Archaeologists recently discovered the wreck of a large medieval cargo ship on the seafloor off the Danish coast, offering new insights into medieval trade and maritime life. The shipwreck, dubbed Svaelget 2, was found during a seabed survey conducted in preparation for a construction project in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The vessel, a cog-type merchant ship, lay on its side, half-buried in the sand, approximately 12 meters below the surface of the Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden. By analyzing the tree rings in the ship's wooden planks and timbers and comparing them with precisely dated tree samples, researchers determined that the ship was built around 1410 CE. The ship's original name is lost to history.
Cogs were common merchant ships during the medieval period. They were characterized by their wide, flat bottoms, high sides, open cargo holds, and single square sail. Svaelget 2, a particularly large example of a cog, provides valuable information about the scale of maritime trade in the region during the 15th century.
The discovery highlights the importance of underwater archaeology in understanding past societies. The wreck site is being carefully documented and studied to learn more about the ship's construction, cargo, and crew. Further analysis of the ship's timbers and any artifacts found within the wreck could provide additional details about the ship's origins, trade routes, and the lives of the people who sailed on it. The Viking Ship Museum is credited with providing the image of the Skaelget 2 shipwreck.
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