Colossal 600-year-old 'super ship' discovered off coast of Denmark

Archaeologists found the well-preserved remains of a 600-year-old cog, named Svælget 2, in the Sound off Denmark; it measures about 28m by 9m and is reported to be the largest cog yet found, with surviving rigging, a stern castle and a brick galley.

Archaeologists have recovered the well-preserved remains of a medieval 'super ship' off the coast of Denmark. Named Svælget 2 after the channel where it was found, the vessel dates to around 1410 and is identified as a cog, the dominant cargo ship type of the Middle Ages. At about 28 metres long, nine metres wide and six metres high it is reported to be the largest cog yet found. Excavation uncovered features rarely preserved, including traces of rigging, a timber stern castle and a brick-built galley, along with personal items from the crew. Known details: - Name and type: Svælget 2, a cog dated to around 1410. - Dimensions and capacity: about 28 m long, 9 m wide, 6 m high, estimated cargo capacity roughly 300 tonnes. - Location and preservation: excavated at 13 m depth in the Sound (Øresund); a sand covering helped protect upper structures that usually decay. - Unique features: remains of a timber-built stern castle, traces of rigging components, and an early brick-built galley composed of roughly 200 bricks and 15 tiles. - Crew items and provisions: painted wooden bowls, shoes, combs, rosary beads, bronze cooking pots and tableware, plus remains of fish and meat and sticks likely used for stockfish. - Conservation and origin: reported to be built in the Netherlands with timber from Pomerania; ship components are undergoing conservation at the National Museum in Brede. Summary: The discovery offers rare physical evidence about large medieval trading ships and confirms structural features—such as castles and a brick galley—that have been known mainly from illustrations. Researchers say the find provides new material to study ship construction and onboard life in the 1400s. The recovered timbers and artifacts are now in conservation at the National Museum in Brede while study continues.