{"id":32064,"date":"2026-01-26T09:41:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T23:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=32064"},"modified":"2026-01-26T09:41:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T23:41:44","slug":"worlds-first-high-timber-medieval-cog-found-preserved-underwater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/worlds-first-high-timber-medieval-cog-found-preserved-underwater\/","title":{"rendered":"World\u2019s First High\u2011Timber Medieval Cog Found Preserved Underwater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dutch maritime archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the world\u2019s largest medieval cog, a 28\u2011metre timber vessel hidden for six centuries beneath the sands of the Sound. The ship, known as Sv\u00e6lget 2, surfaced during seabed investigations for Copenhagen&#8217;s new Lynetteholm district, shedding new light on the movement of goods across Northern Europe during the medieval period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe find is a milestone for maritime archaeology,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk\/en\/about-us\/news-and-press\/press-releases\/archaeologists-reveal-a-medieval-super-ship-its-the-worlds-largest-cog\">according to Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist and leader of the excavation.<\/a> \u201cIt is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first time, researchers have uncovered physical evidence of the high timber \u201ccastles\u201d long depicted in medieval illustrations. These bow and stern platforms, drawn in 14th\u2011 and 15th\u2011century illustrations, had never been found in an archaeological context because most wrecks preserve only their lower hulls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Uldum, that gap has now been closed. \u201cWe have plenty of drawings of castles, but they have never been found because usually only the bottom of the ship survives. This time we have the archaeological proof.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His team uncovered extensive remains of a timber\u2011built stern castle, a covered deck where the crew could shelter from weather and rough seas. The scale of the material is unprecedented, offering researchers a rare opportunity to understand how these structures were built and used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe now have 20 times as much material to work with,\u201d Uldum said. \u201cIt is not comfort in a modern sense, but it is a big step forward compared to Viking Age ships, which had only open decks in all kinds of weather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"RGI1cOlgczE\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lost for 600 Years: World&#039;s Largest Cog Shipwreck Found In Incredible Condition\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RGI1cOlgczE?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Marine archaeologists have uncovered the world\u2019s largest medieval cog, Sv\u00e6lget 2, which has been lost for over 600 years in the waters between Denmark and Sweden. Footage courtesy of IFLScienceOfficial.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Measuring 28 metres long, 9 metres wide and 6 metres high, Sv\u00e6lget 2 is the largest cog ever discovered, with an estimated cargo capacity of 300 tonnes. Built in 1410, the ship operated during a time when Northern Europe\u2019s maritime economy was booming and when builders were pushing the limits in boatbuilding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dendrochronological analysis shows the vessel was built in the Netherlands using timber sourced from two regions: Pomeranian oak for the planking and Dutch timber for the frames. The combination reveals a sophisticated supply chain in which large quantities of timber were transported across the Baltic and North Seas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt tells us that timber exports went from Pomerania to the Netherlands, and that the ship was built in the Netherlands, where the expertise to construct these very large cogs was found,\u201d Uldum confirmed. He added that the construction pattern suggests the heavy planking was imported while the frames were cut locally at the building site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ship\u2019s preservation is remarkable. Buried at a depth of 13 metres, the starboard side remained fully protected from currents and marine organisms, allowing archaeologists to uncover rigging components rarely preserved in medieval wrecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is extraordinary to have so many parts of the rigging,\u201d Uldum said. \u201cWe have never seen this before, and it gives us a real opportunity to say something entirely new about how cogs were equipped for sailing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another surprise came with the discovery of a brick\u2011built galley, the earliest example ever found in Danish waters. Around 200 bricks and 15 tiles formed a cooking hearth where sailors could prepare hot meals, a significant improvement over the cold, dried food typical of earlier seafaring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Archaeologists have uncovered the largest known medieval cargo ship\u2014Svaelget 2\u2014a 600-year-old cog about 92 ft long with a 300 ton capacity, found intact under the \u00d8resund Strait. This discovery sheds new light on medieval Northern European trade.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Archaeology?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Archaeology<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Shipwreck?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Shipwreck<\/a>\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/i07ppTFCWO\">pic.twitter.com\/i07ppTFCWO<\/a><\/p>&mdash; De Antiquis (@DAntiquis) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DAntiquis\/status\/2011415501251952723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 14, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same area, archaeologists found bronze cooking pots, ceramic bowls, painted wooden dishes, shoes, combs, rosary beads and food remains, including fish and meat, offering a vivid portrait of daily life aboard a 15th\u2011century ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe sailor brought his comb to keep his hair neat and his rosary to say his prayers,\u201d Uldum said. \u201cWe have the remains of the pots his food was cooked in and the bowls he ate from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the ship\u2019s size, no cargo has been found. The hold was uncovered, meaning barrels of salt, cloth, or timber likely floated away during the sinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The absence of ballast suggests the ship was fully loaded when it went down. What is clear, however, is that Sv\u00e6lget 2 was not a warship, and archaeologists found no evidence of conflict or military use. \u201cThere is no evidence pointing to war or conflict in this ship,\u201d Uldum said. \u201cNone at all.\u201d The vessel instead reflects a society capable of organising large\u2011scale trade across vast distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPerhaps the find does not change the story we already know about medieval trade,\u201d Uldum said. \u201cBut it does allow us to say that it was in ships like Sv\u00e6lget 2 that this trade was created.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wood Central understands that the ship\u2019s components are now undergoing conservation at the National Museum in Brede, with its story to be featured in G\u00e5den i dybet (Mystery in the Deep), a new documentary series from Denmark\u2019s national broadcaster. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dutch maritime archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the world\u2019s largest medieval cog, a 28\u2011metre timber vessel hidden for six centuries beneath the sands of the Sound. The ship, known as Sv\u00e6lget 2, surfaced during seabed investigations for Copenhagen&#8217;s new Lynetteholm district, shedding new light on the movement of goods across Northern Europe during the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32066,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[53,115,31],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[69],"class_list":{"0":"post-32064","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-europe","8":"category-preservation","9":"category-top-stories"},"authors":[{"term_id":69,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"woodcentral","display_name":"Wood Central","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/MASTER-BRAND-MARK_POS_RGB-e1676449549955.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/MASTER-BRAND-MARK_POS_RGB-e1676449549955.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32064"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32069,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32064\/revisions\/32069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32064"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=32064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}