Skuldelev ships, Viking ship archaeological site in Roskilde Fjord, Denmark
Skuldelev ships is an archaeological site at Roskilde Fjord in Denmark where five shipwrecks from the 11th century were recovered. The wrecks include cargo vessels, warships, and smaller fishing boats that served different functions in northern maritime trade.
The ships were deliberately sunk in the Peberrenden waterway during the 11th century to create a barrier against enemy fleets. Archaeologists raised the wrecks in 1962 and found they came from different regions and showed different construction styles.
The ships carry names like Skuldelev 2 or Skuldelev 5 and represent the link between Scandinavian coasts and Atlantic trade routes. Visitors see tools and materials that show how craftsmen bent wood and joined planks with iron rivets.
The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde displays the original wrecks in dedicated halls where visitors can examine the wooden structures up close. Full-scale reconstructions sit in the harbor and serve as a complement to the originals.
One of the ships was built in Dublin around 1042 and shows Irish influences in Scandinavian seafaring. Wood samples confirm that building materials came from different forests across northern Europe and were transported over long distances.
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