500-year old wreck uncovered in Denmark

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500-year old wreck uncovered in Denmark

June 21, 2018 - 14:00
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An excavation for a new apartment complex and underground parking ln the town of Køge, about 45km south of Copenhagen, uncovered a surprisingly well preserved 500-year old shipwreck which is one of the biggest clinker built vessels from that era.

A well preserved 500-year old shipwreck

The team of archaeologists is excited because it's a rare find, and the ship has already provided several surprises as regards to unusual design features. The vessel is estimated to have been about 16m long and seven meters wide.

The ship, which is one of the largest clinker-built ships of the time in Denmark, is built of massive oak planks, which are very well-preserved with remains of wood and iron rivets, caulking and ropes, museum inspector Annemette Kjærgaard, Museum Southeast Denmark, writes in a press release.

It is very unusual to find timber which is so well preserved that it is even possible to see tooling marks, explains excavation coordinator Jeppe Færch-Jensen.

The bottom of the ship hasn't been uncovered yet but it is here the archaeologists expect to find the reason as to why the ship foundered.

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