Newly Found Viking Ship in Norway

Late 2018 witnessed the official information claiming that Norwegian archaeologists have detected a Viking ship in Oslo, Norway by ground-penetrating radar. Around March, 2019, Norwegian archaeologists declared an exciting finding of another Viking ship in Vestfold county. 

Vestfold has become a favorite archaeological spot for its richness in artifacts dating back to the Viking Age. In the past, two most famous and best-preserved Viking ships were excavated in Vestfold, Oseberg and Gokstad Ship respectively. The latest finding was the burial mound inside Borreparken. By far, seven Viking ships have been detected (some of them excavated and on display in museum), three out of them were located in Vestfold, Norway. 

The location of the ship

2019 again witnesses a newly found Viking ship. Even though the archaeologists have detected it on radar, it is not everyday that we can find a Viking ship. 

With the footage data that archaeologists have gathered, they claimed that it is the shape of a ship. Weak traces of a circular depression around the ship can be seen as well. This probably means the existence of a mound that was later removed. Further investigations carry on to find out the size of this historic artifact. If it is truly a Viking ship, Vestfold will mark the third Viking ship.

During the Viking Age, there existed the practice of burying the dead inside a ship. However, not everyone in the society could afford a ship burial. This is reasonable and only the noble and wealthy of the society could have this kind of luxurious burial practice. A great warrior who was honored by his clan could be buried with a ship as well. 

The Viking ship was among the greatest achievements of the Vikings. Viking ships were not aesthetic but also powerful enough to carry these fearsome warriors to travel around Europe. 

In the Viking belief, their ships would promise to bring them to a better afterlife when they passed away.