Treasures on the Sea Floor

The Nordic Design of the Iron Age
Introduction Jewellery as Form of Personal Expression
Hoards from the Roman Iron Age – Early Viking Age Coinage
Hoards from the Early Viking Period Hoards from the Medieval Period and Later
Hoards from the Late Viking Period Silver on the Gotlandic Farms
The Dragon’s Gold Treasures on the Sea Floor
The Objects Tell a Story More Recent Treasure Tales
 
On the night between 28th and 29th july 1566, one of the worst sea disasters in the history of the Baltic Sea took place. The Nordic seven year war had been raging for 3 years. After battles with the Swedes, part of the Danish-Lübeckian fleet sailed to Visby to bury a noble officer.

The funeral procession had hardly returned to the ships when the storm was upon them. Within the span of a few hours the Danish Lübeckian fleet lost 14 warships and a crew of between 6 000 and 8 000 men.

Sometimes we come uncanningly close to people in the great sea disaster of 1566. Marine archaeologists believe that they have managed to make connections between certain yields from the sea disaster in 1566 and named individuals from the shipwrecks.

Just off Brissund, north of Visby, divers found the

  
handle of a silver dagger, as well as an admiral’s whistle    
and an accumulation of German coins. The position of the objects uncovered indicate that they had been stored together. The German coins would suggest that the ship had been part of the Lübeckian fleet.

In Fredrik II’s Chronicles from 1680, the names of the floundered ships are recorded, as well as their positions along the Visby coast when the storm broke out. Of the Lübeckian ships, the "Josva" would appear to have been placed in the most northerly position. If this is correct the objects would have belonged to someone on board the Josva.

The silver whistle was the sign of an admiral. In Fredrik II:s chronicles, even the names of the higher ranking officers have been recorded. The Admiral of the Josva was Johann Kampferbeck. Even if he lost his valuables, he is reported to have survived that terrifying night in 1566.

  
     

According to the chronicles, the Danish Vice Admiral’s ship, the Hannibal also floundered just south of Visby. Divers have found a few objects, including a silver spoon, off the coast by the former hamp factory/present sewage treatment works. On the reverse of the spoon bowl, initials and heraldic shields are engraved. They could both be connected directly with Hannibal’s Vice Admiral Jens Truidsson Ulfstand and his wife Lisbet Bille. The spoon must have been belonged to him.

Jens Truidsson Ulfstand, contrary to Johann Kampferbeck, lost his life in the waves off Visby.