Local residents found the ancient boat fragment on the shore of Lake Kirikumäe near Vastseliina and told archaeologists.

Maili Roio, underwater archaeology adviser at the Heritage Protection Board, said the find is "very rare."

"Until now, we have only known of boat finds dating to the late Middle Ages and early modern period. This boat from Lake Kirikumäe — a dugout canoe — dates back to the Roman Iron Age, which is about 2,000 years ago. It is very old and very rare," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

The boat find also provides new insights into the techniques used at the time and inland waterway navigation.

"But the workmanship is very fine, and care was clearly taken. The boat was not just hollowed out and shaped, it also has a flattened bottom, rather than being left with a naturally rounded one, which we sometimes see," said Roio.

Mirja Ots, chief curator at the Võru County Museum, said they now aim to conserve and stabilize the find so that it will be durable enough to be displayed in a permanent exhibition.

Archaeologists are also hoping that the person who pulled the boat fragment from the lake shore will get in touch to provide more detailed information about the location of the discovery.

"We are planning to carry out research in the lake because the other end of the boat is still missing. With a bit of luck, we hope to recover that as well," said Ots.

You can watch the original broadcast in Estonian here.

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