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 off nan 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 nan National Museum of Denmark.

"Fridericus Quartus was group ablaze, while Christianus Quintus had its anchor statement cut, pursuing which nan vessel was wrecked successful nan surf," nan museum's property merchandise noted. "Until now, it has not been clear precisely wherever nan ships were lost."

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

Though nan 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 nan 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 nan wood of nan ships, arsenic good arsenic yellowish bricks that were portion of nan ship's cargo. 

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

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

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"The wood is, moreover, charred and sooty, which confirms what humanities sources opportunity astir 1 of nan ships being group 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, style and patterns of nan pipes propose that they were produced successful nan play correct earlier nan ships became wrecked successful 1710," nan property merchandise added. "Clay pipes were seldom utilized for much than 5 years."

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

Researchers recovered that nan yellowish clay bricks from nan 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," nan depository said.

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

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

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

David Gregory, a marine archaeologist astatine nan National Museum of Denmark, said that nan results fresh "perfectly" pinch humanities accounts astir 1 of nan ships burning.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Not only because it matters greatly to nan section population, but besides because it’s 1 of nan astir melodramatic shipwrecks successful nan history of Denmark, and now we cognize precisely wherever it happened."

"This provides 2 pieces that person been missing from nan history of Denmark."

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