Skuldelev ships

The Skuldelev ships is a term used for 5 original Viking ships recovered from the waterway of Peberrenden at Skuldelev, c. 20 km north of Roskilde in Denmark. In 1962, the remains of the submerged ships were excavated in the course of four months. The recovered pieces constitute five types of Viking ships and have all been dated to the 11th century. They were allegedly sunk to prevent attacks from the sea.

Information on "Skuldelev 4" has been omitted, as the remains of this ship was later discovered to be a part of Skuldelev 2. The Skuldelev ships provide a good source of information about the shipbuilding traditions of the late Viking Age and are now exhibited at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.

All five of the original Skuldelev ships have been replicated as true reconstructions by the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. Some of the Skuldelev ships have also been replicated by other groups across the world as both true or inspired reconstructions.

Skuldelev 1 was a sturdy seagoing cargo-vessel, possibly of the knarr type. It is 16 m long and 4.8 m wide and would have had a draught of 1 m with its crew of 6 to 8. The ship was constructed in Sognefjorden in western Norway around 1030 A. D. from thick planks of pine, but has been repeatedly repaired with oak and linden wood during its lifetime, in the Oslo Fjord and in Eastern Denmark. With a sail of approximately 90 square meters and only 2-4 oars, Skuldelev 1 could have navigated the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean at a top speed of 13 knots (24 km/h). 60 % of the original ship has been preserved.

Skuldelev 1 has been replicated as the viking ship Ottar by the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum.

Skuldelev 2 is an oak-built, seagoing warship. It is a longship, possibly of the skeid type. It is approximately 30 m long and 3.8 m wide, and would have had a draught of just 1 m with a maximum crew of 70-80.Dendrochronology showed that the ship was built in the Dublin area around 1042. The shape of the ship and its large sail of an estimated 112 m2, would have allowed for great speed, up to 15 knots (28 km/h) with a rowing crew of 60 and more while under sail. It is one of the longest Viking ships ever found, but was the least preserved of the Skuldelev ships, with only 25% of the original left.

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