Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a substantial medieval cargo ship off the coast of Denmark, bringing to light new aspects of trade and seafaring life during that period.
The shipwreck was discovered during a seabed survey, conducted as part of preparations for a construction project in Copenhagen, Denmark. Submerged on its side and partially buried in the sand, the ship lay 12 meters beneath Ăresundâs restless waters, the strait bridging Denmark and Sweden. Through dendrochronology, or the study of tree rings, researchers deduced that the shipâs construction dated back to approximately 1410 CE.
The Skaelget 2 shipwreck, with a diver for scale. Credit: Viking Ship Museum.
A Medieval Megaship
The wreck, named Svaelget 2 by archaeologists (its original name lost to history), represents a type of merchant vessel known as a cog. This ship featured a wide, flat-bottomed design with high sides, an open cargo hold, and was powered by a square sail on a single mast. Compared to the historic Viking knarrs, the cog was a larger, more advanced vessel, akin to the supertankers of its time. These ships primarily carried bulky cargo between ports in the Netherlands, around Denmarkâs coastline, and through the Ăresund to Baltic trading ports. However, Svaelget 2 didnât complete one of these voyages.
While typical cogs spanned approximately 15 to 25 meters in length and 5 to 8 meters in width, capable of transporting around 200 tons of cargo, Svaelget 2 was a remarkable exception. Measuring about 28 meters in length and 9 meters in width, it likely had the capacity to carry about 300 tons, impressing archaeologists with its scale.