Advertisement
News

Medieval shipwreck found off Sweden – could be lost treasure ship of King Valdemar Atterdag

Swedish archaeologists have announced earlier this month the discovery what appears to be a medieval cog from built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sonar images reveal that the vessel is 28 metres long and seven metres wide.

The shipwreck was discovered at a depth of 100 metres in waters between the islands of Gotland and Öland off the east coast of Sweden.

Advertisement

There is speculation that the ship might be the lost ship from the fleet of the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag, who invaded Gotland in 1361. “There is a theoretical possibility that it is Atterdag’s ship,” said Richard Lundgren, who works for the exploration firm Ocean Recycling, in an interview with The Local.

When Valdemar Atterdag defeated the local Gotlanders he entered the city of Visby and demanded that the local population fill three beer barrels full of gold and silver within three days, or else he would turn his men loose to pillage the town. The town filled the barrels by the first day and the Danish king sailed away from the island with his fleet. One of the ships became lost and never returned to Denmark.

Advertisement

“We don’t necessarily think that this is the wreck of the ship carrying the three barrels of gold, silver and valuables, taken from the Gotlanders. But in any case it is a very interesting ship, it’s sensational,” Richard Lundgren added.

Swedish shipwreck expert Erik Bjurström added, “No one has ever found an intact cog in deep water before. In all probability it is the world’s oldest intact wreck that has been discovered. That’s what I believe.”

Here is some video footage of the recently discovered shipwrecks:

Source: The Local

Advertisement