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MaSS

stepping stones of maritime history

History

During the excavation of a 9th/10th-century Frisian settlement on the island of Sylt, ship-timbers in secondary use were discovered in a well. They were recycled as part of the well-lining.

Description

The four ship-timbers were frame elements and originated from a clinker-built vessel. The composition of floor-timber, bite, and bite knee is characteristic for the Nordic clinker tradition of the Viking Age.

The ship-timbers were typologically dated to the 9th-10th century.

Status

The ship-timbers were documented and later conserved at the German Maritime Museum (Deutsches Schifffahrtsmuseum, Bremerhaven).

References

  • Crumlin-Pedersen, O. (1997)
    Viking-Age Ships and Shipbuilding in Hedeby/Haithabu and Schleswig
    Schleswig & Roskilde
  • Kossack, G. et al. (1975)
    Zehn Jahre Siedlungsforschung in Archsum auf Sylt
    Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 55 II
    pp 261-377
  • Reichstein, J. (1975)
    Wikingerzeitliche Siedlungen an der Westküste
    Die Heimat 82
    pp 119-127
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