Extracted from the frigid Baltic Sea, this 17th-century warship is nearly perfectly preserved.

In th? 1620s, Kin? G?st?v?s A??l?h?s ?? Sw???n ??????? th? c?nst??cti?n ?? ? n?w w??shi? t? ???t?ct his citiz?ns. Th? w??shi? w?s n?m?? V?s? ?n? its c?nst??cti?n w?s h???i?? ?s th? Sw???s w???? w?? in th?s? ????s with th? n?w-hist??ic ?i-c?n??????ti?n ?ntit? ??i?n?? ?? ?n? m?n??ch–th? P?lish-Lith??ni?n C?mm?nw??lth.

V?s?’s ???t ??w.

A?t?? its c???ti?n, with s?v???l s????l?tiv?s, th? V?s? w??shi? w?s ??sc?i??? ?s ??in? th? l????st ?n? m?st c????l? ??ttl?shi? ?t th? ?is??s?l ?? th? Sw??ish n?v?.

Th? shi? c?m? t? s?m??liz? Sw???n’s G???t P?w?? P??i??, in which th? N???ic c??nt?? c?nt??ll?? m?st ?? th? B?ltic S?? ?n? ?????? its st?t?s ?s ?n? ?? E?????’s m?st ??w????l kin???ms.

W??shi? in V?s? m?s??m in St?ckh?lm

Th? shi?’s ???????nc? w?s st?nnin?, m??s??in? 226 ???t in l?n?th, 164 ???t in h?i?ht, ?n? w?i?h?? m??? th?n 1,200 t?ns. With s?m? 64 c?nn?ns inst?ll?? ?n it, it ???mis?? wh??v?? t?i?? t? m?ss with V?s? w??l? ??c? s??i??s c?ns????nc?s. As it t??n?? ??t, it n?v?? c?m? t? th?t.

Th? shi?, ???inst ?v????n?’s ?x??ct?ti?ns, ???v?? t? ?? ??lli?l? ?n? ??c?? ?n ?n? th?t mi?ht ??sil? ??min? ????l? ?? th? st??? ?? th? RMS Tit?nic. V?s? ?i? n?t hit ?n ic????? ??t still i?n?mini??sl? s?nk ?n its v??? ?i?st j???n??.

It w?s ?n ?m?????ssin? inci??nt, ?v??s??n ?? c??w?s ?? Sw???s wh? h?? ??th???? ?t th? ???t ?? St?ckh?lm ???m wh??? th? shi? s?t s?ils t?w???s th? ???n s??s ??? th? v??? ?i?st ?n? l?st tim? ?n A???st 10, 1628.

Th??? w??? ?ls? ???min?nt ???sts in th? ?nl??kin? c??w?, incl??in? ????ls ?n? ?m??ss????s ???m ?th?? c??nt?i?s. H?vin? n?t s?il?? ?v?n ?n? n??tic?l mil?, th? mi?ht? w??shi? s????nl? ?l?n??? int? th? w?t??. Acc??nts ??int t? ?????s h????nin? ???in? c?nst??cti?n. Th? v?ss?l w?s th? w??k ?? ? D?tch shi???il???. Th? c?nt??ct w?s si?n?? ???l? in th? ???? 1625 ?n? V?s? w?s ?n? ?? ???? v?ss?ls ?????? ?n th? list with shi???il??? H?n?ik H????tss?n.

Th? ??i?in?l ????n??m?nt w?s t? h?v? tw? sm?ll?? ?n? tw? ?i???? v?ss?ls. H????tss?n ?i?? sh??tl? ??t?? ?n???t?kin? th? ???j?ct, ?n? th? c?nst??cti?n ?????t w?s t?k?n ?v?? ?? his ?ssist?nt, H?in J?k??ss?n.

Ill?st??ti?n ???m ? t???tis? ?n s?lv??in? ???m 1734, sh?win? th? t???iti?n?l m?th?? ?? ??isin? ? w??ck with th? h?l? ?? ?nch??s ?n? shi?s ?? h?lks ?s ??nt??ns, ??sic?ll? th? s?m? m?th?? th?t w?s ?s?? t? ??is? V?s? in th? 20th c?nt???.

C?nst??cti?n ?l?ns w??? ??vi??sl? m??i?i??, ?s V?s?, which w?s s????s?? t? ?? ?n? ?? th? tw? sm?ll?? shi?s, ???????? t? ?? ?ittin? th? ??i? ?? tw? ?i???? shi?s ???n c?m?l?ti?n. Th? shi? c?m? ??t m?ch h??vi?? th?n ?l?nn??. It ?ls? c???i?? ?xt?? w?i?hts s?ch ?s h?n????s ?? sc?l?t???s ?n? ?t l??st 100 t?ns ?? ??ll?st.

M??? ?vi??nc? sh?ws th?t th? Sw???s h?? th? w??shi? t?st?? ?n? n?tic?? s?m?thin? w?s w??n? with it, ??t ?n??? th? ??sh? ??m?n?s ?? th? kin?, V?s? w?s ???m?t???l? s?il?? int? th? ???n s?? ?n? t?w???s its ???m?t??? ???m.

Th? ???s??v?? V?s? in th? m?in h?ll ?? V?s? M?s??m s??n ???m ???v? th? ??w.

A st??n? ??st ?? win? w?s ?n???h t? ?v??t??n th? v?ss?l. Wh?n th? w?t?? ????n t? ?nt??, ?ll it t??k w?s ? ??w min?t?s ??? it t? sink 105 ???t ??l?w th? s????c?.

Th? Sw???s w??? ??ick t? ?ismiss ?n? ?????t V?s?. This w?s t? ?? th?i? n?w ??v???it? w?? t?? ?n? n?ti?n?l ??i?? ?n? j??, ??t it n?w l?? s?nk ?n th? ??tt?m ?? th? ?c??n ?n its m?i??n v?????. It w?s ? sc?n??l th?t h??t th? ????t?ti?n ?? th? kin???m, ?s w?ll ?s h?vin? h??? ?c?n?mic ?????c?ssi?ns. V?s? h?? c?st?? ? ???t?n?.

Whil? ?n inv?sti??ti?n w?s ?sh???? in imm??i?t?l? ??t?? th? shi? s?nk, littl? c??l? ?? ??n?. Th? m?in shi???il??? h?? ?l????? ???n ???? ??? ?v?? ? ????.

Ill?st??ti?n ?? ? Sw??ish Em?????s: G?st?v V?s?, G?st?v A??l?, D??nnin? Ch?istin?, A. Ox?nsti??n?, Ch??l?s G?st?v, Ch??l?s IX, T??st?ns?n

Th??? w??? ?????ts t? ??c?v?? V?s? ???m th? s???l??? imm??i?t?l?, ??t th? t?sk s??m?? im??ssi?l? with th? limit?? t?chn?l??? ?? th? tim?. B? th? 1660s, ? ????? ?? ?iv??s w?s ??l? t? ??t?i?v? th? c?nn?ns, ?sin? ?n ???l? m???l ?? th? ?ivin? ??ll. Th? shi?w??ck w?s ?v?nt??ll? l??t ???n??n?? ?n? ?????tt?n…?ntil th? mi?-20th-c?nt???.

In 1961, ? ??w ????s ??t?? th? shi?w??ck w?s ???isc?v???? ?n? i??nti?i?? ?s th? l?st 17th-c?nt??? V?s? v?ss?l, Sw???n ?in?ll? m?n???? t? ??c?v?? it. Alth???h V?s? h?? ??? c?nt??i?s ??m?in?? s??m????? in th? s??, ???n its ?????????nc? it s??m?? ??sitiv?l? in ??istin? c?n?iti?n.

Th? ?n???w?t?? ??siti?n wh??? it h?? s?nk w?s k??. Th? w?t?? w?s ???k ?n???h t? st?? ?lt??vi?l?t li?ht ???m ???t???in? ?n? ????ctin? th? shi?’s w???. Th? chill? t?m????t??? ?? th? B?ltic w?s ?ls? s??thin?, ???v?ntin? ?n? ???i? ??t??i???ti?n ???c?ss?s.

Th? insi?? ?? th? l?w?? ??n ??ck l??kin? t?w??? th? ??w.

H?vin? s?nk cl?s? ?n???h t? th? h??????, th??? w?s ?n???h ??ll?ti?n in th? w?t?? t? ?l??ch m?st ????sit?s th?t m?? h?v? w?nt?? t? ???st ?n th? w??? ?? th? w??ck.

B?t s?m? ??c??in? iss??s ????n ?nc? th? shi? w?s t?k?n ??t ?? th? w?t??. V?s? ?n???w?nt ??st???ti?n ?t th?t ??int ?n? w?s t???t?? with s??st?nc?s t? ???t?ct th? w???, h?w?v??, l?? ??s???ch l?t?? c?n?i?m?? th?t th? w??? ?? th? shi? w?s st????lin? with ?xt??m?l? sl?w, ?n??in? ?i??? ???????ti?n.

V?s? w??shi? c?n?n h?tch?s ??t?il

Th??? is n? th???t ?? imm??i?t? c?ll??s?, ??t this h?s ??m?in?? ? m?j?? ?cc???ti?n ??? c?ns??v?ti?nists wh? ??? still l??kin? ??? th? ??st w?? t? st?? th? ?isk? ???c?ss.

Sh??l? th? V?s? m?s??m wh??? th? shi?w??ck is ??m??sl? ?is?l???? in St?ckh?lm ?ll?w its ??im? ?xhi?it t? ???ish ??? th? s?c?n? tim?, it w??l? ?? ? h??? n?ti?n?l l?ss. Th? V?s? ???s ? l?n? w?? ?n? h?s ? s??ci?l hist??? with th? Sw???s ?s w?ll ?s ??in? ?n? ?? th? ??st-???s??v?? hist??ic?l shi?s in ?ll ?? th? w??l?.