The Rebirth Of The Kings Ship

The Rebirth of the Kings Ship the Magnificent Vasa Logan Leslie Eastvold Anth 200 World Prehistory April 28, 2009 Dr. Melinda Leach

Vasa’s Short Voyage •The Vasa was build at the Skeppsgården shipyard •Once she was finished in 1628 she was moved to Gamla Stan just below the Royal Castle for its official send off •On the morning of August 10th the Vasa the docks below the Castle, on its first voyage. •By 5 pm that evening the Great warship rested at the bottom of the harbor.

Map from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Voyage_of_the_V asa_2.svg/ 686px-Voyage_of_the_Vasa_2.svg.png

Anders Franzén •Anders Franzén discovered the Vasa in August of 1956. 333 years after she sank. •He searched the area he believed to be the general area of the ship with grapnels and wire sweeps. •Following the find public interest in the possibility of raising the ship were almost immediate.

http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/content/Vasamuseet/InEn glish/Exhibitions/salvaging.aspx

Save the Vasa! The spring of 1957 a

group was put together to try to come up with possible ways to raise the ship. The Neptune Salvage Company offered there services free of charge if Swedish Navy divers were willing to do the under water work.

Franzén, Anders. (1974). p32

Lift 7 tunnels were dug threw the mud underneath

the Vasa 1,600 yards of cable, connected to pontoons on each side Due to the size and weight of the ship the actual lifting had to be carried out in 18 different painstaking lifts. Each time pulling the cables tight, lifting the Vasa off the sea floor and moving her forward in to shallower water and relaxed the cables.

The real work begins Once her upper decks

was above the water salvagers and archeologist began there work. The salvagers went to work on making the Vasa water tight, in preparation for her final journey. Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006) Plate III-4

Cleaning Out the Mud

Top: attempting to measure the inside of the hold with water raining down from above.  Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006) Plate III-3 Left: Working on dismantling the gun carriages. Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006) Plate III-13

64 Bronze Cannons •52 of the original 64 Bronze cannons were recovered in 1664 and Hans Albrekt von Treileben and Andreas Peckell •The other 12 cannons were found when the ships were recovered and are now on display at the Vasa Museum

Top: One of the Vasa cannons that was not removed in 1664. Photo from the online exhibit Unique Photos of the Vasa. http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/content/Vasamuseet/InEnglish/Exhibitions/Photo/CampaignFirstPage.aspx# Right: Restored cannon on display at the Vasa Museum. http://www.galenfrysinger.com/vasa_ship_museum_stockholm.htm

Artifacts – 35,000 total!

Left: klippingar, small square copper coins of low domination Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006). Plate III-7 Top Center: woolen jacket found in a chest in the upper gun deck. Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006). Plate III-8 Top Right: Small wooden tankard. Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006). Plate III-9

Permanent Home •The Vasa’s Permanent home was officially opened on June 15, 1990. •The Vasa Museum has welcomed over 16 million visitors threw its doors.

Above: Vasa Museum in summer. Photo from Focus on Sweden. http://www.objectif-suede.com/index_en.php Bottom left: Vasa Museum in winter. Matz, Erling (1999) p. 162

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RYqW2uloQdk/R1HTw6QUQFI/AAAAAAAAC3w/uQ5ulnfDv1w/DSC_1607.JPG.

Repainted models of a number of the sculptures found on the ocean floor around the ship
What did the Vasa look like new?

Photos of the model on display at the Vasa museum. http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/content/Vasamuseet/InEnglish/Exhibitions/vasa_model.aspx

What did the Vasa look like new?

Photos of the model on display at the Vasa museum. http://www.vasamuseet.se/InEnglish/Exhibitions/vasa_model/closeup_model.aspx Left: Stern. Top right: Lower quarter gallery. Lower right: Beakhead starboard.

Problems and Preservation Size !

M old

Amount of artifacts

Steel Bolts

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/4171436.jpg

Opening 2009 Bevara Vasa - Preserve Vasa  A new exhibit opening this summer focusing on

the mistakes that have been made since the Vasa was raised.

 Including the steel bolts and the problems with

preserving a wooden structure of such magnificent size.

References Cited Unique Photos of the Vasa [Photos]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from Vasa Museum Web site: http://www.vasamuseet.se/sitecore/content/Vasamuseet/InEnglish/Exhibitions/Photo/CampaignFirstPage.aspx Vasa Ship Museum [Photos]. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.galenfrysinger.com/vasa_ship_museum_stockholm.htm The Vasa Museum. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.vasamuseet.se/InEnglish/about.aspx MapMaster. (2007, September). Voyage of the Vasa 2. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Voyage_of_the_Vasa_2.svg/ 686pxVoyage_of_the_Vasa_2.svg.png Matz, Erling(1999). Glorious Vasa: The magnificent ship and 17th century Sweden. [Kim Loughran]. Fälth & Hässler: Värnamo, Sweden. Cederlund, Carl Olof. (2006). Vasa I The Archaeology of a Swedish Warship of 1628. National Maritime Museums of Sweden: Sweden. 2007-09-26 the vasa museum. Photograph. 9 Sept. 2007. PICASA. Google. 23 Apr. 2009 . Vasa side. Photograph. 23 Apr. 2009 . Vasa Sculptures. Photograph. 31 Aug. 2006. Webshots Travel . 23 Apr. 2009 http://image53.webshots.com/653/6/92/13/2186692130031401743HAcGYm_fs.jpg. \ Franzén, Anders. (1974). The Warship Vasa. P.A. Norstedt & Söners Förlag: Stockholm.