Medieval super-ship off the coast of Denmark. It’s the biggest coke ever found

At 28 meters long by 9 meters wide and capable of carrying up to 300 tons, the Svaelget 2 is the largest vessel of its type ever found.

Maritime archaeologists in Copenhagen have discovered the world’s largest coca, a type of medieval cargo ship which was once the backbone of trade in Northern Europe. This particular vessel was hidden just below the seabed for 600 years in the waters between Denmark and Sweden.

Built around 1410, the vessel, called Svaelget 2, measures approximately 28 metros long, 9 meters wide and 6 meters highwith an estimated load capacity of 300 tons.

“The discovery is a milestone for maritime archaeology. It is the largest coca we know, and offers us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life aboard the ships.” largest merchant ships from the Middle Ages”, said the person responsible for the excavation, Otto Uldumin the Viking Ship Museum.

The sunken ship was found at a depth of 13 meterswhere it was protected from keel to gunwale by sand. This protected Svaelget 2 from many of the forces that would normally would destroy a ship so close to the coast.

This is the first time that this level of natural protection has been observed on a coca, which has allowed the vessel to be incredibly well preserved.

“It’s extraordinary that we have so many pieces of rigging“, said Uldum. “We’ve never seen this before, and it gives us a real opportunity to say something entirely new about how coca were equipped for navigation.”

One dendrochronological analysis showed that the ship was built with wood from both Pomerania, in present-day Poland, and the Netherlands. The planking was made from Pomeranian oak, while the ship’s caves came from the Netherlands.

“This tells us that the timber exports went from Pomerania to the Netherlands, and that the ship was built in the Netherlands, where the expertise to build these very large boats was found,” said Uldum.

To coke, main ship of the Hanseatic League and backbone of European trade in the 15th century, it was a very efficient, shallow-hulled type of ship that could be sailed by a small creweven when heavily loaded.

The larger coca were built to make the dangerous journey around Skagen, from the Low Countries to the trading towns of the Baltic.

“A ship with such a large cargo capacity is part of a structured system where traders knew there was a market for the goods they transported,” Uldum added. “Svaelget 2 is a tangible example of how trade developed during the Middle Ages.”

Medieval coca transformed commerce

Coca, a true “super ship” of the Middle Ages, allowed sailors to transport massive quantities of goods at substantially lower costs.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, this capability “revolutionized” the exchange of goods, transforming trade patterns and allowing everyday goods to be shipped over great distances.

Such long-distance trade had previously been limited to luxury goods, explains the .

Medieval cocas had badges high castles at bow and popa, but these had only been observed in illustrations of the vessels — until now.

“We have a lot of drawings of castles, but they have never been found because usually only the bottom of the ship survives,” Uldum said. “This time we have the archaeological evidence“.

Also surprising was the discovery of ship’s kitchenbuilt in brick, the oldest example of its kind in Danish waters. Were used approx. 200 bricks and 15 tiles to the kitchen, where there were bronze pans, ceramic bowls and leftover fish and meat.

As for ship’s cargo, however, no traces were found. Uldum suggests that since the ship’s hold was not covered, any barrels of goods would probably have been dragged during the sinking.

A absence of ballast suggests that the ship had been loaded with heavy goods, leaving no doubt that it was indeed a merchant ship.

No signs were found to identify the cause of the sinking, which appears to have been accidental. “There is no evidence that points to war or conflict on this ship,” Uldum noted. “None.”