From Malay Mail · · 1m 20s
Sweden’s oldest warship: Marine archaeologists document 15th-century warship Vrak 5 off Stockholm
Marine archaeologists document Sweden’s oldest warship Vrak 5, a 15th-century vessel from the 1480s or 1460s, off Stockholm’s coast.
In brief
Marine archaeologists document Sweden’s oldest warship Vrak 5, a 15th-century vessel from the 1480s or 1460s, off Stockholm’s coast. Marine archaeologists discovered a 15th-century warship Vrak 5 off Stockholm, believed to be the oldest warship in Swedish or Danish waters, dating to the 1480s or 1460s. Originally…
Discovery of Vrak 5
Marine archaeologists explore a rare 15th-century shipwreck off Stockholm’s coast, believed to be Sweden’s oldest warship.
“It’s a very big ship, it was around 40-45 metres when it sailed probably”
Vrak 5’s age and origin
The vessel, possibly dating from the 1480s or 1460s, is the oldest warship found off Sweden or Denmark.
“It’s not possible to say if it is Swedish, it could also be Danish”
Carvel boat technique
Vrak 5 uses the carvel boat-building technique, where hull planks are laid edge-to-edge, making it sturdier for heavy cannons.
“This is the first example of a ship in the Baltic that has been built with the carvel technique... in Scandinavia that we know of”
Shipwreck location
The wreck lies off Haringe Castle south of Stockholm, part of the Landfjarden sound where five shipwrecks are found.
“Located off Haringe Castle south of Stockholm, the vessel is thought to be the oldest warship found off Sweden or Denmark”
Food and provisions
Crew ate fish, meat, porridge, and beer on board, with higher-status individuals drinking wine.
“A lot of the food would be boiled. So there would be a lot of pottage, which is basically anything that is cooked in a pot”
Sinking theories
The ship may have sunk during a 1501 attack on Haringe Castle by the Danes, or due to a fire on board.
“Perhaps it was sunk when they (the Danes) attacked the Haringe Castle behind us in 1501”
Current research
Archaeologists are documenting the wreck to understand its construction and life onboard, with findings suggesting a galley and provisions.
“They used special pumps to vacuum up sediment and expose parts of the construction”
The bottom line
Marine archaeologists discovered a 15th-century warship Vrak 5 off Stockholm, believed to be the oldest warship in Swedish or Danish waters, dating to the 1480s or 1460s.
