Historic Wooden Ships
Most people associate wood heritage with antique furniture and historic wooden buildings some of which have been built more than 1,000 years ago. After all, wood was and still is one of the most popular construction materials, while furniture made of other material than wood is virtually impossible to imagine. However, wood was also the main material for ship building and virtually all ships were made of wood until the late 19th century. In addition, wood remains the most sought after material in yacht building industry.
Despite being exposed to water, all kinds of weather conditions and the effects of time, many wooden ships managed to survive until nowadays and can be admired in museums. Many historic wooden ships were built centuries, some even millennia ago.
The Dover Museum, a museum in the town of Dover, Kent county in southeast England houses the so-called Dover Bronze Age boat that was discovered in 1992. The ancient boat which is estimated to be over 3,500 years old managed to survive because it was protected from decay by a thick layer of silt. The Dover Bronze Age boat is on display at the Dover Museum since 1998.
The Khufu ship is another spectacular historic wooden ship which is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient ships. It was discovered at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Giza (Pyramid of Khufu) virtually intact in the 1950’s. Archaeologists are certain that it was built by Pharaoh Khufu about 2,500 BC which also makes it one of the oldest preserved ships. It is a type of so-called solar barge but its history and purpose remain a mystery. The Khufu ship shows signs of being used which is why some archaeologists speculate that it may have been used as a funerary barge or used by Pharaoh Khufu’s personal needs. The spectacular ship is displayed at the so-called Khufu Boat Museum built specially to house the famous ship at the Giza pyramid complex in 1980’s.
In the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, you can admire some of the finest examples of Viking ships including the Osenberg ship, Gokstad ship and Tune ship. The Osenberg ship is the oldest and the finest of all three mentioned Viking ships in the museum. It was discovered in a burial mound at the Oseberg farm along two female skeletons and a large number of grave goods at the beginning of the 20th century and is estimated to date from the 8th century. The Gokstad ship was found in a burial mound at Gokstad farm along one male skeleton which is speculated to be Olaf Geirstad-Alf, a legendary Norwegian king from the House of Yngling. The burial mound in which the ship was discovered is believed to be plundered due to lack of weapons that were traditionally added to male graves during the Viking period. The Tune ship is only partially preserved. It was found in a burial mound in the 1860’s.
The Newport ship is a sailing vessel from the 15th century which was discovered in 2002 in the city of Newport in South Wales. The restoration of the timber has been completed in 2008 and the ship is currently undergoing conservation which is expected to last about a year and a half. It can be seen on Open Days only which are organized several times per year.
The Mary Rose, a warship from the time of Henry VIII is on display at the Portsmouth Historic Museum since the 1980’s. It is one of the most important finds in history of the maritime archeology due to a large number of priceless artifacts from the Tudor era including sailing equipment, weapons and a large number of items used by the crew that were found along the ship. The Mary Rose was built in 1512 and sank in the Solent, a strait between the Isle of Wight and mainland England in 1545.
Vasa, also referred to as Wasa is one of the most famous historic wooden ships. The warship that was built between 1626 and 1628 sank during its maiden voyage before she managed to sail one nautical mile. One of the largest and most heavily warships at the time was discovered by maritime archaeologists in 1961 and is displayed in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm attracting hundreds of thousand visitors each year.