Gokstad Ship
F2. Maritime Culture, Heritage, Archaeology, Art and MuseumsDefinition
Viking burial vessel found 1880 in Norway.
The Gokstad ship is a Viking clinker-built oak vessel of about 890 CE, excavated in 1880 from a royal burial mound at Gokstad in Vestfold, Norway. About 24 meters long and built for both sail and 32 oars, it is a seaworthy ocean-goer, and a full-scale replica, Viking, crossed the Atlantic to Chicago in 1893 to prove the type’s capability. The grave held a chieftain and rich goods. Conserved in Oslo with the Oseberg and Tune ships, it is a primary source for Viking shipbuilding and seamanship.