Divers investigating a mysterious underwater structure in Norway may have found the earliest known example of a medieval “whale trap.”
Records dating back as far as 1,100 years appear to describe similar trapping systems, which cetaceans were once herded during the Middle Ages.
“The newly discovered underwater archaeological site is very unusual,” marine archaeologist Elling Utvik Wammer said of the submerged structure, in a recent statement provided to Norwegian science outlet Forskning.no.
An Intriguing Underwater Discovery
Discovered in Grindasundet in the vicinity of the Øygarden archipelago near Bergen, the underwater archaeological site was first revealed following a sonar survey conducted in the region’s waters.
It was evident that the stone structure, measuring greater than 25 meters in length, had been built by humans on the ocean floor.
Divers who investigated the curious discovery were required to dive beneath surface ice covering the stretch of sea in question and were successful in documenting the site, which archaeologists believe was constructed by dropping the stones into place from boats many centuries ago.
Wammer told Forskning.no that for many generations, people continued to trap whales in the bay, using them as a source of food as well as for their bones—a practice that continued up until relatively recent times.
Wammer, a marine archaeologist with the Norwegian Maritime Museum, co-led the recent investigations along with colleagues Svein Vatsvåg Nielsen with the Stavanger Maritime Museum, as well as Anders Schouw of the Bergen Maritime Museum—all of whom are members of the Inter-regional Marine Archaeological Co-operation (IRMAS).
A Discovery Told of in Ancient Records
For more than 1000 years, recorded accounts have described the use of stone-crafted whale traps like the one found at Grindasundet. The structures functioned not unlike what are known as fish weirs, which were V-shaped underwater structures also made from stone (or sometimes using brush or wooden stakes) which were designed to capture fish moving through inland waterways.
In the case of medieval whale traps, large marine animals could be similarly driven into narrow inlets, making the capture of such massive, formidable creatures much easier.
Although their method of construction changed over time, the fundamental of using these whale traps essentially remained in use for centuries.
Additional support for these medieval practices have been found in pits uncovered by archaeologists in the region, which are believed to have been used for processing whale blubber and other materials harvested once one of the creatures was successfully captured.
Based on sonar imagery and other data collected by Wammer and his colleagues, the researchers were able to assemble 3D reconstructions of the underwater site, revealing the ancient whale trap—hidden beneath the ocean surface for centuries—in remarkable detail.
Wammer and his colleagues say the next step will be to publish their findings in a formal capacity, which is expected to occur sometime later this year. In the meantime, additional fieldwork the team plans to do later this summer may help them uncover any similar whale trapping sites in the surrounding region.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.