14 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Medieval Weapon Chest Found on Sunken Medieval Flagship Gribshunden

An extensive exploration of the wreck of the royal flagship Gribshunden has unearthed a trove of new findings: new insights into combat platforms of warships and a unique weapon chest from the Late Middle Ages.

The research was carried out in collaboration with underwater archaeologists from Södertörn University and CEMAS/Institute of Archeology and Ancient Culture at Stockholm University.

The Gribshunden (also known as Griffin or Griffin-Hound) was the flagship of King John I of Denmark (1481–1513), ruler of the Kalmar Union. In 1495, the Danish warship Gribshunden sank off the coast of Sweden. The wreck was discovered in the 1970s by recreational divers but not disclosed to researchers until the year 2000.

The most recent fieldwork on the wreck occurred in May of last year. The research team, led by Professor Johan Rönnby of Södertörn University and PhD candidate Rolf Warming of Stockholm University, used underwater cameras and photogrammetric 3D technology to inspect and document additional parts of the ship’s remains.

Highlights of the research include the discovery of a wooden war chest, analysis of mail armor, and a better understanding of the ship’s superstructure.

Ammunition-making tool chest (Zeuglade in German) with contents. The solid line indicates the elongated side of the chest; the dotted lines indicate the estimated placement of its sides. Contents: (1) lead plates, (2-3) molds, (4) the chest’s elongated side along with iron corrosion (from the lock and fittings?), (5) cylindrical ‘cans’ (possibly powder containers), and (6) mold. Photo: Dr. Florian Huber, with outlines and notes by Rolf Warming.
Ammunition-making tool chest (Zeuglade in German) with contents. The solid line indicates the elongated side of the chest; the dotted lines indicate the estimated placement of its sides. Contents: (1) lead plates, (2-3) molds, (4) the chest’s elongated side along with iron corrosion (from the lock and fittings?), (5) cylindrical ‘cans’ (possibly powder containers), and (6) mold. Photo: Dr. Florian Huber, with outlines and notes by Rolf Warming.

The exploration of a chest was one of the most significant discoveries made during the most recent dive. They identified the contents of the ‘weapon tool chest’ after taking high-resolution photos of it. It is a zeuglade, an ammunition storage and production toolbox that we know from illustrations around that time often accompanied armies on battlefields.

The researchers write: “The contents of the chest are heavily corroded but appear to consist of several different objects located within a larger crust of corroded iron. In the crust, there are several sharp flint pieces, which may be interpreted as part of canister shot ammunition… In the northern half of the remains, it is possible to distinguish two elongated pieces of lead plate with some holes along the edge (presumably for easier handling during the casting process) and at least three stone molds for lead bullets of different calibers. The molds were intended for the production of bullets for handheld firearms, such as a handgonne, but also for larger caliber firearms, possibly arquebuses or smaller breech-loaded guns.”

The chest and its contents probably belonged to the German mercenaries who were onboard when the Gribshunden sank. It is unquestionably an important artifact of medieval military technology.

Decorative hem consisting of riveted brass rings for a mail shirt (hauberk) analyzed in connection with the dives. A mail shirt of this quality could have consisted of up to 150,000 rings. Photo: Rolf Warming.
Decorative hem consisting of riveted brass rings for a mail shirt (hauberk) analyzed in connection with the dives. A mail shirt of this quality could have consisted of up to 150,000 rings. Photo: Rolf Warming.

The researchers have identified a significant portion of the ship’s superstructure, which has been preserved despite the timbers being split and dispersed across the seabed, by mapping the timbers at the wreck site. These timbers can give researchers important insights into how the superstructure looked and thus the warship’s military capabilities.

In addition to the diving work, a study was also carried out involving previously recovered fragments from mailshirts. In collaboration with Professor Kerstin Lidén of Stockholm University’s Archaeological Research Laboratory, the researchers found that the ring weave had multiple threads and construction methods, suggesting that it had been repaired multiple times. Hauberks, or mail shirts, like these might have held up to 150,000 rings, judging by the size of the preserved rings.

An early firearm and a drinking tankard were found during prior dives conducted under Prof. Johan Rönnby’s direction, and research suggests that the ship was most likely built in the southern Netherlands.

Stockholm University

Cover Photo: Florian Huber

Related Articles

Traces of 9300-year-old settlement unearthed near Volcanic Cappadocia in central Turkey

28 August 2022

28 August 2022

During the most recent excavations at Sırçalıtepe Mound (Sırçalıtepe Höyük) in Türkiye’s central Niğde province, archaeologists discovered traces of a...

Beehives of Saudi Arabia’s Thought to be Over 1,000 Years Old

20 July 2024

20 July 2024

Located in the majestic Sarawat Mountain range in western Saudi Arabia, the ancient beehives in the Maysan Governorate constitute a...

Truncated conical tombs 3,000 years old found in the Chapultepec Forest

26 November 2023

26 November 2023

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) unearthed 10 truncated conical tombs, approximately 3,000 years old, at...

In Turkey’s western Uşak province, 2,000-year-old statues have been unearthed

19 December 2021

19 December 2021

During the excavations in the ancient city of Blaundos in the Ulubey district of Uşak, two statues of 2000 years...

Manuscript Portal Brings Medieval Manuscripts from Greifswald Online

24 April 2024

24 April 2024

Greifswald’s oldest books can be accessed digitally via another new portal. The Manuscript Portal (HSP) is the central online portal...

Iconic 2,500-Year-Old Coțofenești Helmet and Dacian Treasures Stolen from Dutch Museum

26 January 2025

26 January 2025

A heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, has resulted in the theft of several invaluable artifacts from the...

Archaeologists discovered how wine was cooled in Roman legions on the Danube

15 September 2023

15 September 2023

Lead archaeologist Piotr Dyczek, a professor at the Center for Research on Antiquities of Southeastern Europe at the University of...

A massive Rune stone found under a kitchen floor in Denmark declared treasure

8 June 2023

8 June 2023

A couple in Denmark discovered a massive rune stone weighing approximately 900 kilograms during a home renovation project that planned...

Olmec reliefs show Ancient Olmec Leaders In Trance-Like State Roaring Like Jaguars

14 August 2022

14 August 2022

Archaeologists in Mexico have discovered two carved reliefs from the late Olmec period (900-400 B.C.) in Villahermosa, Tabasco, southeastern Mexico...

The ruins of a temple dedicated to Goddess Kubaba found for the first time in ancient city of Kastabala, southern Türkiye

17 December 2023

17 December 2023

Ruins of a temple belonging to the goddess Kubaba were found in the Ancient City of Kastabala. The ancient city...

An Unusual Artifact Points to Roman Britain Rituals Linked to Fertility, Painted Dog Penis Bone Found in England

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

In a Roman quarry shaft in Surrey, England, archaeologists have discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains...

Seven Roman altars multicolored in the Great Northern Museum

12 November 2021

12 November 2021

We know that the ancient world is now very colorful. But these colors weren’t just limited to robes and other...

Rare Arabic inscription discovered during Malta housing project works

3 May 2023

3 May 2023

A rare Arabic inscription, possibly dating back to medieval times, was discovered at the site of a social housing project...

Europe’s earliest cities had a predominantly vegetarian diet

27 December 2023

27 December 2023

The population of the Copper Age mega-sites in what is now Ukraine and Moldova had a predominantly vegetarian diet. In...

Three-room Urartian tomb with liquid offering area (libation) found in eastern Turkey

18 January 2023

18 January 2023

A three-room Urartian tomb with a rock-cut libation (liquid offering area) to offer gifts to the gods was unearthed in...