A feat of engineering delivers the world’s best preserved Viking ship to a new home – Huge
In 1903, on a farm in southeast Norway, a once-in-a-lifetime discovery emerged from a large, modest mound in a field. When the site was excavated in 1904, the mound revealed the longevity of the entire Vikings, and the ship was buried as a burial that contained the remains of two women, several animals and various carefully decorated objects.
The ship, considered the name of the farm found, was later called the Oseberg Viking ship, believed to be built around 820 and buried around 834. Over the past few decades, reconstruction has indeed implied that the ship was indeed built for navigation, rather than designed specifically for burial, which is reserved for the high-rise individuals who provide vessels and avenues for vessels. The wood is located deep in the wet earth and has been clearly preserved for more than 1,000 years, although most of it has been crushed and degraded.
Oseberg’s initial restoration took more than 20 years, and experts tried to protect as many structures as possible by using oil and resin to prevent wood from collapsing. Today, about 90% of the ship’s combination is original, making it the best preserved example in the world.
Recently, a feat of engineering and careful planning has moved Oseberg Viking Ship to a new permanent residence and plans to offer the same relocation for two other long-term jobs, The Gokstad and The Tune. For more than two years, Oseberg has been wrapped in a steel frame weighing more than 50 tons, allowing it to stay on site when building a new museum.
The ship has been exhibited at the Viking Ship Museum of the University of Oslo for nearly a century. Over time, the combination of unstable recovery methods, lack of humidity control and weak support begins to cause pressure on the vessel, which is susceptible to greater damage if retained.
In 2014, the government-backed Savings Oseberg project began a mission of more than 10 years to further protect not only one of the world’s most important Viking discoveries, but also to ensure that it can be enjoyed and studied in future generations. In early 2023, the building began a new space related to the original Viking Ship Museum, which is now renamed as a Viking-era Museum. The expanded campus is scheduled to open in 2027.
On September 10, the 71-foot Oseberg ship, which was loaded in its vibration-resistant steel box, was carried onto a rail that transported it through the long hall to the new exhibition space. The process takes about 10 hours to move the boat 350 feet, with a maximum speed of about 10 inches per minute.
Director Aud V. Tønnessen celebrated the historic move, saying: “It’s part of a ship and there’s an afterlife that makes me feel upset.” Tønnessen also told Norwegian news agency NTB, “I actually found it’s thinking it’s going on a final voyage.”
Learn more and follow the progress of Gokstad and The Tune on the museum’s website and on YouTube.
