The Oseberg Ship is 21.5 meters long, 5 meters wide, and has 15 rowing holes on each side. It had space for a crew of 32 people; 30 rowers, a helmsman who handled the steering oar, and a lookout positioned at the bow.
The ship was built in southwestern Norway in 820 and is made of oak. The deck, mast, and oars are made of pine. Today, it consists of about 90 percent original wood, while the rest has been replaced with newer wood.
The Oseberg Ship was a vessel that could be both sailed and rowed. After 14 years at sea, the ship was hauled ashore for the last time and used as a burial ship for two women in 834.
While we do not know the identities of the women buried alongside the ship, the array of gifts placed in their grave suggests that one or both of them held significant roles, whether politically, religiously, or in both domains.
View more photographs of the Oseberg burial
The grave was filled with an impressive array of burial goods. The women were laid to rest with sleds, a wagon, and five stunning animal heads, alongside exquisite textiles, furniture including beds, tents, and chairs, kitchenware, food, and animals for the journey, among many other items.
Many of the objects featured amazing carvings, and the Viking ship itself was richly decorated, with carved animal ornamentation running from the keel all the way up along the stem, culminating in an impressive serpent head.
In the latter half of the 900s, grave robbers caused significant destruction in the burial mound. Along the way, they also chopped down the serpent's head and threw it further down the robbers' passage, where it remained protected. Had it been left at the top of the ship, it would likely have rotted away and disappeared
The world's foremost discovery from the Viking Age
The ship was part of the Oseberg burial mound, which was discovered in 1903 outside Tønsberg in Vestfold County, Norway. It turned out to be the most magnificent Viking grave ever found, and it remains the most significant discovery from the Viking Age.
Thanks to its remarkably well-furnished grave and exceptionally favorable preservation conditions, the Oseberg ship has become the most significant archaeological find for enhancing our understanding of the Viking Age. As a result, the Viking ship and its iconic stem ornamentation have become the very symbol of an era that left an enduring mark far beyond the borders of Scandinavia.