The largest medieval merchant ship has been found off the coast of Denmark

Archaeologists have discovered a 600-year-old ship off the coast of Copenhagen, which turned out to be the largest trading vessel ever found in the world. The vessel, capable of carrying up to 300 tons of cargo, became the most important discovery for studying the maritime trade of Northern Europe in the Middle Ages. This was reported on December 29 in Arkeonews magazine.

The ship, named Svaelget 2, lay at the bottom of the Oresund Strait for about six centuries at a depth of 13 m. It was discovered and investigated by marine archaeologists from the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. According to scientists, the find has become exceptional both in scale and degree of preservation.

The excavations lasted more than two and a half years and included 289 dives. The ship sank on its side in deep waters, which made it possible to preserve the hull almost completely — from the keel to the deck. Such preservation is rare for medieval ships, since most of these ships are found only fragmentally and in the coastal zone.

In addition to the hull, archaeologists discovered elements of the bow and stern superstructures, which were used by the crew as a shelter. Everyday objects, such as shoes, a comb, kitchen utensils, and a wooden tray, were also picked up. These finds provided a rare insight into the life of 15th century sailors.

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Svaelget 2 was about 28 m long, nine meters wide, and up to six meters high. With a cargo capacity of about 300 tons, the vessel is officially recognized as the largest cargo ship known today. Historian Cecilia Nielsen compared it to modern giant container ships, calling it "the medieval equivalent of the Emma Maersk."

Kogi were widely used in Northern Europe as universal merchant vessels. Unlike earlier ships, which carried limited shipments of expensive goods, they allowed the transportation of massive cargoes such as wood, bricks, and food. An analysis of the construction showed that the Svaelget 2 body was assembled from planks imported from Poland, while the frame was made from wood of Dutch origin, reflecting the close relationship of European retail chains of that time.

At the same time, the vessel was not designed to be durable. Archaeologists noted the average quality of the wood and even cracks that appeared during the construction process. According to their estimates, such ships could pay for themselves in just one or two voyages. Shipbuilding and maritime trade in the 15th century were already well-organized businesses with well-established financing mechanisms.

Of particular historical value is the discovered stone galley stove, which testifies to the possibility of cooking hot food at sea — a rare detail for archaeological finds of this period. Together, the design of the vessel and the artifacts found give an idea of trade and everyday life in the Öresund region during the reign of Queen Margrethe I.

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On December 22, British archaeologists revealed traces of handprints, well-preserved textile fragments and materials with potential DNA traces during a re-examination of a rare Roman burial in a plaster sarcophagus found in York. It was about a stone sarcophagus filled with plaster, dating from about the II century AD.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.