Haunting slave ships found off coast of national park 300 years later: 'Very convincing'

Archaeologists precocious made a startling discovery: They recovered that 2 18th-century shipwrecks disconnected the seashore of Central America were really 2 Danish enslaved ships.

The ships, named Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, are located successful shallow waters disconnected Costa Rica's Cahuita National Park. The 18th-century vessels were shipwrecked successful 1710, according to the National Museum of Denmark.

"Fridericus Quartus was acceptable ablaze, portion Christianus Quintus had its anchor enactment cut, pursuing which the vessel was wrecked successful the surf," the museum's property merchandise noted. "Until now, it has not been wide precisely wherever the ships were lost."

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Pictures amusement divers cautiously examining the shipwreck, which shows signs of important decay from the past 315 years.

Though the ships were excavated successful 2023, researchers didn't cognize that they were enslaved ships until recently. The vessels were agelong believed to beryllium pirate ships.

Divers precocious unveiled the findings from an excavation of 2 Danish enslaved ships, Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus. The vessels were agelong believed to beryllium pirate ships. (Jakob Olling / National Museum of Denmark)

The excavation involved, successful part, taking samples from the wood of the ships, arsenic good arsenic yellowish bricks that were portion of the ship's cargo. 

Researchers besides conducted dendrochronological analyses — tree-ring dating — to find wherever the wood came from. They recovered it came from Northern Europe.

"The timbers originate successful the occidental portion of the Baltic Sea, an country that encompasses the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg, arsenic good arsenic Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark and Scania – and that the histrion was chopped down sometime during the years 1690-1695," the merchandise said. 

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"The wood is, moreover, charred and sooty, which confirms what humanities sources accidental astir 1 of the ships being acceptable ablaze."

Divers besides recovered clay pipes, which the depository describes arsenic "ordinary, Dutch-produced pipes that were besides utilized onboard Danish ships."

"This provides 2 pieces that person been missing."

"The size, signifier and patterns of the pipes suggest that they were produced successful the play close earlier the ships became wrecked successful 1710," the property merchandise added. "Clay pipes were seldom utilized for much than 5 years."

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Pictures besides amusement the singular yellowish bricks that survived the shipwreck, which were produced successful Flensburg "for usage successful Denmark and successful the Danish colonies successful the 18th and 19th centuries."

Researchers recovered that the yellowish clay bricks from the shipwreck came from Denmark. (Jakob Olling / National Museum of Denmark)

"In different European countries, different kinds of bricks and stones were successful manner erstwhile caller buildings were erected," the depository said.

"The clay comes from Denmark – rather specifically, from either Iller Strand oregon Egernsund," the connection added.

"Both locations are situated by Flensburg Fjord, which was, successful the 18th century, location to a sizeable brick-producing industry."

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After samples from the excavation were analyzed astatine the National Museum of Denmark and the University of Southern Denmark, researchers concluded the findings corroborate what humanities sources accidental astir the past of the ships.

David Gregory, a marine archaeologist astatine the National Museum of Denmark, said that the results acceptable "perfectly" with humanities accounts astir 1 of the ships burning.

Archaeologists conducted wood-dating analyses connected the remains of the shipwreck to find its age. (Jakob Olling / National Museum of Denmark)

"The analyses are precise convincing and we nary longer person immoderate doubts that these are the wrecks of the 2 Danish enslaved ships," Gregory said. 

"The bricks are Danish and the aforesaid goes for the timbers, which are additionally charred and sooty from a fire. This fits perfectly with the humanities accounts stating that 1 of the ships burnt."

"We nary longer person immoderate doubts that these are the wrecks of the 2 Danish enslaved ships."

National Museum of Denmark marine archaeologist Andreas Kallmeyer Bloch said he'd "come adjacent to giving up" during the agelong probe process – but is stunned by the results.

"This is undoubtedly the craziest archaeological excavation I’ve yet been portion of," Bach said. 

Danish researchers are present definite that the shipwrecks were erstwhile 2 enslaved ships. (John Fhær Engedal Nissen / National Museum of Denmark)

"Not lone due to the fact that it matters greatly to the section population, but besides due to the fact that it’s 1 of the astir melodramatic shipwrecks successful the past of Denmark, and present we cognize precisely wherever it happened."

"This provides 2 pieces that person been missing from the past of Denmark."

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the National Museum of Denmark for further information.