Divers that were searching for the wreck of an 17th century Swedish warship “Kronan” on the bed of the Baltic Sea claim to find a over 300-year old cheese. The ship sank in 1676 off the Swedish coast. The find was sent for tests to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The cheese survived thanks to the chill and low salinity of the Baltic and the fact that it lay under a thick layer of sediment, which protected the pot from corrosion.

The Kronan (Crown) sank off the island of Oeland, southeastern Sweden on June 1, 1676 in a battle with a Danish-Dutch fleet. The ship to capsized and then exploded with only about 40 of the 800 crew surviving. Among the timbers the divers discovered a watertight pot containing a semi-firm 340-year-old “dairy product” smelling of yeast and Roquefort cheese, according to the expedition leader Lars Einarsson.

So far around 80 percent of the estimated site of the Kronan has been explored, revealing a trove of treasure and historical artefacts.
Beside this new discovery around 30,000 items have been brought to the surface so far, including bronze cannon, chests, dishes, navigational instruments and a German-made trumpet, as well as diamonds and gold coins.

(after Seeker)