Shocking discovery in 500-year-old shipwreck

Scientists have found a medieval pantry filled with spices in a 500-year-old shipwreck.

King Hans was on his way to Kalmar, where he hoped to be elected king of Sweden and unite the vast Nordic region under a single ruler. So King Hans brought with him many lavish possessions and positions, including luxury foods and spices, to convince the Swedish leadership to agree to his plan. Photo: @Wikipedia.

However, in the summer of 1495, King Hans of Denmark and Norway anchored his warship off the southern coast of Sweden. While King Hans was on land, his ship (named the Gribshunden or Griffen) suddenly and mysteriously caught fire and sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Photo: @Wikipedia.

Divers first discovered the remains of the Gribshunden in the 1960s and 1970s, but it wasn’t until 2019 that archaeologists took notice and launched a new excavation initiative, hoping to uncover more of the ship’s secrets. Since then, research has continued to this day. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

During the latest excavation, experts found a chest containing a variety of foods and spices that had been underwater for more than five centuries. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

By sifting through the wreckage by hand and using an underwater vacuum, experts found 40 different types of fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, grains, and other plants. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

Spices found included ginger, cloves, pepper, fennel, mustard and caraway, as well as the remains of fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers, grapes, raspberries and blackberries. Almonds and hazelnuts were also found. Notably, they also found some saffron, a rare and quite expensive spice. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

Many of the remaining plant parts still have flesh and pods, they still have color, and the saffron still retains its distinctive aroma after 530 years submerged in water. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

The discovery of a nearly complete medieval royal pantry like this offers new insights into the lifestyle and diet of the Baltic nobility, according to study co-authors Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley of Lund University in Sweden. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

Expert Brendan Foley said the discovery was rare, as spices and plants usually do not survive in such good condition for more than five centuries. However, the Baltic Sea is very cold and has low salinity, which partly helps preserve these materials extremely well. Photo: @Mikael Larsson and Brendan Foley.

Dear Readers, please watch the video : "Opening" the 3,000-year-old mummy of an Egyptian Pharaoh: "Shocking" real appearance and earth-shattering secrets. Video source: @VGT TV - Life.

(According to smithsonianmag)

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/phat-hien-chan-dong-trong-xac-tau-dam-hon-500-nam-tuoi-post1545165.html