Understanding Seventeenth Century Maritime Culture: Current Research on the Swedish Warship Vasa of 1628

On August 10, 1628, as onlookers watched in dismay, the newest and most powerful warship in Northern Europe, a symbol of the prestige and power of Sweden and Sweden’s King Gustav II Adolf, heeled over and sank in Stockholm Harbor. At least 30 people lost their lives as Vasa, sails set, descended to the harbor bottom. In 1961, the Vasa was salvaged and fully excavated, uncovering over 40,000 discrete artifacts. Since 2003, scientists and volunteers of the Vasamuseet have continually documented, researched, and analyzed the warship and its associated artifacts. These materials prove invaluable in revealing key information on not only 17th century shipbuilding techniques and naval warfare but also everyday life at sea and on land in the early 1600s. This session will explore current research on Vasa, including recent analyses on ship construction and decoration, the ship’s weaponry and storage, and the human and faunal remains found aboard.