Invasionsfartyget som blev en mjölskuta: identifieringen av ”Dalarövraket” som strussen Bodekull (1661-1678)

In 2003 a well preserved shipwreck was discovered north of Dalarö in the Stockholm Archipelago. Artefacts indicated that the ship sank during the mid or later half of the 17th century. An archaeological survey revealed that even if the vessel was very small it showed many details that are usually found on large sailing warships, such as gun ports along the sides and a lion figure head. Despite the massive attention the wreck has achieved, from researchers, media and others, the original identity of the wreck has remained an open question until now. In the preserved minutes and letters of the Swedish Admiralty kept in the Military Archives reveal that the Swedish king Karl X Gustav ordered a number of small vessels to be used for transport of horses and soldiers in his war against Denmark in 1659. After the unpredicted death of the king, the campaign against Denmark was cancelled and the unfinished ships were rebuilt in different ways. One of these was Bodekull, which was built under supervision of the newly recruited English Master Shipwright Thomas Day between 1659 and 1661. As the design was changed during construction, several unique details, that are also visible on the wreck, are mentioned in the preserved correspondence between the shipyard and the Admiralty. In October 1678 the Bodekull was sent from Kalmar to grind cereals ata mill along the coast. Despite his instructions he sailed to Fagerholmen in the Stockholm archipelago. On its way back the ship hit a rock and sank. 20 barrels of water soaked flour was sent to Stockholm. This article summarizes the archival research that has led to the identification of the ship.