Gokstad Ship

A Viking ship unearthed in Sandefjord in 1880 under a large tumulus on the Oslo Fjord, Norway. Much of its original timber was preserved by the clay in which it was set. In the middle of the ship, a special platform had been constructed to hold the funerary chamber, which contained the skeleton of a man (possibly King Olaf of Vestfold who died in 890) surrounded by weapons, slaughtered animals, and other objects. The ship is the ultimate Viking war machine - a slender oak-built vessel made for strength and speed, propelled by a large square sail and 16 pairs of oars. It would have been equally navigable in open seas or in shallow inland waters; in 1893 a replica successfully crossed the Atlantic.

Discovered in 1880 under a large tumulus near Oseberg on the Oslo Fjord, Norway, the Gokstad Ship is the most impressing Viking vessel ever found. Much of its original timber was preserved by the clay in which it was set. In the middle of the ship a special platform had been constructed to hold the funerary chamber, which contained the skeleton of a man (possibly King Olaf of Vestfold who died in 890) surrounded by weapons, slaughtered animals and other objects (see boat burial). The Gokstad Ship is the ultimate Viking war machine — a slender oak-built vessel made for strength and speed, propelled by a large square sail and 16 pairs of oars for manoeuvring. It would have been equally navigable in open seas or in shallow inland waters, and in 1893 a replica successfully crossed the Atlantic.