Conclusions

More than fifty years ago, when I began to study Viking Age, one learned that there was a universal type of Viking ship: The Gokstad ship. With the Skuldelev find we were suddenly presented with different types for different purposes: Large and small trading ships, large and small warships, and maybe a fishing vessel or a ferry.
Professor Niels Lund, University of Copenhagen, 2012

The Vikings' ships change as division of labour gradually arises between fishermen, farmers, artisans, merchants and warriors in the Viking Age. The five Skuldelev ships from late Viking Age reflect the development in this internationally oriented society.

Boatbuilders had accuired precise knowledge of the quality of their materials, and built specialised and seaworthy ships which had not previously been seen. The longships are standardised war machines, which in co-ordinated and rapid fleet movements secured the maritime and political supremacy of the Vikings in Europe. And in Scandinavia, cargo and trading ships appear for the first time in a find from the Viking Age. The reveal links from Scandinavia in the north to the Byzantine and Arab empires in the south and the North Atlantic settlements in west. The Skuldelev find also reflects daily life in an island realm, where lively marine traffic consited of small boats transporting people and goods between regions.

Building and sailing reconstructions of only five ships has opened our eyes to the enormous resource consumption of the Vikings. This puts in perspective the political and economic power of Viking society, as fleet after fleet sailed out from Scandinavian shores over the course of three centuries (AD 800-1100).

The Vikings sailed north to Greenland and Iceland, south to the Mediterranean, west to England and east to Russia. The wind blows from all these directions and their ships' ability to beat to windward was essential in order to reach their goal.
Vibeke Bischoff, Ship reconstructor and Skipper of Sea Stallion, 2012

The Vikings were adventurers with an insatiable appetite for discovering and conquering new lands. With the sailing shop and its ability to beat to windward, the whole world was brought within reach. The world lay open right there where land became water.

With the reconstructed ships, we sail in the wake of the Vikings across open sea and along the coasts of Europe. We test routes, sailing abilities and travel speed, load capacity and logistics associated with the conquest of the seas.
We experience first hand the strict demands the Viking ships made on their crews when we go out on trial voyages, from the discipline and hierarchy needed on board warships to the navigational experience required to cross the North Atlantic in a cargo ship. Hard work, cold and lack of sleep and privacy dominate life on board. It takes stamina and tolerance, and emphasises the Vikings' willpower, skill and knowledge. Can we even compare ourselves to that today?

Our trial voyages do not end when the ships are back in harbour. The voyages raise new questions, which give rise to new dreams.

The Skuldelev ships were the starting point for a vibrant, world class maritime archaeology research centre that has progressively expanded to cover the prehistory and the Middel Age and has provided assistance to many projects around the world.
Professor Else Roesdahl, University of Aarhus, 2012

The Skuldelev ships are the foundation of the Viking Ship Museum. The find has given rise to the development of a working enviroment in which archaeologists, historians, craftsmen and sailors have worked passionately with Viking maritime culture for half a century. Today the museum is an international leader in experimental maritime archaeology. Research also takes place in the boatyard and on the water, where everyone helps to build bridge between theory and practice. Reconstruction and sailing are permanent elements of working with the Viking ships.

The Skuldelev ships are our heart and soul. The spark excitement, curiosity and wild dreams. They bring history to life, and hold unknown mysteries that we will explore over the next fifty years. Some dreams have become reality.