Skeletal injuries at the royal Swedish warship, Kronan

 

The upper part of a right humerus diaphysis showing several repeated cut marks

        Kronan, was a royal Swedish warship that sunk in 1676 with approximately 600 men and discovered in 1980. 

       The conditions surrounding the area of the wreck allowed for good preservation not only of wood and artefacts but also of human remains. The presence of a considerable quantity of human remains allowed for a collection of approximately 150-200 individuals, mostly comingled. 

       Accordingly to osteological analysis, both cranial elements and postcranial elements show a high number of cut marks and blows, with no sign of healing and similar to injuries made by sharp instruments (e.g. bladed weapons). 

      However, experts involved on the analysis of the human remains agree that such injuries couldn’t have been caused by the explosion that occurred during the sinking of the ship.

Source: During, E. M. (1997). Specific skeletal injuries observed on the human skeletal remains from the Swedish seventeenth century man‐of‐war, Kronan. International journal of osteoarchaeology, 7(6), 591-594.

Photo: Jan Lindberg (During, 1997)