Skuldelev Ships, Denmark

The Skuldelev ships in the Danish town of Roskilde, represent five different ships that reveal the extraordinary shipbuilding skills of the Vikings. They are exhibited in the maritime center of the town and bear the name "Skuldelev".

Their name is borrowed from the settlement of the same name in Roskilde Fjord in 1070, where they were deliberately sunk to erect a barricade along the waterways and protect the capital from attacks.

The Skuldelev ships differed from each other in shape, size, timber and capacity. For example, the Skuldelev 1 is an ocean-going merchant vessel, the Skuldelev 2 is a long-hulled ocean-going battleship, the Skuldelev 3 is a smaller coastal tight and elegant merchant ship - a bordello, the Skuldelev 5 is a small battleship, and the Skuldelev 6 is a fishing vessel known as a ferry and used for hunting fish, whales and seals.

The Skuldelev ships are of great value to archaeologists as they provide them with a tremendous opportunity to study Viking seamanship and craft. Alongside this research, scientists have also been able to discover many details about Viking culture, community and history in general.