17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Denmark King’s spice cabinet discovered on Gribshunden

The Gribshunden, a 15th-century Danish royal warship, was uncovered to have been loaded with botanical materials, including the first archaeological evidence of saffron, ginger, and cloves in medieval Scandinavia, which was previously only known from sparsely written sources.

Furthermore, it is the sole surviving archaeological illustration of a complete Middle Ages royal spice larder. The saffron has been preserved so well that even after 527 years submerged, it still has its distinctive aroma.

In 1495, Denmark and Norway King Hans docked his ship Gribshunden off the coast of Sweden in preparation for a meeting with Swedish ruler, Sten Sture the Elder. His plan was to broker a deal that would give him control over Sweden as he had done with Norway, creating a united Nordic kingdom. Unfortunately for Hans and many of his crew, the ship caught fire and sank.

The King had loaded his ship with warriors and goods fit for a wealthy and powerful man in order to give himself the upper hand. The loss of the ship forced a change in strategy, and Hans decided to invade and conquer Sweden rather than negotiate for it. But the ship’s sinking also left a gold mine of artifacts for researchers in the modern era.

Black pepper from the Gribshunden shipwreck. Plant parts of black pepper: a–c) different views of peppercorns, d) stalk segments, some with unripe berries of pepper. Photo: PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281010
Black pepper from the Gribshunden shipwreck. Plant parts of black pepper: a–c) different views of peppercorns, d) stalk segments, some with unripe berries of pepper. Photo: PLOS ONE (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281010

The wreck of Gribshunden was found during the 1960s and a new study was conducted from 2019-2021. Thanks to the unique environment of the Baltic Sea – with oxygen-free seabeds, low salinity, and an absence of shipworms – the wreck was particularly well preserved when it was discovered.

The team found that most of the expected artifacts had already been found in earlier expeditions, but something important had been overlooked—containers holding well-preserved plant material—more than 3,000 specimens.

The recent discovery of “exotic spices were status markers among the aristocracy in Scandinavia and around the Baltic Sea during the Middle Ages,” according to scientists from Lund University.

Saffron from the Gribshunden shipwreck site.Plant parts of saffron: a-c) stigmas, d) petri dish showing a portion of the recovered saffron stigmas. Credit: PLOS ONE (2023). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0281010
Saffron from the Gribshunden shipwreck site.Plant parts of saffron: a-c) stigmas, d) petri dish showing a portion of the recovered saffron stigmas. Credit: PLOS ONE (2023). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0281010

Researchers discovered herbs and spices like dill, nutmeg, and cloves. Additionally, they discovered samples of other plant materials, including almonds, saffron, ginger, and peppercorns. It is possible that some of the spices came from as far away as Indonesia, indicating that King Hans had established a sophisticated trade network. Additionally, the researchers discovered snacks like dried blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and flax, each of which revealed just how wealthy and influential Hans had grown to be. The researchers also discovered henbane, a non-edible plant that was once used medicinally.

The study identified 3097 plant remains from 40 different species in total. Spices make up the majority of the mixture (86%).

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281010

Cover Photo: Gribshunden’s figurehead was salvaged in 2015. Photo: Blekinge Museum

Related Articles

Archaeologist Reconstructs 2,000-Year-Old Roman Frescoes from Thousands of Fragments in ‘World’s Toughest Jigsaw’

19 June 2025

19 June 2025

What started as a pile of broken plaster fragments has become one of the most remarkable reconstruction projects in British...

A fossilized Neanderthal skeleton unearthed in France may have belonged to a previously undescribed lineage that split from other Neanderthals

12 September 2024

12 September 2024

The fossilized Neanderthal skeleton, discovered in a cave system in the Rhône Valley of France, represents a previously unidentified lineage...

Poland’s oldest copper axe discovered in the Lublin region

30 March 2024

30 March 2024

A copper axe from the 4th to 3rd millennium BC identified with the Trypillia culture was found in the Horodło...

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

11 August 2022

11 August 2022

The vault section, called the ‘boiler room’, which provides a heat source, has been unearthed in the historical bath of...

1,600-year-old steelyard weight found in Turkey’s ancient city of Hadrianopolis

1 December 2021

1 December 2021

Archeologists have discovered a 1,600-year-old steelyard weight during excavations in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis, located in the Eskipazar district...

Ancient quarry discovered near Tas-Silġ archaeological complex in Malta

28 May 2023

28 May 2023

The Malta Superintendence of Cultural Heritage announced on Friday that trenching works by the Water Services Corporation had uncovered an...

A 1700-year-old Roman water tunnel dug into the mountain was discovered in Adıyaman province in southeastern Türkiye

13 September 2023

13 September 2023

It was revealed that in the Besni district of Adıyaman province, located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, the...

Archeologists Unearth Spectator snacks from the Roman Period in Colosseum

28 November 2022

28 November 2022

An excavation of the Colosseum’s sewer systems has uncovered a selection of spectator snacks from the Roman Period. It appears...

Spectacular gold find from early medieval tombs in Basel

28 November 2022

28 November 2022

An excavation in Basel’s Kleinbasel neighborhood, Switzerland, has uncovered 15 graves, some richly furnished, from an early medieval burial ground....

The Highest Prehistoric Petroglyphs in Europe Discovered at 3000 Meters in the Italian Alps

20 November 2024

20 November 2024

The highest petroglyphs in Europe were found at Pizzo Tresero (Valfurva) in the Stelvio National Park in the northern Italian...

The latest excavations in the ancient city of Dülük will shed light on the history of different religions

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

It is thought that the ancient city of Dülük, one of the 25 oldest settlements in the world, will shed...

Southwest Germany’s Oldest Gold Artifact Found

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists discovered the 3,800-year-old burial of a woman who died when she was around 20 years old in what is...

The Earliest Evidence of Christianity on Bulgarian Territory Found in Roman city of Deultum

13 July 2024

13 July 2024

A silver amulet was discovered during excavations of the Deultum-Debelt National Archaeological Reserve, near the village of Debelt in the...

In the backstage of Smyrna Ancient Theater Latrina found

3 November 2021

3 November 2021

Interesting finds unearthed during the excavations of the 2400-year-old Ancient City of Smyrna in the Aegean region of Turkey continue...

A wash-basin decorated with 2500-year-old Mythological creatures and Chariot races was discovered in Izmir, Turkey

28 September 2022

28 September 2022

Unique ceramic figures were discovered in the excavations carried out this year in the ancient city of Klazomenai in the...