The ‘Varmbådan Wreck’, located outside Porkkala in the Finnish archipelago, was discovered more than 50 years ago. Recent research has identified the ship as the Swedish warship Falken, built in Stockholm in 1631, and which sank in 1651. During 2025, the wreck was re-surveyed by diving archaeologists from the Finnish Heritage Agency and the Centre for Maritime Studies at Stockholm University. This paper reports the research background, identification, recent archaeological survey, and preliminary hull reconstruction of a shipwreck. The aim has been to examine what we can learn from the site in terms of ship construction, sculptural embellishment and life onboard. This will provide a basis for further archaeological fieldwork and research.

El “pecio de Varmbådan”, localizado frente a Porkkala en el archipiélago finlandés, fue descubierto hace más de 50 años. Investigaciones recientes lo han identificado como el buque de guerra sueco Falken, construido en Estocolmo en 1631 y que se hundió en 1651. Durante 2025, el pecio fue nuevamente estudiado por arqueólogos buzos de la Agencia Finlandesa de Patrimonio y del Centro de Estudios Marítimos de la Universidad de Estocolmo. Este artículo presenta los antecedentes de investigación, la identificación, el estudio arqueológico reciente y la reconstrucción preliminar del casco del pecio. El objetivo ha sido examinar qué podemos aprender del sitio en términos de construcción naval, la decoración escultórica y la vida a bordo. Esto aportará una base para futuros trabajos de campo e investigaciones arqueológicas.

“瓦尔姆博丹沉船”（Varmbådan Wreck）发现于50多年前，其位于芬兰群岛波尔卡拉（Porkkala）外海。最新研究已将之确认为瑞典战舰“法尔肯号”（Falken），该舰于1631年在斯德哥尔摩建造，并于1651年沉没。2025年，芬兰文化遗产局与斯德哥尔摩大学海事研究中心的水下考古人员对该沉船进行了重新调查。本文综述了相关研究背景、沉船鉴别过程、最新考古调查成果，以及船体的初步复原工作。研究旨在探究该遗址在船舶建造、雕刻装饰以及船上生活等方面所能提供的信息。本研究亦为后续的考古田野工作与深入研究奠定基础。

「瓦爾姆博丹沉船」（Varmbådan Wreck）發現於50多年前，其位於芬蘭羣島波爾卡拉（Porkkala）外海。最新研究已將之確認爲瑞典戰艦「法爾肯號」（Falken），該艦於1631年在斯德哥爾摩建造，並於1651年沉沒。2025年，芬蘭文化遺產局與斯德哥爾摩大學海事研究中心的水下考古人員對該沉船進行了重新調查。本文綜述了相關研究背景、沉船鑑別過程、最新考古調查成果，以及船體的初步復原工作。研究旨在探究該遺址在船舶建造、雕刻裝飾以及船上生活等方面所能提供的信息。本研究亦爲後續的考古田野工作與深入研究奠定基礎。

يقع حطام فارمبودان خارج منطقة بوركّالا في الأرخبيل الفنلندي، وقد تم اكتشافه قبل أكثر من خمسون عاماً. وقد مكّنت الأبحاث الحديثة من تحديد هوية السفينة على أنها السفينة الحربية السويدية فالكن، التي بُنيت في ستوكهولم عام ١٦٣١ وغرقت عام ١٦٥١. وخلال عام ٢٠٢٥، أُعيد إجراء مسح أثري للحطام من قِبل علماء آثار غوص تابعين لهيئة التراث الفنلندية ومركز الدراسات البحرية بجامعة ستوكهولم. تعرض هذه الدراسة الخلفية البحثية، وعملية تحديد الهوية، ونتائج المسح الأثري الحديث، إضافة إلى إعادة بناء أولية لهكيل السفينة. ويتمثل الهدف الرئيسي في استكشاف ما يمكن استخلاصه من الموقع فيما يتعلق بتقنيات بناء السفن، والزخارف النحتية، وأنماط الحياة على متن السفينة. ومن شأن ذلك أن يوفر أساساً علمياً لأعمال ميدانية ودراسات بحثية أثرية مستقبلية .

This chapter describes how salvage operations developed into what is today recognized as maritime archaeology. The objective is to present examples of prominent research questions and to show how maritime archaeology has moved from the illustration of familiar historical narratives to an academic field that increasingly relies on the study of material culture. The vantage point is Sweden, but comparisons will be made with research in the other Nordic countries. The chapter begins with the earliest salvage operations on famous warships. It continues with the increasing number of sunken merchant ships discovered as scuba diving became popular after the Second World War. The extension of the Heritage Act to include shipwrecks laid the foundation for professional maritime archaeology. The chapter also includes some examples of research topics in Swedish Maritime Archaeology, such as wreck identification, shipbuilding studies, heritage management, cargoes and artefact assemblages, space aboard ships, ship decorations, and the maritime cultural landscape. The chapter ends with a reflection on the relationship between maritime archaeology and archaeological theory.

The introduction of carvel shipbuilding and the domestic production of purpose-built gun-carrying warships in Sweden coincided with the formation of a fully fledged naval service in the sixteenth century. The introduction of carvel construction marked a clear break with existing clinker shipbuilding and required new expertise. This chapter sets out to trace the origins of this shipbuilding knowledge, drawing on existing historical research and images and an interpretation of the material remains of actual ships.

In 2020, the diving group Badewanne discovered an exceptionally well-preserved wreck in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. Researchers and divers from several different institutions collaborated to survey the wreck with the ambition of gathering as much archaeological information with as little impact on the wreck as possible. This paper summarizes the current state of research and argues that the wreck is the remains of a merchant fluit loaded with grain. Archival research has identified the ship as Witte Swaen, built in 1636 and sunk in 1638. Besides highlighting the fate of this particular fluit, the survey has revealed the characteristic hull shape as well as the sculptural decorations, which diverge from other later archaeologically surveyed fluits in the Baltic.

We report the archaeological survey, dendrochronological analysis, and archival research concerning two shipwrecks located in shallow waters outside Vaxholm in the Stockholm Archipelago, Baltic Sea. According to oral tradition, the two wrecks are the remains of Neptunus and To Løver, two former Danish warships that were taken as prizes at the battle of Fehmarn in 1644. The Swedish navy then used the two ships until 1659, when they were reportedly scuttled as a blockage along the sea route towards Stockholm. Before being intentionally scuttled, the two ships drifted away and sank. The work presented in this article confirms the substance of the tradition and reports that substantial portions of the two ships are preserved. Moreover, the two wrecks shed light on the scuttling process and the construction of an underwater barrier.

The Maderö wreck was discovered in the 1960s in the Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden. An archaeological investigation undertaken in 2022 included the inspection and documentation of visible ship parts, sampling for dendrochronological analysis and sampling for ICP analysis from the brick cargo. The results show that the wood originates from the Baltic Sea area and was felled after 1467, while the clay for the brick originates from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern area. The ship's technical analysis shows that it is a large clinker-built merchant ship. Traces of iron on a recovered stone shot indicate that the ship was armed when it sank.

The 16th-century Riddarholmen Ship was discovered in the middle of Stockholm in 1930. Despite being exhibited since 1947, the efforts to reconstruct the ship have been limited. A substantial portion of the recovered parts has never been put on display. This paper aims to shed new light on the ship´s architecture using the original material from the excavation together with an inventory of the timbers in the collections of the Medieval Museum. From this, it is argued that the ship originally had a full deck, three masts, and a forecastle and that it resembles an early purpose-built, gun-carrying warship.

More than fifty years ago it was suggested that the stronghold of Lojsta slott in southern Gotland might be identical to a stronghold mentioned in a written source as Goltborch. The name has been translated as Gullborg and is probably one of the wooden castles erected by the troops of Queen Margaret of DenmarkNorway beginning in the winter of 1394/95. These were torn down in 1398, rebuilt in 1403, and finally conquered and destroyed by the Teutonic Order in 1404. As Lojsta slott has never been subject to archaeological excavation, the identification has remained an open question. This paper reports a recent underwater archaeological survey carried out in the waters around Lojsta slott, consisting of fieldwork that has included sampling for dendrochronological analysis. The dendrochronological results match the written sources very well and thus confirm the assumption that Lojsta slott is the stronghold of Gullborg mentioned in written sources. Moreover, the survey reveals that the underwater environment in the area has great archaeological potential.