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In the summer of 1495, the ship “Gribshunden” sailed through the Baltic Sea, between Copenhagen and the Swedish city of Kalmar, with King Hans of Denmark himself on board, but also a precious cargo that the monarch wanted to give to Sten Sture. Elder, then regent of Sweden. The sovereign wanted to impress and claim the throne of Sweden. It’s just that the ship never reached its destination. When he was off the coast of Ronneby, a fire caused his shipwreck.
That night the king was not on board, but neither the crew nor the cargo escaped the flames.
This is how the shipwreck has been lying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for five centuries, ten meters deep. Found in the 1970s, it delighted researchers because it was in excellent condition thanks to the unique conditions of the Baltic Sea: low oxygen concentration, low water salinity, and an absence of organisms that attack wood. All of this has allowed the shipwreck to go through the centuries and provide a lot of information. It is considered one of the best preserved wrecks in the world.
But he hasn’t revealed all his secrets yet. A recent exploration of it has revealed a real treasure that King Hans of Denmark wanted to gift the Kingdom of Sweden, according to a study published in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Researchers also found the remains of a two-meter Atlantic sturgeon, one of the gifts King Hans of Denmark wanted to bring to the Swedes. The remains were in a wooden barrel, and morphological and genetic analysis showed that it was Acipenser oxyrinchus, a freshwater species in danger of extinction. In medieval times, the sturgeon was a very popular fish especially for its eggs, but also for its skin. However, the sturgeon in the king’s reserve was a propaganda tool, as was the entire ship, explains Brendan P. Foley, the archaeologist who coordinated the exploration mission. Everything on this ship served a political function, says the researcher.
To continue penetrating the secrets of “Gribshunden”, further underwater explorations and scientific studies are planned in the coming years. Numerous artifacts have already been removed, including canoes, chains, crossbows, and a wooden figure depicting a mythical creature resembling a crocodile devouring a human.
Editor: Luana Păvălucă
