The wreck site in Norway

On 15 September 1974, divers Odd K Osmundsen, Tore Svalesen and Leif Svalesen discovered wreckage and giant elephant tusks at the bottom of the sea near Tromøy, off the coast of Arendal. Since there have never been elephants on Tromøy, there had to be another explanation for the mysterious find! Together with the ivory there were also cannons, ship timber ant other interesting objects. Almost everything was hidden under layers of seaweed, rocks, and sand.

However, as a result of thorough planning and intense study of old documents from the archives, the three divers knew exactly what they had found. In co-operation with Hartwig W. Dannevig, they had for quite some time been in search of the Danish-Norwegian slave ship Fredensborg that went down in a terrible storm on 1 December 1768.

This new wreck site was reported to the Norwegian Maritime Museum. The Museum is responsible for the management of the underwater historic monuments in southern Norway, according to the cultural heritage act. Under the direction of The Norwegian Maritime Museum in 1975 and the Aust-Agder Museum in 1977, two marine archaeological excaventions were conducted.