Steel-hulled barges have been used on the lakes since the 19th century, around the same time steel-hulled ships began being produced. The two barges found are non-self-propelled, meaning they must be towed by a larger vessel equipped with a propulsion system. The origin of these two barges is currently unknown. They are identical in shape and size and were found only a few miles apart. Barges like these typically carry coal, minerals, or ores.

They were discovered in the summer of 2025 by the Exploring Our Deep World crew using side scan sonar. Further investigations were conducted with ROVs to examine the barges in detail.