Researchers Identify Swedish 17th Century Warship Shipwreck
Researchers have identified a shipwreck off Porkkala, in southern Finland, as the Swedish warship “Falken,” a 17th-century vessel built in Stockholm and considered the “little sister” of the iconic Vasa ship.
The shipwreck was discovered 50 years ago, but it is only now that Associate Professor Niklas Eriksson has been able to identify it thanks to a digital 3D model of the ship created by the Finnish Maritime Archaeological Society.
“We have realised that a lot of this ship still is preserved," Eriksson said during a dive at the site. "Despite the fact that people have been salvaging the rig and the guns... a lot of the ship is still down there.”
Falken, or The Falcon in English, was likely constructed by the same shipbuilder as Vasa in 1631, and sank under unclear circumstances after 20 years of service.
Researchers aim to uncover more details about the ship's history, its crew and life aboard a 17th-century vessel through continued dives.
Eriksson said they were struck by how similar Falken was to Vasa.
The Vasa ship famously sank in Stockholm during its maiden voyage in 1628 but was salvaged in 1961 and is on display at the Vasa Museum in the Swedish capital.
(Reuters)