From the Trenches - Norwegian Wood - Archaeology Magazine Archive


Norwegian Wood	Volume 61 Number 6, November/December 2008
by Eric A. Powell

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(Courtesy Norwegian Maritime Museum, Oslo)

When work began on a luxury development near Oslo harbor, excavations revealed the remains of nine 17th-century ships. The vessels were likely abandoned in an area of the harbor that fell into disuse. "Here in Norway wooden ships rarely survive intact underwater," says archaeologist Jostein Gundersen of the Norwegian Maritime Museum. "Finding so many fantastically well-preserved ships under dry land is a major discovery."

Ranging from 30 to 60 feet in length, the boats likely carried goods and passengers along Norway's coast. "We have few ships from this time," says Gundersen, who expects analysis of the vessels to fill gaps in our understanding of the period's shipbuilding techniques. "It's exciting, but I almost hope we don't find too many more," he admits. "Winter is coming, and in Norway that's not a great time for archaeologists."