Aalesund ship
Encyclopedia
The Aalesund ship is an ancient vessel which was discovered embedded in the earth south of Aalesund, Norway in 1920. It is considered of a much earlier construction than either the Oseberg ship
Oseberg ship
The Oseberg ship is a well-preserved Viking ship discovered in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold county, Norway.-Burial mound:...

 or the Gokstad ship
Gokstad ship
The Gokstad ship is a Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad farm in Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway.-Discovery:The place where the boat was found, situated on arable land, had long been named Gokstadhaugen or Kongshaugen , although the relevance of its name had been discounted as...

, both of which date to the ninth century. The Aalesund ship dates to the fourth century and was built during the iron age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

.

Both the ship and a boat were discovered in the moorlands, with their pieces arranged in a peculiar manner. They had been cut prior to embedding with sections laid out in a long row from north to south. The oars had been placed straight down and were found protruding deep in the mud. The fragments of the ship were in disarray in a trench, yet seemingly arranged with some purpose conceived.

An oak rudder is well preserved and fastened beneath the middle of the ship. Six oars were recovered, two of which are fully intact, measuring 3.2 meters each. The Aalesund ship is shorter than the Oseberg ship, measuring only about twelve meters in length. Several huge stones were found in the ship's interior, leading to the conjecture that a person had been buried with the ship. Archaeologists contended that there was no validity to the idea that the ship belonged to the ancient royal chieftain Egill Skallagrimson from Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...

.
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