Naval shipwreck emerges after being buried underwater for 400 years

A 17th-century Swedish naval shipwreck, buried underwater for 400 years in central Stockholm, has suddenly become visible due to the unusually low level of the Baltic Sea. It is the last centuries-old ship discovered in the country’s waters.

Since early February, wooden planks from the ship’s well-preserved hull have been protruding above the surface of the water off the island of Kastellholmen, providing a clear image of its skeleton.

“We have a wreck here that was sunk deliberately by the Swedish navy,” Jim Hansson, a marine archaeologist at the Vrak – Stockholm Shipwreck Museum, told AFP.

Hansson said experts believe that after serving in the navy, the ship was sunk around 4:40 p.m. to serve as the basis for a new bridge to the island of Kastellholmen.

Archaeologists have not yet identified the exact ship, as it is one of five similar wrecks lined up in the same area to form the bridge, all dating from the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

“This is a solution: instead of using new wood, you can use the hull itself, which is made of oak,” to build the bridge, Hansson explained.

“We don’t have caterpillars here in the Baltic that eat the wood, so it lasts, as you see, for 400 years,” he said, standing in front of the wreck.

Parts of the ship had already breached the surface in 2013, but it has never been more visible than today, as the waters of the Baltic Sea reach their lowest level in around 100 years, according to the archaeologist.

“There was a very long period of high pressure here around our Nordic region. So the water from the Baltic was pushed towards the North Sea and the Atlantic,” Hansson explained.

A research program called “The Lost Navy” is underway to identify and precisely date the large number of Swedish naval wrecks lying at the bottom of the Baltic.

Several wrecks and relics have been found in the region in recent years.

In April 2024, researchers exploring an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Sweden discovered centuries-old artifacts, including one chest of weapons and armor pieces.

In July 2024, a team of divers discovered a huge amount of champagne and wine on a wreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Sweden. The precious cargo was later declared out of bounds by the government.

In October 2022, Swedish maritime archaeologists discovered the long lost sister ship of the famous 17th century warship Vasa, which sank on its maiden voyage. The Vasa has been on display in Stockholm since the 1960s after being recovered from the ocean floor.

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