Unearthed Secrets Beneath Sweden’s Shore: Six Centuries-Old Shipwrecks Reveal Lost Maritime Mysteries
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.
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