What is today Masthamnen in Gothenburg was once a port for smaller rowing and transport boats that came and went to the Customs House. The harbor was built in the 17th century as part of the city's defense. And inside the sea wall, a small harbor pool was created which was alternately called "Masthamn" or "krona's mast harbor".

The wrecks from the three ships were found just at the Mast Harbor by archaeologists at the state museums.

- It was great fun finding the boats. The northern part of the Mast harbor has been a natural harbor from the beginning, but in the 1730s-40s, the port was shortened and made a wall edge to create more free areas, perhaps to build buildings to store different goods. The boats have been preserved in connection with the filling of the site, says archaeologist Carina Bramstång Plura.

Wreck from the 17th century

According to archaeologists, the boats must have been at the bottom sometime in the 17th-17th century. The ships are made of oak and built in clinker technique, which is an old boatbuilder technique where you lay the planking planes overlaid.

Since this spring, archaeologists have been investigating the area because of the construction with the West Link.

- We do not know if they were deliberately lowered, that they drilled holes in the bottom or if they fell earlier and then had to stay there. There are interesting remains we found in Masthamnen that contribute to new knowledge of the city's history.

The archaeologists are collaborating with a marine archaeologist and the boats will now be taken up, and more analyzes will be done.