One of the most remarkable maritime archaeological discoveries of the 21st century was the discovery of the ghostly timbers of a medieval ship, embedded in the mud, when renovations of an arts centre were carried out in the Welsh town of Newport, in 2002, leading to its revival starting in 2023. Newport is located 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of Cardiff on the River Usk, close to where it joined the River Severn. The construction of a new orchestra pit and auditorium of the Riverfront Arts Centre required deep excavation and 35 concrete piles were driven into the ground. As the Gwent levels, through which the river cuts, had previously yielded other archaeological finds such as a Bronze Age boat
