Archaeology & History

Cheese discovered in 340-year-old shipwreck

By T.K. Randall
July 29, 2016

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) The centuries-old dairy produce was one of several items of cargo being carried by the Kronan - the largest ship of its time - when it sank beneath the Baltic Sea back in 1676.

When marine archaeologists opened the container they knew straight away what was inside.

"When it was opened the first time, it was really overwhelming, in a positive way," said Lars Einarsson who described the smell as being like a mix of yeast and Roquefort."It was smelling 'live,' as opposed to dead organic material, which doesn't smell very nice."

‘We think it's cheese': Divers discover 340-year-old Roquefort in Swedish shipwreck https://t.co/p9AU3OZZAk pic.twitter.com/U526FuVcQw

— National Post (@nationalpost) July 29, 2016

It is believed that the low salinity of the Baltic Sea, combined with the fact that the ship had sank in clay, would have helped to preserve the cheese over the centuries.

"I don't know if anyone is going to taste it," said Einarsson. "We are quite optimistic about getting an analysis of the chemical makeup of the product though."

Source: CBC.ca

Tags: Shipwreck, Cheese