During a recent exploration of a 500-year-old shipwreck in the Blekinge archipelago, Sweden, a team of researchers from Stockholm University and Södertörn University in Sweden discovered a “unique” armor chest. The chest presents a remarkable discovery, given it provides insight into medieval weapons technology.
The ship, named Griffin, belonged to Danish King Hans and sank in 1495 after it caught fire. It was first discovered in the 1970s, with Södertörn University experts starting to research it in the early 2010s. The researchers knew about the existence of the armor chest but were not able to closely examine it until now.
The chest contains several different casting molds and lead plates, which are used to produce lead bullets for early handguns, according to Stockholm University’s press release.
“The contents of the weapon chest are undeniably one of the most important finds,” said the University of Stockholm’s maritime archeologist Rolf Warming in a statement. “It contains, among other things, several different molds and lead plates for the manufacture of lead bullets for early handguns.”
Besides the armor chest, maritime archeologists also discovered a number of other valuable artifacts, including mail armor fragments and cannon carriages.
The researchers will continue their efforts to learn more about the ship and its purpose.