LESSON 7.6 What was the impact of the developments in longboat technology? LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to explain the significance of the construction of longboats and their role in exploration.
Tune in The Oseberg ship was found in a large mound on farmland in Norway. When archaeologists excavated it early in the twentieth century, they discovered that it was a ninth-century CE burial site. Found buried with the ship were the skeletons of two women and many artefacts from the time. 1. Brainstorm all the reasons why you think the ship was buried on the farmland. 2. The two skeletons were women, one of whom appeared to be about 50 and the other about 80 years old. The older woman’s clothes were quite luxurious. What can you hypothesise about the twowomen? 3. Looking at SOURCE 1, what conclusions can you draw about Viking shipbuilding?
SOURCE1 The Oseberg ship in the Viking Museum in Norway
7.6.1 Technological developments Vikings are well known for their raids, but such raids were possible due to innovation and invention. Technological advancements allowed them to develop longboats, which were essential for travelling to distant shores. For centuries, Scandinavians used large rowboats. In the eighth century CE, they introduced key innovations: a keel, a wool or linen sail, and a rudder. These improvements allowed longer ocean voyages and distant attacks. Replicas of the Gokstad ship showed the speed of these longships; one sailed from Norway to Canada in 1893 and again in 1998. In both cases the journey took less than a month. The Gokstad ship was 23 metres long, 5 metres wide, and had 32 rowers. It proved Viking dragon ships were not exaggerated. An even longer ship, over 30 metres, was found in Denmark, and could fit 60 rowers. Despite their size, these ships had shallow hulls, about two metres deep, allowing them to be rowed in various waters and easily dragged onto beaches. Smaller ships were sometimes carried overland, enabling travel between waterways in modern-day Russia.
172 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 8 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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