Viking Ship Museum in Denmark announces the discovery of the largest cog

Summary

Maritime archaeologists from the Viking Ship Museum in Denmark have announced the discovery of what they describe as the world’s largest cog—a medieval cargo vessel built around 1410 and found in the waters (Øresund) between Denmark and Sweden. From the first dive, archaeologists realised the outline beneath the sand was not an ordinary shipwreck. As centuries of silt were cleared away, the scale of the vessel became apparent: approximately 28 metres long, 9 metres wide, and 6 metres high, with an estimated cargo capacity of around 300 tons. That size, researchers say, reflects just how large late medieval trading ships could become—and offers a rare chance to examine construction details that are usually lost when only the lower hull survives. “The find is a milestone for maritime archaeology. It is the largest cog we know of, and it gives us a unique opportunity to understand both the construction and life on board the biggest trading ships of the Middle Ages,” says Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist and excavation leader. The wreck, named Svælget 2 after the channel where it was discovered, was located during seabed investigations connected to Copenhagen’s Lynetteholm development project. A 15th-century ship built for bulk trade Photo courtesy Viking Ship Museum Cogs were among the most important workhorses of late medieval shipping, and Svælget 2 appears to represent the type pushed to an extreme. Otto Uldum argues that a ship of this scale points to a trade system that was already highly organised. “A ship with such a large cargo capacity is part of a structured system where merchants knew there was a market for the goods they carried,” he notes. “Svælget 2 is a tangible example of how trade developed during the Middle Ages.” Cogs could be sailed by a relatively small crew, even when heavily loaded, helping merchants move large volumes efficiently. Larger cogs were built to tackle risky routes, including the hazardous voyage around Skagen, travelling from what ...