16th-Century Ship Parts Unearthed in Stockholm

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—The Local reports that parts of the hull of a sixteenth-century ship were uncovered in central Stockholm during a construction project. Tree ring analysis of wood samples recovered from the waterlogged soil suggests that the pine trees used to build the ship were felled in the 1590s. Archaeologist Philip Tonemar said this vessel was built during a transitional period in ship design. “There are actually no other direct examples,” he explained. The hull is thought to represent the Samson, a ship not mentioned in historic records after 1607. “When the ship was abandoned in the early 1600s, it was probably stripped of material, chopped up and left on the shore,” Tonemar said. Household garbage and items, such as coins, glass, ceramics, and a small clay ball, were found on top of the vessel, he added. To read about the discovery of a sixteenth-century Swedish warship, go to "Mars Explored."