Long-lost warship destroyed by iconic naval commander discovered centuries later: ‘Quite remarkable’

Archaeologists say the Dannebrog was destroyed during the 1801 battle led by Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, seen at right, against Danish-Norwegian defenses.(Vikingeskibsmuseet;VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images)

Some 700 people — the majority of them Danish — were killed in the battle, including at least 56 men aboard the Dannebroge, with 19 more listed as missing.

Pictures from the excavation reveala haunting arrayof artifacts.The items include worn shoes, personal belongings and various everyday items left behind — plus a human lower jaw bone.

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Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist at the Danish Viking Ship Museum, said in a release he was positive the remains matched the description of the Dannebroge.

“The dimensions of the timbers correspond exactly to the drawings of the ship that survive, and the dendrochronological dating matches the vessel’s year of construction in 1772,” said Uldum.

Danish law typically protects shipwrecks from disturbance, but excavation was required due to planned construction in the area.(Vikingeskibsmuseet)

“So we are stating this with a degree of certainty that borders on absolute.… We have found Dannebroge and the remains of those who never made it ashore after the battle.”

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two cannons.

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“Even before the excavation began, the archaeologists knew that they might encounter human remains in the wreck.”

“We have found a number of personal belongings,” he said.“Shoes and fragments of clothing, and various small items the sailors would have carried with them — clay pipes, uniform insignia and weapons.”

Uldum added that, in addition to the jaw bone, his team also discovered “several other bones, including ribs, which could very well be human.”

The find marks what researchers say is the first archaeological examination of a shipwreck from the Battle of Copenhagen.(Vikingeskibsmuseet;Archiv Gerstenberg/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

The Battle of Copenhagen is a defining moment inDanish history,and played a part in shaping the nation’s identity — making the excavation especially significant for the country.

“Although the battle is a central event in Danish history, no one, to my knowledge, has examined it archaeologically until now,” said Uldum.“That is actually quite remarkable.”

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The reason is Denmark’s long-standing policy ofleaving historic shipwrecks undisturbedunless they are threatened, said Morten Johansen, the head of maritime archaeology at the Viking Ship Museum.

�disturb, touch or remove material from these wrecks without permission.”

Archaeologists recovered human remains and cannonballs from the wreck of the Dannebrog, a warship destroyed during Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s 1801 attack on Copenhagen.(Vikingeskibsmuseet)

“The current archaeological work is taking place solely because the wreck lies within an area affected by planned construction,” he noted.“When development threatens protected cultural heritage, Danish legislation requires archaeological investigations to be carried out.”

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“In other words, it is not a lack of interest or awareness that explains why this is the firstarchaeological excavationof a shipwreck from the Battle of Copenhagen.”