How Did a Medieval Spice Cabinet Survive 500 Years Underwater?

[allanyed]

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/spices-500-year-old-shipwreck-baltic

 

[druxey]

Remarkable how the saffron has retained its color!

[allanyed]

As remarkable is that saffron is the most expensive food on earth, far more than even white truffles and caviar. But, a little rice, seafood and saffron and paella on the menu!

Allan

[Jaager]

If I remember it correctly, the Baltic has a relatively low salinity,  its depths have a very low oxygen concentration, it is dark,  it is cold.  Increased pressure lowers the freezing point of water, so the temp can be well below 0 degrees C.    An environment where there is little to breakdown organic molecules.  

I suspect that re-exposure to normal atmosphere and temp will have the forces for natural recycling on afterburners.

[mtaylor]

9 hours ago, Jaager said:

If I remember it correctly, the Baltic has a relatively low salinity,  its depths have a very low oxygen concentration, it is dark,  it is cold.  Increased pressure lowers the freezing point of water, so the temp can be well below 0 degrees C.    An environment where there is little to breakdown organic molecules.  

I suspect that re-exposure to normal atmosphere and temp will have the forces for natural recycling on afterburners.

You and those who explored the wreck and studied the spices are saying the same thing.  

[Chuck Seiler]

    Do we know what kind of ship it was?  Hulk, caravel, carrack?

 

    1495 was only three years after Columbus "discovered" America, but managed to NOT find a route to the Indies (where many of these spices came from).  I don't recall if the Portuguese had established a route around Africa by then, or not.  I don't think so.  As a result, all trade from the spice areas was dominated by the Arabs/Muslims and subject to significant price hikes.  The king and extremely wealthy were likely the only ones to afford them.

[Louie da fly]

Vasco da Gama - first round the Cape of Good hope to India in 1497-1499. So yes, these spices came the traditional way - over land and through several middle men.

 

Gribshunden was a royal carrack, as far as they've been able to make out. She was the king's flagship. But nomenclature varies - as far as I'm aware, what we call a carrack was referred to in Scandinavia as a Kravell (from caravel). Here's her dragon (griffin-hound, actually) figurehead being retrieved from the Baltic:

 

 

Steven