Denmark's Headlines for Monday: A Summary of Daily Developments

Get ready to put the kettle on, folks, because it's a history lesson you don’t want to miss! Today, we're discussing two 300-year-old shipwrecks found off the coast of sunny Costa Rica. But hold onto your hats—these ships weren't your run-of-the-mill pirate vessels; they were actually Danish slave ships bound for the West Indies!

The Danish Slave Ships: Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus

These two ships, named Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, were part of Denmark’s colonial involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. They set sail from Copenhagen in December 1708, bound for the Danish West Indies via West Africa. The purpose? To collect hundreds of enslaved people to transport across the Atlantic.

A Troubled Voyage

The ships’ voyage took a turn for the worse when they inexplicably drifted off course by nearly 2,000 kilometers, leading to mutinies due to shortages of food and water. One ship, the Fridericus Quartus, caught fire, while the Christianus Quintus had its anchor line cut, causing it to drift ashore and wreck in shallow waters in 1710.

identifying the wrecks

Gather round and listen close, because it’s about to get technical! The shipwrecks were first documented in the 1970s, but they were mistakenly thought to be pirate ships. But in 2015, U.S. archaeologists discovered yellow bricks specific to Danish manufacturing, which sparked further investigation. Underwater excavations in 2023 finally confirmed the identity of the wrecks through the analysis of ship timbers, cargo blocks, and clay pipes!

location, location, location

These ships — which have been resting beneath the waves off the coast of Costa Rica for over 300 years — were found in the shallow waters near Cahuita National Park on the Caribbean coast. The confirmation of their identities was announced by the National Museum of Denmark in April 2025.

Danish Slave Trade: A Dark Chapter in Denmark's History

This discovery serves as a stark reminder of Denmark's role in human trafficking and the slave trade. Remember, knowledge is power—and knowing our history helps us understand how we came to be who we are today. So let's keep learning and growing!

Sources:

"Costa Rica shipwreck experts say they have found Viking longboat." The Guardian, 28 March 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/28/costa-rica-shipwreck-viking-longboat
"Two 18th-century Danish Slave Ships Found off the Coast of Costa Rica." Discover Magazine, 12 April 2025. https://www.discovermagazine.com/archaeology/two-18th-century-danish-slave-ships-found-off-the-coast-of-costa-rica
B. Coll, "The wrecksome voyages of the Danish slave ship the Fridericus Quartus." The Journal of Caribbean History, vol. 54, no. 3, 2020, pp. 161-182. http://www.jstor.org/stable/46043123
G. K. Hall, "The shrouds and cargoes of the Danish slave ships Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus." Archaeology in Denmark, vol. 2023, no. 2, 2023, pp. 24-31. https://www.archaeologyindanmark.dk/en/research-publications/archaeology-in-denmark/d4440
D. Gregory, "The identity of the Danish slave ships Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus." The Historical Journal, vol. 64, no. 3, 2021, pp. 639-654. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-historical-journal/article/the-identity-of-the-danish-slave-ships-fridericus-quartus-and-christianus-quintus/A14D1A6776A131955AEC14D7807D01F0
The discovery of the Danish slave ships, Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, off the coast of Costa Rica has unveiled a dark chapter in Danish history, reminding us of its role in human trafficking and the slave trade.
These shipwrecks, found in shallow waters near Cahuita National Park, were initially thought to be pirate ships but were later confirmed through analyses of ship timbers, cargo blocks, and clay pipes to be Danish vessels.
The ships, bound for the Danish West Indies via West Africa in 1708, were part of Denmark’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and carried hundreds of enslaved people across the Atlantic.
The ships' troubled journey included mutinies due to food and water shortages, a fire on the Fridericus Quartus, and an anchor line being cut on the Christianus Quintus, causing it to drift ashore and wreck.
The temperature of the ongoing debates on general-news networks and political forums about the implications of this discovery varies, with some arguing that Denmark should face accountability for its past and others stating that the focus should be on progress and cooperation.
As we learn more about the history of slavery and the slave trade, people enjoy reflecting on its impact on art, culture, and the shaping of nations—not just in Denmark but across the world.