Characterizing the Deceased Mariners of the Swedish Warship Vasa: An Analysis of Personal Possessions Found in Association with Human Remains

Summary

Countless studies have been conducted in reference to shipboard life.  Historians have often considered the daily diaries, journals, and correspondences of the individuals who partook of this lifestyle.  Meanwhile, archaeologists have considered personal chests of seamen, officers’ cabins, and personal materials scattered across wrecks, but few have considered personal property found with skeletal remains.  The reason for this lack of investigation is the preservation of materials.  Vasa is an exceptional find.  A majority of the deceased individuals are still close to their original location of death and personal belongings are in their context of use.  Researchers have the rare opportunity to interpret the material culture as it was 390 years ago, characterizing seventeenth-century Swedish seamen.  This particular study examines thirteen Vasa sailors and their personal possessions.  The primary goals are to identify the distinctive features of a typical sailor aboard the Vasa and to determine those features’ historical significance. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• Understanding Seventeenth Century Maritime Culture: Current Research on the Swedish Warship Vasa of 1628

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 351