The Danish 17th-Century Man-of-War Stora Sofia: Documentation and in situ Preservation

In 2002 Bohuslans museum, Sweden, conducted archaeological recording of the Danish man-of-war Stora Sofia, which foundered in 1645 just outside Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast. This was followed by an in situ preservation project involving a protective covering and a monitoring protocol. After three years of intensive monitoring the results are satisfying. In particular, the wooden samples show obvious differences in deterioration between the exposed outside environment and the newly-protected site. As well as preserving the remains of Stora Sofia, the project also represents the beginning of a more active regional strategy in marine in situ preservation. (C) 2009 The Author