Human aDNA from Kronan warship
On July 1, 1676, the warship Kronan sank in the Baltic Sea off the southern coast of Öland. Over 800 sailors and soldiers went down with her. At the time, Kronan was Sweden's largest ship and one of the largest ships in the world. The sinking of Kronan, along with the subsequent loss of the naval battle, was, of course, a true catastrophe for Sweden. Today, we must still be aware that Kronan is a burial site for many hundreds of the deceased, but it is also a rich archaeological site that we use to understand 17th-century Northern Europe. One of the projects conducted as part of the Kronaninvestigations is the recreation of one of the crew members. With the help of osteology, genetics, and a skilled sculptor working at the intersection of science and art, we have been able to recreate the face of a crew member in what we believe is a credible and fact-based way. The face, along with the skeletal material it is based on, is now on display at Kalmar County Museum. It allows us to come closer to a sailor from the 1600s than we could have ever imagined just a few years ago.  https://kalmarlansmuseum.se/press/ansiktsrekonstruktion-vacker-besattningsman-pa-kronan-till-liv/?_gl=1*f423mp*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v6-BhDuARIsALprm32dty-Q_nZ5d41Jm0KOrJf5KYpnEbsBZyhB_fPJfUsbcz2noM3ZNhgaAsgNEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADSF18mv7kehUoeDB2Avd5HB2HhlC