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Exceptionally Preserved 15th-Century Cog Found Off Copenhagen Confirms Long-Debated Features

The Viking Ship Museum’s excavation of Svælget 2 provides rare, direct evidence linking shipbuilding to the commercial systems of medieval Northern Europe.

Overview

  • Archaeologists from the Viking Ship Museum announced and are excavating Svælget 2 in the Øresund near Copenhagen, identifying it as the largest known medieval cog.
  • Tree-ring analysis dates construction to around 1410, with planks from Pomerania and framing timber from the Netherlands, indicating cross-regional material sourcing.
  • Exceptional preservation includes extensive rigging remains and a surviving sterncastle, offering the first archaeological confirmation of these cog features.
  • A brick-built galley with cooking gear, food remains, and personal items such as shoes, combs, and rosary beads reveals organized onboard life; it is the first brick galley found in a medieval ship in Danish waters.
  • Discovered during seabed surveys for the Lynetteholm project, the roughly 28-meter vessel likely carried about 300 tons, underscoring organized bulk trade, while its cargo remains unidentified as analysis continues.