Researchers Shed New Light on a 15th-Century 'Floating Castle' Packed With Guns

In the late 1400s, Europeans started crossing the Atlantic and colonizing much of the world. Two factors, among others, played an important role in European nations’ successful propagation: ships and guns.

In a study published this summer in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, researchers shed light on the late medieval artillery aboard the Gribshunden , the royal Danish-Norwegian flagship that sank over five centuries ago off the coast of Sweden. The wreck represents the best-preserved ship from the Age of Exploration, the iconic and brutal time period of European world dominance that began with Christopher Columbus’ 1492 voyage and ended in the 17th century.

“ Gribshunden is a rare archaeological resource. It is the most complete example yet discovered of a lat