An ancient shipwreck discovered near Stockholm could rewrite Nordic maritime history.
The 15th-century vessel, designated “Wreck 5”, is believed to be the oldest known carvel-built ship in the Nordic region.
Maritime archaeologists in Sweden found the well-preserved ship beneath the cold waters of the Baltic Sea.
The discovery provides crucial insights into medieval naval technology and Scandinavia’s early adoption of shipbuilding innovations.
Maritime archaeologists in Sweden found the well-preserved ship beneath the cold waters of the Baltic Sea
Jim Hansson/Vrak/SMTM. CC-BY
The ship’s carvel-built design marks a significant turning point in shipbuilding history.
Unlike traditional Nordic vessels such as Viking longships, which used the clinker style with overlapping planks, this ship employed a different construction method.
The carvel technique involved laying planks edge to edge rather than overlapping them.
This Mediterranean innovation allowed for larger, more stable hulls with smoother surfaces, representing a crucial transition in Nordic maritime engineering.
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“This ship represents a fascinating link between medieval and modern shipbuilding,” said Håkan Altrock, curator and project manager at Sweden’s Museum of Wrecks.
“It has the potential to provide valuable new insights into an important period in Sweden’s maritime history.”
Altrock described the vessel as “probably about 35 meters long and 10 meters wide,” making Wreck 5 larger than most medieval Scandinavian vessels.
Experts conducted dendrochronological analysis to accurately date the ship, studying tree rings in the timbers.
Maritime archaeologists have now created a digital model of the wreck using photogrammetry
SWEDISH NATIONAL MARITIME AND TRANSPORT MUSEUMS
“We have confidently dated it to the 1480s, though the ship might have been built as early as the 1460s and later repaired in the 1480s,” said Altrock.
“What we also know for certain is that the timber used to build the ship was felled in either Möre, in the Kalmar region, or eastern Blekinge,” he added.
Wreck 5 is one of five shipwrecks discovered in Landfjärden, an area south of Stockholm. This location has interested researchers since the 1800s.
Initially, the wrecks were believed to be Viking ships.
Theories about the vessels had circulated for years, but their type and age remained uncertain until recent investigations.
Maritime archaeologists have now created a digital model of the wreck using photogrammetry. The results of this three-dimensional modelling are available online.