Study Examines Ship Artillery from Europe's Age of Exploration

Archaeology Magazine ^ | August 29, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Recent research into the famous wreck of the Danish-Norwegian ship Gribshunden has revealed new details about the artillery and armament of medieval seagoing vessels, according to a statement released by Lund University. Gribshunden was built in the 1480s and became the royal flagship of King Hans of Denmark and Norway. The monarch used the vessel much like a floating castle and personally sailed on it frequently -- not only for exploration but to solidify his grasp of his kingdom. The ship mysteriously sank in 1495 off the coast of Ronneby, Sweden. It is often considered the best-preserved wreck from the Age of Exploration, an era when crews on similar Portuguese and Spanish carvels sailed around the world and conquered new territories. The new study analyzed the weapons that were on board Gribshunden when it sank, and highlighted just how well-equipped these vessels were for confrontation with peoples in foreign lands. The ship was carrying over 50 small caliber guns that fired lead shot with an iron core, 11 of which have been recovered from the seafloor and recreated using 3D modeling. These weapons were intended for anti-personnel use at close range, and designed to injure or kill the crews of enemy ships before boarding to capture the vessel. Read the original scholarly article about this research in International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. To read about the recovery of Gribshunden's figurehead, go to "A Baltic Sea Monster Surfaces."

[SunkenCiv]

Oak beds of artillery pieces recovered from the Gribshunden wreck

Lund University

[SunkenCiv]

It came from the land of ice and snow...

[Red Badger]

“... royal flagship of King Hans of Denmark and Norway....personally sailed on it frequently...”

Look Ma! NO HANS!...................

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks:

https://scitechdaily.com/archaeologists-unearth-europes-oldest-naval-artillery-on-sunken-royal-ship/

[GingisK]

Look Ma! NO HANS!...................

I see you are overdue for your public beating. ;-D

[Red Badger]

😁...............................

[GingisK]

Those are parts of the gun carriages. Where are the guns? Even the original article two links in just had drawings of the the guns. Did the guns rot away while the wooden bedding remained?

[marktwain]

Those are parts of the gun carriages. Where are the guns? Even the original article two links in just had drawings of the the guns. Did the guns rot away while the wooden bedding remained?

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The wreck was only 33 feet underwater. The guns were probably salvaged, as they were far more valuable than the wooden mounts.

[Waverunner]

Those are actually hand cannons, which could be banded iron.
The iron would have rusted out, leaving just the banding.

[SunkenCiv]

What marktwain said, plus this from the article:

“The ship was carrying over 50 small caliber guns that fired lead shot with an iron core, 11 of which have been recovered from the seafloor and recreated using 3D modeling. These weapons were intended for anti-personnel use at close range, and designed to injure or kill the crews of enemy ships before boarding to capture the vessel.”

[GingisK]

I promise, I read the article. I skim too fast, it seems.

Ok, I admit that now its my turn to be flogged.

[SunkenCiv]

Flogging seems apropos, given the era of this wreck. 😁