Weapons chest and chain mail found in ancient shipwreck off Sweden

Researchers exploring an ancient shipwreck disconnected nan seashore of Sweden discovered centuries-old relics, including a weapons thorax and pieces of armor.

The maritime archaeologists from Stockholm University and Södertörn University studied nan wreck of nan Griffin, which sank aft a occurrence aboard successful 1495, according to a news merchandise from Stockholm University. The vessel was nan flagship of nan Danish-Norwegian King John, besides known arsenic Hans, who ruled from 1481 to 1513. The study published this period specifications their research. 

The wreck is "partly disintegrated," nan news merchandise said, but immoderate of nan pieces that stay connected nan seabed are "very good preserved." Archaeologists recovered level timbers that provided insights into nan ship's building and subject capability, arsenic good arsenic parts from elevated combat platforms that were built connected nan ship. The discoveries person "provided caller information for nan ongoing activity of reconstructing and analysing nan ship's superstructure," nan news merchandise said, and will let reserachers to reconstruct nan vessel successful nan future. 

Amid nan wreck, nan researchers recovered a "unique" ammunition-making instrumentality thorax that contained lead plates and cans that whitethorn person held powder. Researchers had been alert of nan thorax since 2019 but had not been capable to intimately study it until past year, erstwhile they utilized 3-D imaging to position nan contents. 

The weapons thorax found. The lines show nan estimated sides of nan chest. The contents see lead plates (1), molds (2 and 3), and nan cans that whitethorn person contained powder (5).  Photo by Florian Huber, outlines and notes by Rolf Warming

"The contents of nan limb thorax are undeniably 1 of nan astir important finds," said Rolf Warming, 1 of nan lead maritime archaelogists, successful nan news release. "It contains, among different things, respective different molds and lead plates for nan manufacture of lead bullets for early handguns." 

The thorax apt came from German mercenaries connected committee nan vessel erstwhile it sank, Warming said. Researchers besides recovered 2 cannon carriages amid nan wreck. 

The armor fragments that archaeologists whitethorn beryllium from a message garment that mightiness person had up to 150,000 rings, according to nan news release. 

Some of nan rings from nan armor fragment.  Rolf Warming

The weapons and armor recovered person fixed researchers a glimpse into what combat astatine oversea looked for illustration during this clip period, nan news merchandise said. 

"The vessel is an important portion of nan puzzle successful nan 'military gyration astatine sea' successful nan Early Modern Period, successful which nan superior strategies shifted from hand-to-hand combat to  dense naval artillery fire," Warming said, adding that nan vessel is comparable to different preserved wrecks including nan Mars and nan Vasa, which has been connected show successful Stockholm, Sweden since nan 1960s aft being salvaged from nan water floor. 

In:
• Shipwreck
• Oceans
• Sweden
• Stockholm