Types of Viking Ships

Viking Ships represented the height of technology of the day. The Vikings were brilliant ship designers and builders, and designed different types of ships for different purposes. Evidence of the many Vikings ship types comes from randomly discovered ships in burial sites and from Viking ships which have wrecked.

The blockade in Roskilde Fjord also contained two ships which were clearly Viking merchant ships. The largest was 16.5 meters long, built of pine and it could carry up to 40 tonnes of goods. Traces of similar merchant ships have been found in Åskeskårr in Western Sweden, near Kaupang in Norway, and in the harbor of Hedeby.

Viking ships were not just used for their military prowess but for long-distance trade, exploration and colonization. [dubious – discuss] In the literature, Viking ships are usually seen divided into two broad categories: merchant ships and warships.