The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark,<\/a> announced in a release this month that its researchers uncovered the remains of the Dannebroge, a blockship destroyed during the Battle of Copenhagen on April 2, 1801.<\/p>\n The ship’s remnants were found ahead of construction of the Lynetteholm project, and its discovery was announced on the 225th anniversary of the battle.<\/p>\n ANCIENT ROMAN SOLDIER’S MONTHLY PAYCHECK UNEARTHED IN PRISTINE CONDITION IN COUNTRYSIDE<\/a><\/p>\n The vessel, representing Danish-Norwegian forces, attempted to protect the city of Copenhagen before it was “heavily hit, caught fire and ultimately exploded,” during the attack by the British, the museum said.<\/a><\/p>\n The battle was fought during the Napoleonic Wars, as Britain attacked Denmark to break a neutral alliance with other European powers that threatened British naval supremacy.<\/p>\n Archaeologists say the Dannebrog was destroyed during the 1801 battle led by Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, seen at right, against Danish-Norwegian defenses. (Vikingeskibsmuseet; VCG Wilson\/Corbis via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Some 700 people \u2014 the majority of them Danish \u2014 were killed in the battle, including at least 56 men aboard the Dannebroge, with 19 more listed as missing.<\/p>\n Pictures from the excavation reveal a haunting array<\/a> of artifacts. The items include worn shoes, personal belongings and various everyday items left behind \u2014 plus a human lower jaw bone.<\/p>\n WINTER STORMS REVEAL POSSIBLE 17TH-CENTURY SHIPWRECK TIED TO ARMED CARIBBEAN VOYAGES<\/a><\/p>\n Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist at the Danish Viking Ship Museum, said in a release he was positive the remains matched the description of the Dannebroge.<\/p>\n “The dimensions of the timbers correspond exactly to the drawings of the ship that survive, and the dendrochronological dating matches the vessel\u2019s year of construction in 1772,” said Uldum.<\/p>\n Danish law typically protects shipwrecks from disturbance, but excavation was required due to planned construction in the area. (Vikingeskibsmuseet)<\/p>\n “So we are stating this with a degree of certainty that borders on absolute. … We have found Dannebroge and the remains of those who never made it ashore after the battle.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n Uldum noted that the seabed is filled with cannonballs and shot \u2014 and excavators even found two cannons<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Even before the excavation began, the archaeologists knew that they might encounter human remains in the wreck.”<\/p>\n “We have found a number of personal belongings,” he said. “Shoes and fragments of clothing, and various small items the sailors would have carried with them \u2014 clay pipes, uniform insignia and weapons.”<\/p>\n Uldum added that, in addition to the jaw bone, his team also discovered “several other bones<\/a>, including ribs, which could very well be human.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n The remains belonged to at least one of the 19 men who were reported missing \u2014 something that officials realized was a possibility before they began diving.<\/p>\n “Even before the excavation began, the archaeologists knew they might encounter human remains in the wreck,” the release noted.<\/p>\n The find marks what researchers say is the first archaeological examination of a shipwreck from the Battle of Copenhagen. (Vikingeskibsmuseet; Archiv Gerstenberg\/ullstein bild via Getty Images)<\/p>\n The Battle of Copenhagen is a defining moment in Danish history,<\/a> and played a part in shaping the nation’s identity \u2014 making the excavation especially significant for the country.<\/p>\n “Although the battle is a central event in Danish history, no one, to my knowledge, has examined it archaeologically until now,” said Uldum. “That is actually quite remarkable.”<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n The reason is Denmark’s long-standing policy of leaving historic shipwrecks undisturbed<\/a> unless they are threatened, said Morten Johansen, the head of maritime archaeology at the Viking Ship Museum.<\/p>\n The archaeologist told Fox News Digital on April 23 that it is illegal to “disturb, touch or remove material from these wrecks without permission.”<\/p>\n Archaeologists recovered human remains and cannonballs from the wreck of the Dannebrog, a warship destroyed during Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s 1801 attack on Copenhagen. (Vikingeskibsmuseet)<\/p>\n “The current archaeological work is taking place solely because the wreck lies within an area affected by planned construction,” he noted. “When development threatens protected cultural heritage, Danish legislation requires archaeological investigations to be carried out.”<\/p>\n![\"Split](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DENMARK-BATTLE-OF-COPENHAGEN-DANNEBROGE-HORATIO-NELSON-ARCHAEOLOGY-DISCOVERY-HISTORY-2.jpeg\")
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