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Excavation of Viking ship begins

For the first time in over 100 years, there is a full archaeological excavation of a Viking ship taking place in Norway. The Gjellestad ship was discovered in 2018 by ground-penetrating radar.

Sveinung Rotevatn, Norway’s Minister of the Environment, was on hand when the archaeological dig began on Friday. The ship was found near the village of Halden in the southeast corner of the country, and is believed to have been buried between the eighth and tenth centuries.

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The main work of the dig will begin on Monday and will be led by archaeologists from the Museum of Cultural History. The conducted a preliminary dig last summer and found that the ship’s keel was preserved. However, samples taken also showed that the timbers of the ship had been infected with fungus and were rapidly disintegrating. Therefore it was decided to quickly remove the remains of the ship from the ground.

Minister Sveinung Rotevatn taking part in the opening of the dig. Photo by Fredrik Norland/ Viken County Council

Excavation of the ship will take place in three phases. The first three weeks will be spent sieving the topsoil which is lying above the ship, approx. 25-30 cm. The archaeologists hope to find iron rivets or objects which are lying out of their original positions after having been disturbed by modern ploughing.

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The next phase of the excavation will uncover the the bow, while the final phase will involve excavating the stern and the burial chamber which is probably located in the centre of the ship. This is where they expect to find most of the remains left behind after the funeral.

A temporary conservation laboratory will be set up on site, and the team expects the excavation to take five months. There will be some opportunities of public viewing during the dig, as well as updates given online and on social media.

Knut Paasche, a specialist on the Vikings at the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research, notes that there have only been three well-preserved ship finds within the country, all of which are from the earlier centuries of the Viking age. “With so few ships discovered,” he says, “a new Viking ship will have a great impact on understanding the ships themselves, but also provide valuable information to understand the historical era as a whole.”

The archaeologists are hoping to make many interesting finds in the grave, which was likely the final resting place of a person of important social standing. The ship has been looted at some time in the past – a tunnel was cut through the that went into the middle of the ship – but the bow and stern areas do not appear to have been touched. There could be a range of artefacts still hidden within the ship and burial chamber, including weapons, jewellery, utensils, glass and gemstones.

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Minister Rotevatn also commented during the opening of excavation: “This ship is of outstanding importance, both nationally and internationally. But it is vulnerable to degradation. Therefore, it was important for the government to grant an extra grant so that the excavation could start. It will be excavated for five months, and this area has the potential to renew research for a long time to come.

“The Oseberg excavation took place in 1904, now we have completely different techniques and opportunities available to find the puzzle pieces that can give us an insight into history. I will follow the excavation closely.”

The discovery of the Gjellestad ship has already prompted a lot of research, with scholars creating a virtual visualization of what the ship and area. Click here to learn more.

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Top Image: The georadar view of the ship. Image courtesy The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU)

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