Name Aalesund Ship Notes Discovered 1920 | Launched c. 4th century AD Length 12 m | |
Propulsion At least 6 3.2m long oars | ||
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 or the Gokstad ship, both of which date to the ninth century. The Aalesund ship dates to the fourth century and was built during the iron age.
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.