| Viking ship is a collective term for ships used during the Viking Age (800–1100) in Northern Europe. These were the most versatile of the Viking ships, with a length of about 100 feet (30m), a 20-foot (6m) beam, up to 60 oars, and a crew of about 70-80. These could carry up to 20 tons of supplies. A large type of longship, known only from historical sources, is the Drakkar. These are said to have been the pride of Viking war-fleets, and were known as 'Dragon Ships'. The largest longship ever found however, is the Roskilde 6 discovered in Roskilde harbour, in Denmark, in 1996/7. This ship is approximately 36m long and was built in the mid-11th century. On September 10, 2007, a 1,000-year-old Viking transport longship (Nordic clinker design) was discovered under a pub carpark on Merseyside (beneath 6 - 10 feet of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, Wirral, a well known settling place of Vikings). Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham used ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment to detect the vessel. The ship was first uncovered in 1938. |