Archaeologists Discover Viking Ship Beneath Norweigan Field

Just 50 centimeters below the city of Halden, the remains of an Iron Age Viking ship were found in a field, archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) report.

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NIKU’s head of Digital Archaeology, Dr. Knut Paasche said, “This find is incredibly exciting as we only know three well-preserved Viking ship finds in Norway excavated long time ago."

Using geo-radar, a team of scientists detected the outline of a 20-meter-long ship near a 30-feet tall burial ground which dates back more than 1,000 years. Researchers say it’s one of the largest Viking ships ever found.

“Ships like this functioned as a coffin...there was one king or queen or local chieftain on board,” Paasche told National Geographic.

Images show traces of ten graves buried with the ship all of which seem to be in good condition, experts say.

“What we cannot say for sure is the condition of the conservation. Yes there was a boat there, but it's hard to say how much wood is left,” said Paasche, adding that researchers are planning a non-invasive investigation to protect the ancient artifact from unnecessary exposure to the elements.

Viking Curator at Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History, Jan Bill, called the discovery a “hundred-year find.”

“It’s quite spectacular from an archaeology point of view,” Bill said.

Paasche told National Geographic, “This new ship  will certainly be of great historical significance as it can be investigated with all modern means of archaeology.”

An additional eight mounds were found throughout the farmer’s field. A total of three longhouses were discovered together with six other smaller structures, the largest measuring 45 meters long.