A shipwreck dating back to the 17th Century has been uncovered by archaeologists in Sweden.
The 400-year-old vessel is believed to be the Scepter, the flagship of King Gustav II Adolf’s fleet.
Experts uncovered the wreckage during renovation of the quayside on Skeppsholmen island, an area of Stockholm popular with tourists.
A shipwreck dating back to the 17th Century has been uncovered by archaeologists in Sweden. The more than 400 year old vessel is believed to be the Scepter, the flagship of King Gustav II Adolf’s fleet
Scientists from Stockholm Maritime Museum (SMM) oversaw the dig, which took place at Östra Brobänken.
The remains include a section of the ship two metres up from the keel and parts of the transom, according to an in-depth report by Emma Löfgren and Eugenia Tanaka for Swedish news site The Local.
The team took samples over the summer which have now been dated.
They show that the wood is oak from Sweden and it was cut in the winter between 1612 and 1613.
By comparing this to lists of the warships made at that time, they found four big ships were built during this period.
Through a process of elimination, they believe that the wreck must be the Scepter – the flagship of King Gustav II Adolf, who was related to the current Swedish royal family.
Marine archaeologist Jim Hansson told The Local: ‘We were really surprised, because we have some old maps that show some wrecks from the early 1800s, and it seems like the older wrecks don’t show up on the map.
‘There were no indications of this wreck on the maps.
‘It was really well preserved. It is only to the first deck level, but you can still see the cut marks from the axes on the timber, for example.’
The remains (pictured) include a section of the ship two metres up from the keel and parts of the transom. The team took samples over the summer which have now been dated. They show that the wood is oak from Sweden and it was cut in the winter between 1612 and 1613
Scepter was built by Dutch shipbuilder Isbrand Johansson in 1615.
It weighed 800 tonnes and was armed with 36 guns.
In 1621, with the King on board, she was part of a 148-ship fleet attempting to conquer Riga, the capital of Latvia.
By comparing this to lists of the warships made at that time, they found four big ships were built during this period. Through a process of elimination, they believe that the wreck must be the Scepter, believed to have taken part in the Battle of Oliwa in 1627 (artist’s impression)
She only made it as far as Pärnu in Estonia, after a dramatic storm forced the vessel to turn back for home.
In 1639, the ship was retired.
It was deliberately sunk at Skeppsholmen, forming part of the foundation of a new shipyard being constructed at the time.
For now, the wreck has been left in its place.
Archaeologists will scour the site as renovation work proceeds, hoping to salvage any other marine treasures that are uncovered.
The 400-year-old vessel is believed to be the Scepter, the flagship of King Gustav II Adolf’s (artist’s impression pictured) fleet
Experts uncovered the wreckage during renovation of the quayside at Östra Brobänken on Skeppsholmen island (pictured), an area of Stockholm popular with tourists