The completion of the restoration period of the Roman ship 'Zwammerdam 3' marks the beginning of a new phase: the development of the Archeon Roman Shipyard, where two restored ships will find their permanent home in a modern and internationally appealing public facility. A broad fundraising campaign has been launched to connect partners and financiers to this museum facility of national and international importance.
The project is ambitious, with an estimated budget of €20–25 million for the realization of the Archeon Roman Shipyard. This investment consists of a mix of public and private contributions from governments, funds, Museumpark Archeon, EU programs, and sponsors. The Archeon Roman Shipyard will become the new entrance to Museumpark Archeon and one of the official Gateways to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lower Germanic Limes. It will house an archaeological depot for 2.000-year-old shipbuilding timber, a publicly accessible shipyard where the largest ship, Zwammerdam 4, will be visibly restored, and an interactive exhibition that allows visitors to imagine themselves in the middle of a Roman river port. As a result, the Archeon Roman Shipyard will become not only an icon for tourism and a boost to the South Holland business climate, but also an educational hotspot where pupils are introduced to the Romans and the Limes, and a sustainable investment in the preservation of heritage for future generations.
Collaboration as key
The project is a public-private partnership between the Province of South Holland, the Municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, and the Museumpark Archeon Foundation, supported by Batavialand (manager of the maritime archaeological section of the national collection). Additionally, the project is part of the international network 'Bridging the North Sea', which focuses on sharing knowledge about the maritime Roman past in Europe and the United Kingdom to instill the importance of archaeology from this period in current and future generations.
Milestone; restoration of ship Zwammerdam 3
In 1971, the Roman Zwammerdam ships were discovered by chance in Zwammerdam. What followed was an impressive 55-year journey, during which generations of archaeologists, volunteers, heritage professionals, and partners worked step by step to preserve these unique finds. A historic milestone has been reached: the entire collection of archaeological ship timber is safely stored, and the restoration of the Roman fishing boat Zwammerdam 3 has now also been completed and is ready for presentation. The restoration of the cargo ship Zwammerdam 2 was completed earlier.
Source and more information: Zwammerdam Ships on a World Stage | Archeon