Researchers surveying the seabed at Siglufjörður in North Iceland have located nine shipwrecks, along with underwater traces believed to have been left by a major avalanche more than a century ago.
The discoveries were made during research into the fjord’s underwater cultural heritage. Archaeologist Ragnar Edvardsson says the condition of the wrecks suggests archaeological remains can survive remarkably well beneath Icelandic waters.
What’s the Story?
- Researchers have located nine shipwrecks on the seabed at Siglufjörður.
- The survey also found traces believed to be connected to a major avalanche in 1919.
- Among the wrecks is Tordenskjold, a former Danish warship later used during Siglufjörður’s herring era.
History Beneath the Harbour
The wrecks date from the 20th century and offer a submerged record of Siglufjörður’s maritime and industrial history.
Among them is Tordenskjold, a former Danish warship that eventually found a rather different purpose in North Iceland. After its military service ended, the vessel was used for herring storage in Siglufjörður before being sunk in the fjord.
The ship has been hiding in plain sight for some time. Iceland Review reported the discovery of the wreck of Tordenskjold in 2012, when professional diver Erlendur Guðmundsson located the vessel after working with the local Herring Era Museum to find it.
The wider survey now places Tordenskjold within a much larger underwater archaeological landscape.
Siglufjörður was once the centre of Iceland’s booming herring industry, which transformed the small northern town and played an important role in Iceland’s economic development. The Herring Era Museum now preserves the buildings, boats and artefacts left behind by the industry.
Researchers also detected evidence on the seabed that they believe may have been left by a large avalanche in 1919. The finding could provide another source of information about the natural disasters that have shaped the settlement and landscape around the fjord.
Ragnar said the survey had also challenged assumptions about how well archaeological remains survive in Icelandic waters. The condition of the finds suggests the seabed may preserve more of Iceland’s maritime history than previously thought.
Source: Vísir
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