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A Shipwreck 'Almost Beyond Belief' Stunned Archaeologists in Norway With Its Cargo of Intact Porcelain Dishes and Luxury Goods
Key takeaways
- Sindre Kinnerød / Flash studio Last fall, Espen Saastad was exploring the Skagerrak strait between Norway and Denmark when he realized he had stumbled upon something special.
- Saastad, a watchmaker who owns a small underwater survey company, got in touch with archaeologists at the Norwegian Maritime Museum, who were floored by his discovery.
- “I had to rub my eyes when I grasped the scale of this find,” says Hanna Geiran, director general of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, in a statement. “It is almost beyond belief.”
Sindre Kinnerød / Flash studio Last fall, Espen Saastad was exploring the Skagerrak strait between Norway and Denmark when he realized he had stumbled upon something special. There, hidden nearly 2,000 feet below the surface, was a shipwreck filled with delicate porcelain dishes. And many of them were still intact.
Saastad, a watchmaker who owns a small underwater survey company, got in touch with archaeologists at the Norwegian Maritime Museum, who were floored by his discovery. They’ve dubbed the unknown vessel the “Porcelain Wreck” and have been investigating it ever since.
“I had to rub my eyes when I grasped the scale of this find,” says Hanna Geiran, director general of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage, in a statement. “It is almost beyond belief.”