Archaeologists in Norway Discover Viking Ships from the Iron Age

News24xx.com -  The remains of a Viking ship that is thought to have originated in the Iron Age were found by a group of archaeologists in Norway.

The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) said that a 20-meter vessel in Ostfold County in southern Norway was found using a high-resolution invisibility radar.

"This finding is very interesting because to our knowledge there are only three discoveries of Viking ships in good condition in Norway. This new vessel will certainly become very important historically because it can be investigated with all the means of modern archeology," said Knut Paasche, Head of the Digital Archeology Department at NIKU.

Georadar data also shows five typical Viking longhouses, which together with ships are thought to be part of large cemeteries and residential locations from the Iron Age from around 500 to 1000.

Vikings are a famous and feared seaman nation that dominated the oceans of northern Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries. They buried the kings and their leaders on a ship which was then buried under a mound of earth.

"The burial of ships is not isolated, but is part of a funeral that is clearly designed to show strength and influence," said archaeologist Lars Gustavsen, project leader from NIKU.

Well protected

Paasche said the ship was found buried about 50 centimeters below the ground in a burial mound. Digital data shows that the bottom of the ship is well preserved and the archaeological team plans to investigate the surrounding site before digging the ship. 

"We are sure there are ships there, but how much is preserved is difficult to say before further investigation," added Morten Hanisch, a conservator at Ostfold.
The most famous and most famous Viking ship is the Oseberg ship which was discovered in 1903. 

At present the ship is on display in a museum near Oslo with two other ships. The Oseberg ship has a length of 21 meters, while two other ships, Gokstad and Tune, each measure 23 and 19 meters.