Norway: Scientists Uncover Iron Age Viking Ship

Using GPR radars and without the need to search, a group of scientists found an unusual Viking ship in southeast Norway that served as a grave.

“When we do these kinds of surveys, it’s usually just gray and black and white spots, but this dataset is visually stunning.” said lead author of the study, Lars Gustavsen, a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage.

The researchers used a technology called GPR (ground penetrating radar) to detect the buried remains. In this culture, these types of boats symbolized a safe passage into the afterlife and were generally reserved for members of the elite.

“We knew there was something special there, but we had no idea there would be a burial on a ship, it’s pretty unique,” ​​the researcher told CNN.

The boat studied by the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage includes a party hall, a place of worship and the remains of a boat burial.

GPR data showed the Iron Age ship is around 19 meters long, with the ship buried 0.3 to 1.4 meters below the ground surface.

Research progress

Gustavsen said the mound was excavated earlier in the 19th century, when many of the ship’s wooden remains were burned down because people didn’t know what they were, meaning there is no large- thing for researchers to analyze today.

“It’s a unique opportunity, it’s a shame that there are so few left,” he said. “What we have to do is use modern technology and use it very carefully. In doing so, we hope that we can capture something of this ship and be able to say something about what type of ship it was. . “

The researchers found several burial mounds under the ground; including the ship, they discovered 13 mounds in total, some of which are over 30 meters wide.

Gustavsen hopes to get more funding to learn more about the surroundings. “By doing a larger investigation we can get a more complete picture of Gjellestad, we could describe or explain why it appeared and why it ultimately failed or ceased to be used.”

Several buildings have been discovered using radar data, giving a glimpse into the lives of those who came before him. Researchers have identified what they believe to be a farm, place of worship, and banquet hall.

According to Gustavsen, the land, which dates from the 5th century AD. C., was transformed into an elite “cemetery and high status establishment” during the Viking Age.

It was Viking

The end of the Nordic Iron Age, which lasted from 550 to 1050, saw many key historical events, including the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Viking Age. Researchers hope the site can uncover new truths over such a turbulent time.

The finds came after studies were conducted in 2017 to determine whether proposed construction plans would damage underground archaeological artifacts.

The Jell Mound, the site of the discoveries, is located in Gjellestad, in the south-eastern Østfold region of Norway. The mound is widely known as one of the largest Iron Age burial mounds in Scandinavia.