Archaeologist Became a ‘Viking Sailor’ and Made ‘Unexpected’ Discoveries Along the Coast of Norway
Vikings have been an intriguing group for archaeologists to research. Greer Jarrett has been no different, and as a devotee, decided to travel like these famed seafarers, stated Live Science. In this voyage, he came across some unexpected discoveries related to these Norsemen. These discoveries have been detailed in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.
Jarrett, a Swedish archaeologist, built a replica Viking boat in order to understand the trade routes followed by this group. In three years, the archaeologist covered a distance of 3,100 miles (5,000 kilometers) along the coast of Norway. The voyage helped shed light on many aspects, like the strength of their boat and how far they went into the water. However, the most noteworthy finding turned out to be the four previously hidden harbors that could have been used by the group more than 1,000 years ago.
These voyages by Jarrett were not easy at all, according to Archaeology Magazine. At one point deep into the sea, his mainsail snapped. “We had to lash two oars together to hold the sail, and hope that it would hold,” he recalled. “We made it back to the harbor safely, but then we had to spend several days repairing the boat before we could sail again.”
The boat was open and square-rigged, according to Phys.org. Such sails are called clinker boats and were speculated to be used in the Viking Age (800–1050 AD). The team associated with the study, based on Jarrett's experience, concluded that such boats and, by extension, the Vikings, travelled farther away from land than previously believed. Jarrett, while sailing the boat, realized that it performed well on open water, which is typically present away from land. He was able to easily navigate Kattegat and the Baltic Sea.
The finding was surprising because such boats don't have a deep-draft keel. However, despite that, the boat remained stable. This implies that the Vikings could face the challenges posed by open waters, but the same thing could not be said regarding waters close to land, as per experts.
In order to find out the routes used by Vikings, the archaeologist put to use his own sailing experience as well as that of other experienced fishermen. Jarrett, in his interviews with other fishermen, asked about the popular sailing routes in the 19th and early 20th century, when boats without engines were common in Norway. Inputs by the fishermen, along with popular stories of the Viking culture, aided Jarrett in constructing the routes that the Vikings followed during their voyage. These possible routes were detected in the passage between Trondheim in central Norway, up the coast to the Arctic Circle, and were pointed out in a map by researchers.
Jarrett believes that the routes contained a decentralized network of ports present in small islands and peninsulas. These places were used by sailors to take a breather and socialize. Researchers believe there were at least four harbors in the routes on the coast of Norway. These findings on the Norwegian coast are comparatively further out to sea compared to others of their kind. Researchers also claim that the kind of boat used during that time must have made it easier for people to get in and out of these harbors, in all sorts of wind conditions.
Though excavation is yet to be done by experts, evidence like cooking pits, ballast stones, jetties, and temporary shelters has been spotted in these harbors, according to Live Science. These discoveries back up the fact that Viking sailors used these places during their voyage.