Remains of Ancient Boat Disappear in Mysterious Circumstances

The remains of an ancient wooden boat that was discovered recently in Ukraine have disappeared in what may be a case of antiquities theft.

Fishermen found the oak boat in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region on the banks of the Desna River last month, according to the Department of Culture of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration. The waterway originates in the Smolensk Oblast, western Russia, and flows for around 700 miles south until it meets the Dnieper River near Kyiv, Ukraine.

The ancient boat was nestled within a 16-foot high mud slope, but the bow, or front end, had become exposed, leading to its discovery.

Researchers from the Institute of Archaeology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), subsequently examined the visible part of the boat, photographed it and created a 3D model of the vessel.

Scientists were not able to examine the rear end of the boat, which was still inside the mud bank, given that it was below the water level of the river.

After the researchers completed their investigation, they covered the exposed part of the boat with sand from the river to preserve it.

However, since then, the exposed part of the boat has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. Experts suspect that antiquities thieves were responsible for the act.

"The fate of this fragment is unknown today," the Department of Culture said in a Facebook post on Friday, noting that thieves may have broken or chopped off the front of the boat.

Oleksandr Alferov, a researcher with the NASU Institute of History, also said that the front part of the boat had likely been stolen. There is a reward of 20,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (around $541) to anyone who can provide information about the people who currently possess the remains.

"Friends, let's look for this monument of history together, return it for further research and punish the criminals," Alferov noted in a Facebook post on Saturday.

In a previous Facebook post in August, Alferov said the boat could be around 1,000 years old based on its appearance, although it has not been definitively dated and could be younger or older.

"The only thing to say is that the boat should be saved. The irreversible processes have already begun in the wood," the researcher said in the previous post. "It is undoubtedly an important find."

After the bow of the boat disappeared, Department of Culture officials and other experts arrived at the site of discovery to assess what should be done with the rest of the remains.

The Chernihiv region is situated north of Kyiv and away from the frontlines of the Ukraine war in the east of the country.