excellent condition.”
“Originally there would have been another layer of wood inside the ship, but it seems to have been lost.”
The logs have been buried since the 1630s and have been “occasionally exposed” since then, according to the university.
“This explains why the interior timbers are missing and the frames eroded, while the exterior timbers remain in such good condition,” the statement said.
Although the logs have only recently come to light, the wreck itself was first discovered in the 1990s in the Swash Channel near Poole Harbour.
During excavations in 2013, archaeologists noticed that some pieces were missing – and now they believe those pieces have been found.
The ship “would be able to carry more than 40 guns to defend against pirates during the voyage to the Caribbean to bring back salt,” according to the statement.
It is also reported that the ship pulled anchor and settled in a nearby, notorious area where she broke her back,” said the university.
“Records state that all 45 crew members left the ship safely, but local residents immediately began looting the wreckage.”
Tracey Churcher, general manager of the National Trust in Purbeck, called the find “a real treasure.”
“I am always amazed at the history we find in Studland,” he said in a statement.
“The wooden tree nails still work and hold after 400 years – that was a testament to the art at the time.”
It is expected to be excavated soon, said Fleur Castell, spokesperson for the National Trust.
Castell told Fox News Digital the discovery “highlights the dynamic and continuous nature of the Studland coast.”
“Four hundred years ago, the area on the beach, where the danger was revealed, was an open sea,” he said.
Shifting sands and strong winter storms have accelerated changes along the coast, Castell added – exposing fragile parts of the protected area that officials say should not be disturbed.
The release said visitors “are asked to help protect the site by not touching or damaging the exposed timber.”
Tom Cousins, a marine archaeologist who investigated the disaster, told Fox News Digital that the site is currently protected by the National Trust.
“Historic England will then fund a project to restore the logs to our nature reserve in Poole, where we will record them in detail,” he said.
Dendrochronology tests will determine the exact age – and identity, experts hope – of the ship.
The discovery is the latest in a long line of historic maritime discoveries over the past year.
Last summer, officials announced that they had found two slave ships off the coast of Central America.
And, last year, a centuries-old ship was found under what used to be a fish market in Spain.
