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Finders of medieval Swedish warship face charges

Submitted by Editor on Mon, 21/11/2011 - 00:36
The chief attorney at the Swedish National Heritage board plan to report the discoverers of the Swedish 17th century warship Svärdet to the Police for keeping the location secret. The Swedish Historical Artifacts Act states that finds must be reported to the authorities.
Credit:   Jonas Dahm/Deep Sea Productions
A cannon protruding from one of the ports on Svärdet ('The Sword')
Ă–stra SmĂĄland och Nyheterna  |  Regalskeppet Svärdets upptäckare polisanmäls    |   01-09-2012
We are reviewing he case and will in due course decide whether there is a suspicion of a crime, says Catherine Sojde.
“

Parliament has decided that findings should be reported as soon as they are made. It does not matter that their findings are located in international waters. Because it is a Swedish ship it belongs to the state

”
—Attorney Catherine Sojde

Carl Douglas who led the team who found Svärdet ('The Sword') counters that the location was kept secret because there is as yet no ways to protect the wreck from looters. And this secrecy is just the sticking point.

There is a suspicion of an archaeological heritage crime. Parliament has decided that findings should be reported as soon as they are made. It does not matter that their findings are located in international waters. Because it is a Swedish ship it belongs to the state, says Catherine Sojde.

The National Heritage Board has no papers or information about the position of the wreck.

Ancient finds on the seabed count as ancient monuments and remains as to the State. Any such findings should be reported directly to County Administrative Board, National Heritage Board and the Coast Guard.

We have no such information, we have no papers at all as regards to Svärdet, says Kjell Hakan Arnell from the Board of Kalmar County.

Deep Sea Productions and the team who found the wreck has released movies and pictures from the dives made ​​at finding place earlier this year.

Primary source ► Regalskeppet Svärdets upptäckare polisanmäls
Further reading â–ş Deepsea Productions: Ancient Warship Discovered
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