sciencetech-blog

comments

The world's oldest bottle of mineral water has been uncovered from the depths of the Baltic Sea by Polish scuba divers

Sailors enjoyed a tipple of gin 200 years ago, archaeologists have found.

Stoneware bottle recovered from the wreckage of a sailing ship near Gdansk contains a sealed flask - and experts say it contains booxe.

Researchers found the vessel contains 14% alcohol, and it could be a type of gin.

Details will be known after further studies.

The bottle has been recovered from the wreck, which rests on the bottom of the Gulf, at a depth of 12 meters, approx 4 km east of Gdynia Orłowo.

The remains of the ship were discovered last year, during a routine survey of the bottom, by the staff of the Maritime Office in Gdynia.

They notified the archaeologists from the National Maritime Museum, who in June and July conducted a survey of the wreck with the help of divers.

Archaeologists recovered parts of the ship, including wooden blocks, but also fragments and whole specimens of ceramic and metal vessels, including a 30 cm high bottle.

Stoneware dish was perfectly preserved and corked, and embossed writing 'Selters' suggested that inside might be soda water produced for several centuries near the village of the same name in the Taunus mountain range in Germany.

In early July, archaeologists transferred the bottle to research laboratory J.S. Hamilton in Gdynia.

'They have found that the bottle contains 14% percent alcohol distillate, possibly diluted with water, whose chemical composition corresponds to that of Selters soda' - told Tomasz Bednarz, archaeologist with the National Maritime Museum, who led the work on the wreck.

Bednarz added that according to the laboratory staff, the alcohol may be a kind of genever gin (jenever) - traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium.

'Did someone really pour this drink into a soda bottle, or are we dealing with a different beverage? Experts will try to determine this in another series of analyses, which will be completed in early September' - said Bednarz.

The archaeologist added that according to laboratory workers, the alcohol in the bottle is suitable for drinking.

'This means, it would not cause poisoning.

'Apparently, however, it does not smell particularly good' - he explained.

Scroll down for video 

The 19th century corked stoneware bottle is pictured here with underwater archaeologist Tomasz Bednarz

The 200 year-old flask has the name 'Selters' inscribed in its stoneware (left). experts believe it contains a type of gin, even thoughSelters is a German luxury mineral water brand, still sold today, which gained popularity with Europe's wealthy during the nineteenth century

Archaeologists discover a water bottle over 200 years old

Produced between 1806 and 1830, the brown bottle is an extremely rare find as most sealed flasks from that period contain either beer or wine.

Apart from the bottle, the team managed to recover parts of ceramics, a small bowl and a few pieces of dinnerware.

Dr Bednarz said that while it's likely the bottle contains original Selters water, he doesn't rule out the possibility it was filled with wine.

Selters is a German luxury mineral water brand which gained popularity with Europe's wealthy during the nineteenth century.

Produced between 1806 and 1830, the brown bottle is an extremely rare find as most sealed flasks from that period contain either beer or wine. Pictured here is the team recovering the 19th Century bottle

The scuba divers prepare to jump into the waters of Gdańsk Bay which is close to the Polish coast

Its springs were discovered around 1000 on the northern slopes of the Taunus mountain range, in Hesse, Germany.

Many people claim that a few sips of Selters water, also known as 'fluid treasure', can boost strength and health.

The springs of this mineral water went dry in the beginning of the 19th century and the characteristic stoneware bottles became rationed goods.

In 1896, a group of enthusiasts from Selters organised a quest in order to find springs of the legendary water.

Archaeologists found the 12 inch (30cm) bottle in shipwreck lying 12.2 metres (40 feet) below water in the Gdańsk Bay close to the Polish coast

Apart from the bottle, the team managed to recover parts of ceramics, a small bowl and a few pieces of dinnerware

After making a number boreholes, a fountain of crystal clear water exploded from one of the wells below Laneburg castle.

Archaeologists hope the bottle will help identify the shipwreck in which it was found, which is currently only known only as F-33-31.

They suspect the ship may have been a cargo vessel used for transporting goods such as along the Baltic coast.

'So far, due to its preserved state and historical background, the stoneware bottle is our most valuable find,' said Dr Bednarz.

The envelope, visible through the bottle, shows Earl Willard's address and where the letter was sent from