2020-06-26 Fri

Viking ships were built by Scandinavians in between 790-1100 AD. Vikings expansion happened only because of the ship. The ship was the medium to conduct means of transport to trade and warfare. Viking ships came in many different forms such as big-bellied cargo ships, the speedy longships and most popular dragon-heads ship.

The earliest evidence of a plank-built vessel is the 19 meters long, 2-meter wide Hjortspring war canoe found in southwest Denmark and dating to c. 350 BCE. Another greatest evidence is of Nydam ships – three boats preserved in a sacrificial deposit in Denmark, the largest of which was around 23.5 meters long and around 3.5 meters wide – which date to c. 350 AD.

The longest known longship, known as Roskilde 6, dates to after 1025 AD and with its staggering length of 36 meters. It helps to illustrate the fact that longships were made ever longer during the Late Viking Age.

Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Courtesy: Stampsoftheworld.co.uk