Denmark may have lost the battle, but in Danish history, the defense of Copenhagen was seen by the Danes as something of a victory, said Mr. Johansen. Today, the site of the battle will form part of Lynetteholm, an artificial island off the city’s coast and one of the most ambitious construction projects in modern Danish history. The site will serve as a new residential area, but developers say it is also part of a new battle for Copenhagen, which faces rising tides resulting from climate change.
As part of the construction project, maritime archaeologists have been dispatched to excavate the seabed. When the digging began, the area, about 15 meters below the water’s surface, was covered by darkened harbor mud. “As soon as we moved, it would be a cloud of black in the water,” Mr. Johansen said.
Last year, the museum’s archaeologists discovered a medieval cargo ship, dating back to 600 years ago, whose large size showed the scale of Denmark’s medieval trade. The excavation will end in the next few weeks, and the island will be built over it.
The discovery of the Dannebroge has also shed light on the lives lost during the Battle of Copenhagen. Archaeologists discovered bone fragments, which scientists could match to descendants today, Mr. Johansen said. They also found the “worn-out shoes of the cannoneers,” but fewer boots that would have belonged to officers.
“That tells us there were a lot more casualties among the privates, the normal sailors,” he said.
Bringing the ship up to the surface will be impossible, he said. About 50 years after the battle, and after Copenhagen had been rebuilt, harbor authorities broke the ship up so that it would not be an obstruction in the busy, peacetime port.