Gribshunden

In 1495 Danish King Hans’ flagship, Gribshunden, was sailing to Kalmar. It is presumed that the ship anchored here in the lea of Stora Ekön due to bad weather. For some reason, a fire started on board the ship, which quickly sank and took many of the 150-strong crew down into the depths.

The ship was about 35 metres long and about 12 metres wide. Objects salvaged include the ship’s figurehead, gun carriages, an anchor windlass, part of some chain mail and crossbow arrows. It is probable that Gribshunden is the best-preserved fifteenth-century wreck in the whole world. Gribshunden is from the same period as Christopher Columbus’ ship the Santa Maria and Vasco da Gama’s São Gabriel.

Source: Blekinge Museum

(The picture shows a copy of the figurehead salvaged in 2015)