(AGENPARL) – Thu 15 May 2025 Pressmeddelande
New discoveries at the Vasa wreck site following recent dives
Publicerad: 15 maj 2025 08:45
Fotograf/Källa: Photo: Jim Hansson, Vrak/SMTM
More than 60 years after Vasa was raised from the waters of Stockholm, the search for the ship’s missing parts continues. Recent dives at the site where Vasa sank have revealed several exciting new discoveries.
Under the direction of maritime archaeologists from Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, a series of advanced investigations have been conducted in the so-called Vasa Pit— the site where Vasa sank in 1628. Among the finds are log anchors, barrel fragments, a timber piece that may have belonged to a crow’s nest, and a rounded object with what appears to be a mouth.
“The object with the mouth lies silently on the seabed, about 30 metres down, and it’s definitely something we want to look at more closely,” says Jim Hansson, maritime archaeologist at Vrak and project manager for the investigations.  “We’re eager to learn more about these objects and carry out further analysis. In particular, we hope to recover and analyse the piece that may be part of a crow’s nest.”
A crow’s nest from the bowsprit?
A crow’s nest is a platform mounted high on a ship’s mast and is used as a work station for sailors. Fred Hocker, head of research at the Vasa Museum, says that the shape of the timber piece recently found in the Pit closely resembles the internal structure of such platforms.
“This could be a part of the crow’s nest that was once on Vasa’s bowsprit, so it’s a significant discovery,” says Hocker. “Neither the bowsprit nor the crow’s nest that was attached to it has been recovered, so this find can offer valuable insights into how the original was designed.”
The next step in the search for Vasa’s missing parts
It’s clear that the great puzzle of Vasa is still incomplete — but the newly discovered pieces may help fill in some of the gaps.
“We now hope to explore the area further and locate additional parts of the ship that are still missing,” says Jenny Lind, director of the Vasa Museum. “With the 400th anniversary of Vasa coming up in 2028, it would be wonderful to have recovered more of these lost objects by then.”
The latest investigations at the Pit have taken place in three phases. First, geophysical mapping was carried out using Stockholm University’s research vessel R/V Electra, which employed advanced sonar technology to produce a detailed 3D image of the seabed.
This was followed by an underwater survey using an ROV — an underwater robot — deployed in collaboration with the Swedish Navy and their vessel HMS Belos. Finally, maritime archaeologists from Vrak examined the site and its finds during a series of dives.
“When we dive, we can detect things that technology simply can’t reveal,” says Jim Hansson.
“And there’s no substitute for the human eye and hand when it comes to verifying discoveries, examining objects and understanding how they were used. Thanks to these investigations, we now have a more complete picture of the Vasa shipwreck site than ever before. We can even trace all the movements the ship made before it was finally raised. These are, quite literally, the footprints of the Vasa ship!”
For further information, pictures and videos, please contact:
Jim Hansson,
Maritime archaeologist at Vrak and project manager for the investigations
Bifogade filer
 Fact Box – The Vasa Pit
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