A load of provisions - archaeobotanical material from the sixteenth-century shipwreck Oe 34 (province of Flevoland)

In the summers of 2011 and 2012 the International Fieldschool for MaritimeArchaeology Flevoland (IFMAF) excavated a 16th-century shipwreck. The wreck was recognized as a Dutch vessel of the wijdschip type. It was found near the city of Lelystad and contained a rich variety of archaeological objects. Although the vessel was probably not directly involved in the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648), it was provided with Spanish soldiers for protection against enemy attacks as it crossed the Zuiderzee. The wreck contained a unique spectrum of plant remains, which were found near the ship’s hearth. Most plants could be related to food (storage), cargo (hemp) or site-formation processes