It’s been more than a century since Norway excavated a Viking ship, but experts are gearing up to do so again as soon as they possibly can, perhaps even next month. In 2018, officials located the burial of the historic 65-foot long Gjellestad ship, a huge vessel used by the Vikings. This one is approximately 1,200 years old, a rare find for archaeologists.
It is situated on what was once a burial ground, but more importantly, it has been lying near a damp, soggy drainage ditch that has imperiled the wood from which it was made and caused fungus to “attack” it. Consequently, officials are in a race against the clock, and that wet environment, to save the ship, and get it excavated more or less in one piece, if at all possible.
It was more than 100 years ago when Norway last discovered and retrieved a ship of this significance; three ships, actually, retrieved in relatively quick succession — in 1868, another in 1880, and a third in 1904. Today, of course, experts have sophisticated archaeological technology at their disposal to help uncover the vessel, and the Norwegian government has committed $1.5 million (USD) to get the job done properly, safely, and thoroughly.
“It is urgent that we get this ship out of the ground,” insisted Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister of Climate and Environment recently in a statement to the media in Norway. The team from the Norway Institute For Cultural Heritage Research (NIHR) used geo-radar to find the ship two years ago, but last year discovered that the ditch, located so close to it, was causing the wood to deteriorate badly. The dampness has also led to mold, and so has its exposure to air.
Learn more at :: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2020/05/16/viking-ship/
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