Why Is The Oseberg Ship Burial A Great Viking Mystery?

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com -  The Oseberg Ship burial is one of the greatest Viking mysteries. The individuals buried together with the ship are a riddle, and the fact something very strange occurred before the burial was sealed gives scientists reason to say the ship took a mystery with it to the grave. Will we ever be able to solve the mystery of the Oseberg ship?

The Vikings traveled to distant lands in their remarkable longships. The Vikings’ ships were the greatest technical and artistic achievement of the European Dark Ages. Without these magnificent ships, the Viking Age would never have happened.

"During the Viking era, there were different classes of ships. The longships were mainly used as warships, and the ships called Knarrs (or knorrs in Old Norse) served as slower passenger and cargo ships." ¹

The Discovery Of The Oseberg Viking Ship

Unfortunately, archaeologists have discovered only a few remains of Viking ships, which is why the Oseberg ship has been labeled as one of the finest finds of the Viking Age. Discovered in 1903 in a very damp burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway, the ship survived almost intact.

"The Oseberg Viking ship measured 21.40m long by 5.10m wide. It was constructed primarily out of oak planks, and the vessel's bow and stern were covered in elaborate carvings while it contained 15 pairs of oar holes, which meant up to 30 men could row the ship as required.

The Oseberg ship was a burial ship for two Viking women who died in 834. A burial chamber was dug right behind the ship's mast. The walls were decorated with fantastic woven tapestries, and the dead women lay on a raised bed."²

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See also:

Bizarre And Rare Finds In Viking Houses – What Was Behind This Mysterious Practice?

Vikings’ Encounters With Peculiar White-Dressed Humanoids And Cave Dwellers In Unknown Lands Described In Norse Sagas

Curious Encounter Between Inuit And Vikings Led To Something Surprising That Shaped Future History

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