The hotel has been on the market square in Oulu since the 1970s.

This summer the hotel is being renovated and it was during that work that the find suddenly stuck out of the ground.

20 meters long

From the 16th century to the 1720s, the square was a port. And in the old seabed, beneath the hotel, was quite unexpectedly a relatively well-preserved 20 meter long Swedish cargo ship.

According to the Finnish Museum, the ship dates back to the 17th century.

Whether it is Swedish or not is an assessment question. The ship is believed to be built in the area. But on the other hand, Finland was a part of Sweden up to and including 1808-1809 war against Russia.

- I would call it a Finnish ship from the Swedish great power era, says Minna Koivisto at the Finnish Museum.

"Oldest found"

When SVT reaches Minna Koivisto, she has just visited the bargain. She is excited about the find.

- It's an unusual finding. Not much has been found here in Finland. It is probably the oldest found in Finland.

The museum has now started to investigate the ship to find out more about where it came from and what it may have been used for. In the meantime, the construction workers are allowed to take a break at the site. However, other parts of the hotel renovation are expected to continue as planned.