Way Downstream …
Archaeologists in Norway are celebrating with mugs of glogg after discovering an extremely rare Viking ship, likely the final resting place of a Viking king or queen more than 1,000 years ago.
Ground-penetrating radar operated by the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Research found the 65-foot-long vessel close to the surface near Oslo, Norway’s capital, alongside 10 graves. Few intact Viking ships exist, and a spokesman for Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History is calling the discovery “a hundred-year find.”
Archaeologists believe the seemingly well-preserved ship was dragged onto shore from a nearby fjord and that it was used as a coffin for one very prominent man or woman. Viking tombs have been found in the past to contain treasures, which suggests that Norwegian officials will keep a close eye on the discovery pending more investigation. No plans to remove the ship were announced.