300 years ago, ships made remarkable journey over land. Now evidence of trip is found

Three centuries ago, a little known, but extraordinary military operation was pulled off in Sweden.

It entailed transporting a fleet of large naval ships across miles of inhospitable terrain — with the help of hundreds of men, horses and greased logs — in order to orchestrate a surprise attack against Norway.

Now, evidence of the daring overland odyssey has been discovered.

Using ground-penetrating radar technology, archaeologists have uncovered the path that the fleet took, which was previously unknown, according to a Dec. 20 news release from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.

The excavation was carried out in the town of Blomsholm, located on the east coast of Sweden, just a few miles from the Norwegian border.

The overland odyssey

In 1718, King Charles XII of Sweden instructed his military to haul 12 ships from Strömstad to Iddefjorden, a distance of about 15 miles, per the release.

The purpose was to stage an unexpected attack against a Norwegian fortress in Iddefjorden, which was situated on a fjord that was inaccessible from the sea.

Transporting the ships, some of which weighed 30 tons, required a massive and lengthy operation, according to the release.

The journey, which began on June 26, involved hoists, horses, 800 soldiers and greased logs — over which the vessels were pulled.

The labor was “backbreaking” and the terrain was difficult, as it was covered in wetlands and inhabited by mosquitos and flies, according to the Borderland Ecological Museum in Norway.

But, eventually, after several months, the ships made it to Iddefjorden and were used to wage war against Norway.

However, after two months of combat, Charles XII was shot in the head and killed, bringing the campaign to a halt, according to the museum.

New discovery

In December, archaeologists deployed a georadar-equipped vehicle over a swath of land near the battlefield, according to the release.

This survey revealed multiple linear structures that ran parallel to one another and which matched up with historical accounts of the ship transport route.

The structures are believed to be the remains of logs which were laid down along the route.

They measure up to 500 feet long and up to 26 feet wide, archaeologists said.

In addition to these structures, they discovered the remains of prehistoric burial mounds and settlements.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research.

This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 5:00 PM with the headline "300 years ago, ships made remarkable journey over land. Now evidence of trip is found."