Rare ship find in the middle of Stockholm

During the year, work was underway to strengthen the foundation of a property belonging to the Riksbank's anniversary fund.

Routinely, archaeologists monitor such excavations in case archaeologically interesting finds would emerge. This summer, it was precisely when the courtyard was to be lowered.

Parts of an old wooden hull were discovered under the courtyard. Now analysis and identification is done with the help of marine archaeologists from the Norwegian Maritime and Transport History museums.

The wreckage is most likely to come from the Swedish ship Samson.

- Everything we have pointed out is Samson dating, the provenance (origin) of the timber, shipbuilding technology, size, says Philip Tonemar at the Archaeological Consultant who commissioned the survey on behalf of the county administrative board.

Duke Karl ordered the fitted cargo ship in 1598. It was built by Anders Pedersson in Enånger in Hälsingland. The wood's annual rings are from the 1590s.

- A finding from this transition period between the older and newer shipbuilding of the era is very unusual. There are really no other direct examples, says Philip Tonemar.

- And that it is completely built in pine with its special design details also makes it unique.

Samson was over 30 meters long. There are occasional brief archive notes on the construction and assignments during the first years. After 1607 the ship disappears from the archives.

- When the ship was abandoned in the early 1600s, it was probably stripped of material, chopped up and left on the shore, says Philip Tonemar.

- We have found garbage from residents in the area that were thrown directly over the ship.

Among the finds are coins, pipes, ceramics, glass and a small ball of clay in mud that perhaps a child has lost.

The area east of Kungsträdgården was more or less water-filled well into modern times, says chief archaeologist Kenneth Svensson at Archeology Consultant for the Mitti magazine. According to him, several ships were found in the area in the 1940s and 1950s, but without being documented.

Today, only a part of the bottom of one hull remains from Samson, from the keel stock to the so-called blow. The remains will remain covered with ground cloth and protective material, preserved for the future.

For Philip Tonemar, the routine job became a memory of life:

- Great fun to make such a bargain. It will probably never happen to me again.