Beneath the waters surrounding Helsinki's historic Suomenlinna fortress lie numerous historic shipwrecks, remnants of a distant past.
Among these, a wreck nicknamed "Hilma" has caught the attention of Finnish marine archaeologists.
For the past three years, a dedicated team of experts has been meticulously examining the Hilma wreck. The wooden vessel, measuring approximately 33 meters in length and eight meters in width, remains shrouded in mystery.
Its original name and origins have yet to be uncovered.
Officially called the "Länsi-Mustasaari Wreck 2," the ship rests in shallow waters east of the island Länsi-Mustasaari, making it relatively easy to access from the shore.
Preliminary dating suggests that the vessel sank around 1780, and analysis of the timber used in its construction traces its origin to the northern coastline of the Baltic Sea.
One intriguing theory is that the ship may have been deliberately sunk, supported by the discovery of large stones within the hull.
"As we uncover more details about the wreck’s age and structure, we will begin to search through archival sources to identify what ship this might have originally been," said maritime archaeologist Minna Koivikko in an interview with Yle.
"We are also trying to understand why the wreck ended up in such shallow waters."
The Hilma wreck is typical of wooden ships found in Suomenlinna, with only the bottom portion of the vessel surviving, referred to as a "skeleton wreck." Loose structural components rest atop the hull, which has been exposed to human activity due to its location.
This investigation is part of the Forgotten Fleet research project, led by Stockholm University. The project, which spans six years, includes contributions from the Finnish Heritage Agency for the next three years. As the study continues, archaeologists hope to uncover more secrets about the Hilma wreck and its place in history.
