“For millennia, Gotska Sandön was a meeting place and crossroads for seafarers in the Baltic Sea. The island offered shelter or the opportunity to stock up provisions, perhaps even to trade and exchange goods. There is even reason to believe that the island’s long history also involved piracy and plunder,” says Johan Rönnby, professor of archaeology at Södertörn University.

Dramatic history

Despite its remote location, Gotska Sandön bears the traces of a far more dramatic history than previously thought. Over four years of archaeological research, Rönnby and his colleagues from Uppsala University, Gotland Museum and Västervik Museum have examined finds that demonstrate the island’s strategic importance in the Baltic Sea.

The remains of medieval settlements, graves and, not least, a large amount of silver coins and weapons from the late fourteenth century, have been found at Säludden, on the island’s northeast coast. These objects have raised suspicions that piracy may have been involved. Evidence in the area also suggests that something dramatic – perhaps a battle or shipwreck – occurred here at about that time. In the 1920s, when the beach was blown clean of sand, several entire skeletons were also observed at this location.

“This was a time when piracy and ship hijackings were common on the Baltic Sea. For example, we know that the feared Vitalie brothers were plundering the Baltic Sea at this time, and that they used weapons and had coins of the type we have found. We have also found the remnants of a medieval ship, a cog, perhaps a shipwreck that is linked to what happened at the site,” says Rönnby.

Provides a clearer picture

The project, which started in 2019, aims to study human activities on Gotska Sandön from a longer perspective, obtaining clearer ideas about the older objects that have found and providing more accurate dates for previously observed remains and sites. It had been over a century since this small island was last the subject of an archaeological survey and the new results are available in the report Gotska Sandön – Arkeologiska studier 2019–2024 External link. (in Swedish).

Landscape shaped by waves and wind

Gotska Sandön is located 40 kilometres north of Fårö, covers about 3,600 hectares and has miles of beaches, high sand dunes and pine forests. The landscape has been shaped by waves, wind and the human presence on the island. Its location also adds weight to the researchers’ description of the site as a crossroads.

“From a marine perspective, the island does not seem particularly isolated. On the contrary, it is fairly centrally situated in the large space of the Baltic Sea. If you are looking for the shortest possible route across the open sea, then the passage between Fårö and Sandön is the most natural route past Gotland. In addition, the Baltic Sea is known for its short, choppy, high waves that can be troublesome for smaller boats, strengthening the theory that the island was a place to seek shelter,” says Rönnby.

There has been a great deal of interest in the finds from the island. Why do you think this is?

“I think people are fascinated by old coins and shipwrecks. Finds and artefacts bring history alive.”

What is it that attracts you to Gotska Sandön?

“I’m happy to admit that I like adventure – and Sandön is a very exciting place. Also, islands are fun, because the area is so limited that you can get an overall picture, unlike areas on the mainland. Now I’m looking forward to stage two, going further back and investigating the sites that have finds from prehistoric times. Stone Age hunters, Bronze Age ships and Vikings all visited Gotska Sandön. But, of course, I want to see if there is more of the pirate cog there too, it’s a remarkable find,” concludes Rönnby.