Skuldelev 2/4
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This ship was part of the Skuldelev blockage in the Roskilde fjord
in eastern Denmark. Here it was filled with stones and sunk as
part of the second phase of the blocking off of the navigable
passage to the town of Roskilde. The ship was a very long warship,
in fact it was initially believed that the after part of the wreck
was from another ship than the fore part. Skuldelev 2/4 has been
dated by dendro-chronology which states "after 1055 AD".
These analyses also revealed the surprising evidence of it being
built in Dublin, Ireland.
The keel was made of oak and a length of 7.6 m was preserved.
Its underside was very worn. Part of the sternpost was preserved,
and was found with two stealers with carved out continuations
of the strakes 2, 3, 4 and 5, 6 respectively.
The sternpost was of the V-sectioned type also known from Skuldelev
3, and it was found some distance away from the coherent wreck
portions. In that same pit the keelson was found. It was unusually
long - 13.3 m - and made up by two lengths connected by a hooked
scarf.
All the preserved planks were made of oak, and was in a rather
poor state. Seven strakes to port
and five strakes to starboard were represented in the find. Their
width was in the range 24-27 cm. The garboard strake was at one
point repaired and divided into two strakes.
The preserved framing is mostly from the bottom part of the ship.
The floor timbers covered strakes 1-7, they were fastened to the
planks with willow trenails, though not to the garboard and seventh
strakes. On top of these rested a stringer trenailed to strake
8. Notches in the top of the stringer indicated the position of
the bites and precisely halfway in between these were notches
in the side facing the planking. These were cut to accommodate
half frames that started at the top edge of fourth strake. How
far these continued is not possible to tell since they are not
preserved after strake 6. Of the bites nothing remains.
Some so-called snelles are preserved, these locked the
keelson down onto the floor timbers. Also a couple of keelson
knees that supports the keelson where it thickens towards the
mast step was recovered.
It has been possible to arrive at a reconstruction of the ship
on the basis of the plank runs in the bottom half, in combination
with scanty wreckage from the sides and the curvature of the sternpost.
This shows a ship with a sharp deadrise and a freeboard close
to vertical. <here image 002t014.jpg> Though nothing remains
of the rowing arrangements and rigging, it is safe to assume that
the ship had both means of propulsion. According to the reconstruction
the overall length is 29.3 m and the beam 3.7 m. Height amidships
is 1.8 m.
As mentioned before the dendro-chronological dating states "after 1055", but hopefully further analyses will lead to more specific conclusions in that samples featuring sapwood does exist, but have not yet been dated. However the affinity with the Dublin curve is very authoritative, and the ship is within all probability built here.
Skuldelev 2/4 was a true longship built for the transportation
of warriors. Around 60 men could be moved quickly across open
sea as well in shallow fjords where the ship could be hauled ashore.
Undoubtedly fast under oars it was also designed as a true sailing
ship.