On behalf of the County Administrative Board of Blekinge County, maritime archaeologists at the Museum of Wrecks examined six supposed ancient remains in Lyckebyfjärden near Karlskrona in the spring of 2021. Already back in 1995, a barrier installation was discovered in the south part of Lyckebyfjärden. During the dives last spring, the archaeologists were able to establish that they had found traces of another barrier on the seabed north of this one, between the islands of Hästö and Länsman.
A forest of piles
When the maritime archaeologists were looking for a shipwreck somewhere between the islands of Verkö and Länsman, their pulse began to race. What seemed like an entire forest of heavily eroded piles suddenly greeted them.
“It’s amazing to discover an unknown piling barrier that is so intact,” says Jim Hansson, maritime archaeologist at the museum.
The piles turned out to be mainly made of oak that had either been split or radially cracked. This is a method that avoids sawing off the fibres in the wood in order to better maintain strength.
“It made us realise that the barrier must be very old, given that from the 16th and 17th centuries onwards oak was increasingly rare. Several wood samples were taken in the hope of getting a good age determination.”
Felled during the winter of 1113
The dives ended – but not the curiosity about what the test results would reveal.
“When the dates came in, I was so nervous,” Hansson says. “But when I read the answer, happiness just washed over me. The piles had been felled during the winter of 1113 – unbelievable!” he exclaims.
Both barriers date to the early 1110s. The one found in 1995 likely also dates back to the 12th century. Previous C-14 dating (C-14 is a slightly less accurate dating tool) indicated the 11th century.
“There are thousands of piles that blocked off the straits heading in to Lyckeby,” Hansson says. “The fact that they built such large and extensive installations reveals the importance of the area. We can assume that there was activity in the area from the end of the Viking Age! Maybe the iron exports are what they wanted to protect, or was it protection against pirates?” he mused.
“This is a key piece of the puzzle in Blekinge’s history,” says Karl-Oskar Erlandsson, antiquarian at Blekinge County Administrative Board. “It reveals the living conditions during the tumultuous political era when Denmark and Sweden took shape as nations. We are thus pleased to have contributed to an increased understanding of what is hidden at the bottom of the sea.”
FACTS
What is an underwater barrier?
A barrier installation, often called a piling barrier, is a wooden structure that was used to prevent ships from sailing into a port or passing through a key strategic sea lane. Usually, the barriers were built using wooden piles driven vertically into the seafloor and protruding upwards, ending just below or above the water’s surface.
The barrier could be supplemented with blockships, booms or chains. Although it is unclear how these were installed, a description by Olaus Magnus from the 1550s tells us how structures were made for driving the piles into the seabed from the ice. The identity of the barrier’s builders in Lyckebyfjärden remains unknown.
Blekinge’s early history
Several barrier installations have been found in Blekinge, some from the early Middle Ages. Blekinge became part of the Danish church’s dominion at the end of the 11th century, under the Bishop of Lund. According to Adam of Bremen, the residents of Blekinge became Christianised in the 1070s.
The Danish king’s power over Blekinge was bolstered in parallel with the church’s at the end of the 11th century. Written sources show that the Danish king had properties in the eastern part of Blekinge as early as 1182. We can see quite certain evidence of Denmark’s power in the 1230s in the Danish Census Book, commissioned during the reign of King Valdemar.
Several of these barrier installations can probably be linked to the need of Danish kings and other powerful men to control the sea lanes as well as their interests on land. Iron was extracted from morassy ore and swampy ore in the forests, and exported from the Lyckeby area as early as the 12th century. From the 1100s until the mid-15th century, iron was one of the area’s most important export products.
Contact
For questions, please contact:
Jim Hansson, maritime archaeologist, Vrak. jim.hansson@smtm.se or
+46 (0)70-929 95 69
Mikael Fredholm, maritime archaeologist Vrak. mikael.fredholm@smtm.se or +46 (0) 0767-24 25 45
Karl-Oskar Erlandsson, antiquarian, Länsstyrelsen Blekinge län.
Karl-Oskar.Erlandsson@lansstyrelsen.se or +46 (0)10-224 02 27.
Cecilia Eriksson, communications officer, Vrak. cecilia.eriksson@smtm.se or
+46 (0)76-607 58 78
Vrak – Museum of Wrecks
The Museum of Wrecks is a new museum dedicated to telling the history of the unique wrecks and remains in the Baltic Sea. The museum is a sister museum to the Vasa Museum in Stockholm and the Naval Museum in Karlskrona, and part of the state-run National Maritime and Transport Museums. Nowhere else in the world are there as many well-preserved wooden shipwrecks as in the Baltic Sea. The Museum of Wrecks brings their stories to the surface, while leaving the wrecks themselves and their objects on the seafloor where they are best preserved. The museum serves as a hub for shipwrecks, new discoveries and research throughout the Baltic Sea region.
Films (free use)
Film showing the 1000 year old wooden poles
(Patrik Höglund, maritime archaeologist from Vrak – Museum of Wrecks talks)
Download link, wooden poles. Vrak/SMTM:
https://streamio.com/api/v1/videos/620b9ec26f8d8da148000002/public_download
Film showing the pile barrier underwater
(Maritime archaeologist from Vrak – Museum of Wrecks investigate 1000 year old ancient remains in Lyckebyfjärden near Karlskrona).
Download link barrier underwater, Vrak/SMTM: https://streamio.com/api/v1/videos/620bb07f6f8d8d3112000002/public_download
