Archaeologists recently discovered the wreck of a large medieval cargo ship on the seafloor off the Danish coast, providing 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 lay half-buried in the sand at a depth of 12 meters in the Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden. Dendrochronological analysis, comparing tree rings from the ship's wooden planks with dated samples, indicated that the ship was constructed around 1410 CE. The ship is a cog, a type of merchant vessel characterized by a wide, flat bottom, high sides, an open cargo hold, and a square sail.

Cogs were the workhorses of medieval trade in Northern Europe, facilitating the transport of goods across the Baltic Sea and beyond. The size of Svaelget 2 suggests a significant capacity for cargo, indicating the scale of trade during that period. The original name of the ship is unknown.

The discovery offers a unique opportunity to study medieval shipbuilding techniques and maritime commerce. Further investigation of the wreck and its contents could reveal details about the types of goods transported, trade routes, and the daily lives of sailors. The Viking Ship Museum provided a photograph of the Skaelget 2 shipwreck with a diver for scale.