Unearthed Secrets Beneath Sweden’s Shore: Six Centuries-Old Shipwrecks Reveal Lost Maritime Mysteries
Ever wonder why a cluster of ships from the Middle Ages all mysteriously sank off the coast of Varberg, Sweden? It’s like Mother Nature or history decided to host the world’s longest underwater party—except nobody knows why the invitation turned into a shipwreck tragedy. While these six vessels, buried deep in mud and frozen in time, span centuries of Scandinavian shipbuilding, the real head-scratcher is what doomed them all in the same watery neighborhood. Could it have been treacherous storms, pirate mischief, or just a really lousy GPS? Archaeologists digging ahead of a tunnel construction stumbled upon these maritime time capsules, and honestly, their excitement is contagious. As we peel back layers of history and timber, we’re left with more questions than answers—plus a whole lot of “wow” moments about the evolution of seafaring in Northern Europe. Ready to dive deeper beneath the waves? LEARN MORE
The shipwrecks span from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, but not much is known about why they all sank off the coast of Varberg, Sweden.
ArkeologernaArchaeologists have found six shipwrecks along what was once the shoreline of Varberg, Sweden.
During excavations ahead of the construction of a tunnel on the coast of Sweden, archaeologists came across half a dozen shipwrecks deep in the mud. Representing several centuries of shipbuilding techniques, the six wrecks tell a fascinating story about the history of maritime trade in Scandinavia.
Though one ship could not be dated, the oldest vessels were built in the Middle Ages, and the most recent one was built in the 17th century. The discovery of the six Swedish shipwrecks, one of the archaeologists involved in the project remarked, is “incredibly exciting.”
The Six Historic Shipwrecks In Varberg
According to Arkeologerna, an archaeology and cultural heritage conservation consulting company in Sweden, the six shipwrecks were unearthed in Varberg. They were detected during an archaeological project that began in 2019 in connection with the Varberg Tunnel.
ArkeologernaThe well-preserved planking of “Wreck 2.”
Archaeologists and marine archaeologists from the Bohuslän Museum, Visual Archaeology and Cultural Environment Halland, carried out fieldwork on the wrecks, which span several centuries and show the evolution of shipbuilding techniques in southern Sweden. Four of the ships are from around the Middle Ages, one is from the 17th century, and one of the ships could not be dated using dendrochronological (tree-ring) analysis.
In their recent summary of the shipwrecks, Arkeologerna focused on three of the vessels, dubbed Wrecks 2, 5, and 6.
A Closer Look At The Varberg Shipwrecks
ArkeologernaArchaeologists working to excavate Wreck 5.
Of the shipwrecks found in Varberg, Wreck 2 is the “best preserved.” Built in the 1530s, it was once a sailing ship made from Halland/West Sweden oak. It’s a clinker ship, meaning that it was built with overlapping planks — a common construction technique in northern Europe at the time. Archaeologists were able to excavate two of its hull sections, scattered timbers, and a “berghult,” a beam that would have protected the hull.
Intriguingly, they also found “traces of fire” on the berghult, which could indicate that the ship either caught on fire before it sank or was intentionally burned.
Wreck 5 is similar to Wreck 2 in many ways. Though built later — in the 17th century — it’s also a clinker ship built of Halland/West Sweden oak. Like Wreck 2, Wreck 5 likely sailed in the waters near Varberg and Ny Varberg.
ArkeologernaAn example of a berghult, which would have protected the ship’s hull during docking, for example.
Wreck 6, which archaeologists could not date, is a bit different from Wrecks 2 and 5. Unlike the clinker ships, it’s a carvel-built ship, which means its planks were laid edge to edge and attached to the frame instead of wrapped around it. Unlike Wrecks 2 and 5, Wreck 6 has a well-preserved keel, which shows “some traces of Dutch shipbuilding tradition.”
Archaeologists are eager to next study Wrecks 3 and 4, which are even older than Wrecks 2, 5, and 6.
“We are now moving on to completing the analyses of Varberg wrecks 3 and 4, our 14th-century cogs, so that the report work can begin in earnest,” Elisabet Schager, a project manager at Arkeologerna, remarked. “It will be very interesting and we will have a lot of exciting things to tell in the future.”
ArkeologernaAn archaeologist examines a strip of timber from one of the shipwrecks.
That’s especially true because shipwrecks have been found more and more often in recent years. According to Arkeologerna, this is due to development along coastal areas. As building in these regions increases, archaeologists have found a number of forgotten shipwrecks in the mud.
“Recently, it has become increasingly common to find preserved shipwrecks here on the West Coast,” the Arkeologerna statement noted. “This has to do with large infrastructure projects that are often located in what were water and port areas in the Middle Ages and early modern times.”
