Two Well-Preserved Shipwrecks Found By Swedish Maritime Divers In Baltic Sea

AncientPages.com | January 30, 2018 | Archaeology, News, Underwater Discoveries

AncientPages.com - Swedish Maritime divers discovered two shipwrecks, including one possibly dating back to the 14th century.

Occasionally old vessels are found in the Baltic Sea's graveyard with at least 100 intact old shipwrecks resting on the seabed.

The cog, from the 14th or 15th century. Photo: Mikael Fredholm/Swedish National Maritime Museums

The cog, from the 14th or 15th century. Photo: Mikael Fredholm/Swedish National Maritime Museums

Most of them are from the 17th and 18th centuries, Sweden's maritime best days.

One of the recently found shipwrecks is probably a cog – is 23-25 meters long and seven meters wide dated to the 14th or 15th century.

Another picture of the cog. Photo: Mikael Fredholm/Swedish National Maritime Museums

Another picture of the cog. Photo: Mikael Fredholm/Swedish National Maritime Museums

Onboard the other shipwreck dated to the 16th century, divers found kitchen utensils, diverse tools and 20 barrels of osmond iron (an iron alloy with a very low carbon) related to the first European production of cast iron in furnaces in Sweden.

Barrels containing osmond iron and tar. Photo: Jim Hansson/Swedish National Maritime Museums

Barrels containing osmond iron and tar. Photo: Jim Hansson/Swedish National Maritime Museums

The exact location of the wrecks has not been revealed.

Maritime archaeologist Jim Hansson said that he never seen such well-preserved shipwrecks.

The Local writes that the water is too brackish for shipworm, which means that a huge number of wooden ships have survived on the bottom of the sea with almost intact hulls for centuries.

Original story - here.

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