Excited experts are examining a protected 400-year-old shipwreck after its remains were exposed on a beach following heavy storms.
The vessel had been anchored in Studland Bay, Dorset, before being dragged onto Hook Sands where it capsized.
They discovered the section of the ship, thought to be part of the hull, at Studland Bay.
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It is believed to be an armed Dutch merchant ship that sank in 1631.
Researchers found the ship’s timber came from trees felled in the Netherlands or Germany in the early 17th century.
Further analysis found that it is most likely to be the Fame from Hoorn, near Amsterdam, measuring 131ft long, 33ft wide and 49ft high.
It would have been capable of carrying more than 40 guns to defend itself against pirates during voyages to the Caribbean to bring back salt.
All 45 members of the crew abandoned the ship safely when it grounded but the wreck was looted by people in the area.
The structure suggests the timbers has been buried in sand since the 1630s and only intermittently exposed over the centuries, as reported by Need To Know.
Sarah Coggins, coast and marine advisor for the National Trust, said: “In 1630, this section of beach would have been open sea.
“Over the past 400 years, sand has been deposited, creating the dunes, wetlands and shoreline we see at Studland today.
“That is why this historic wreck is found buried in sand rather than lying on the seabed.”
Tom Cousins, maritime archaeologist at Bournemouth University, added: “It’s really exciting to find this piece of historical ship.
“During our excavation of the Swash Channel wreck in 2013, there were pieces of the ship missing and we do believe a section of the hull has now been revealed at Studland.”
The wreck was discovered in the wake of Storm Chandra on 28 January.
Because the Swash Channel wreck is legally protected – one of only 57 such designated sites in England – the remains are being removed under licence.
They will then be carefully dismantled for testing, storage and later reconstruction.
Dendrochronology will determine when and where the wood was grown and whether it matches samples previously analysed from the wreck.
If confirmed as part of the protected site, it is hoped the remains revealed at Studland will eventually join artefacts already displayed at Poole Museum.
Tracey Churcher, general manager for the National Trust in Purbeck, said: “I’m always astounded by the history we find at Studland but this has been a real treasure.
“The wooden tree nails are still in place and holding after four hundred years – what a testament to the craftmanship at the time.”
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