A shipwreck discovered during the search for discarded wartime munitions in Norway’s Lake Mjøsa has been identified as a local vessel from 700 years ago. However, adverse weather has hindered researchers from further investigation until the end of October 2024 when the team plans to return to the site.
The wreck lies at a depth of approximately 400 meters and was detected by an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) in 2022 while mapping the lake for the Norwegian military.
Maritime archaeologist Øyvind Ødegård from NTNU reported that he and his colleagues explored the wreck for about an hour using a remotely operated underwater vehicle.
The shipwreck discovered in 2022 in the deep waters of Lake Mjøsa, Norway. (Photo: NTNU).
Technical issues and bad weather have prevented researchers from using underwater drones to collect wood samples for radiocarbon dating, so the exact age of the wreck remains unknown. However, Ødegård mentioned that several visible features of the wreck suggest the ship was built around 1300 to 1700.
The researchers believe that this mysterious vessel is a “føringsbåt”, used for transporting goods and passengers. Such boats were widely utilized on Norway’s lakes, as their flat-bottomed design made them unsuitable for open sea navigation.
This particular ship was constructed with a vertical stern and may have had a central rudder at the back for steering, unlike Viking ships which employed a side-mounted steering oar.
The wreck, measuring 10 meters in length, is covered in sediments. The wooden planks in the hull are relatively wide—indicating they were likely cut with an axe rather than sawed in a shipyard.
Ødegård stated that the wreck currently rests on the bottom of Lake Mjøsa in deep, calm waters, but the lake’s surface in that area experiences strong currents. These currents have repeatedly hindered researchers’ access to the wreck and may have contributed to the ship’s sinking.
