It was another decade before the remains were identified as those of Gribshunden. It wasn’t until 2001 that the first archaeological excavations of the ship began, after one of the divers told local archaeologists about what they had found. In the 1970s, a local diving club came across a mysterious wooden wreck there, in 33 feet of water. Joseph Brecheisen/Wikimedia/Public Domain His flagship burned and sank before arrival. King Hans of Denmark and Norway sailed to Sweden in 1495 to take it over with a show of soft power. He went on to rule Sweden briefly-until they renounced him as king in 1501.

Two years later, in October 1497, Hans defeated Sten Sture at the Battle of Rotebro. Despite the loss of his ship, Hans continued his journey to Kalmar, where unfortunately, he never met with Sten Sture. Although the exact number of deaths is unknown, many of the crew of 150 were on board when the ship sank to the bottom of the Baltic with its precious cargo. Though the king wasn’t on board at the time, many crewmen were, in addition to all those pricey goods. However, while anchored in the Baltic Sea near the port of Ronneby, Sweden, Gribshunden mysteriously caught fire. It was also laden with goods-from gunpowder weapons to artwork to delicacies-to demonstrate his power. The ship itself had a role to play: to show Hans’s authority to the Swedish council.

Medieval foods