An 18-million-kronor (£1.5million) project to preserve a 380-year-old Swedish shipwreck has been announced by the Swedish Research Council.
The Vasa sank in Stockholm's harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628. It was found by divers and raised in 1959.
The 1,000-tonne wooden warship was restored and put on permanent public display at the Vasa Museum in 1990 and has become one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions. However, maritime archaeology experts said sulphuric acid had caused damage to the Vasa, and research and preservation was urgently needed.
The project is expected to last two years and aims to help researchers and preservationists gain a better understanding of the extent and speed at which the various components of the wood and preservative are breaking down.
'It is urgent and important to contribute to research that can enable us to preserve the ship for posterity,' said Rolf Annerberg, director general of the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.
