Tune ship facts for kids
Tune ship at the Viking Ship Museum
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Namesake | Tune, Norway |
| Launched | c. 900 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Karve |
| Length | 22 m (72 ft) (estimate) |
| Beam | 4.35 m (14.3 ft) |
The Tune ship (called Tuneskipet in Norwegian) is a famous Viking ship. You can see it today at the Viking Ship Museum in Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway. It's a really old boat that tells us a lot about the Vikings!
Contents
What Kind of Ship Was the Tune Ship?
The Tune ship is a type of boat called a karve. A karve was a smaller kind of longship, which was a common Viking boat. These ships had a wide hull, meaning they were quite broad. They were often used for coastal travel or for carrying goods and people.
Where Was the Tune Ship Found?
This special ship was found on the Haugen farm. This farm is on an island called Rolvsøy. Rolvsøy is located in the area of Tune in Østfold, Norway. The ship was discovered inside a large dirt mound. This mound was a "ship burial" mound.
What is a Ship Burial Mound?
A ship burial mound is like a grave where a ship was buried. The Vikings sometimes buried important people, like chiefs or wealthy leaders, inside a ship. Then, they would cover the ship with a big mound of earth. The mound where the Tune ship was found was called Båthaugen. This name comes from two old Norse words: båt, which means boat, and haugr, which means mound or hill.
Who Found the Tune Ship?
The Tune ship was discovered in 1867. An archaeologist named Oluf Rygh led the team that opened the burial mound. They carefully dug out the site to find the ship. Professor Rygh gave the ship its name, the Tune ship, because it was found in the Tune parish.
What Does the Tune Ship Look Like?
The Tune ship is not complete; parts of it are missing. But experts believe it was once about 18.7 meters (about 61 feet) long. It is 4.2 meters (about 14 feet) wide. It probably had 11 or 12 pairs of oars, which means 22 to 24 rowers could power it. The main bottom part of the ship, called the keel, is about 14 meters (about 46 feet) long.
How Was the Tune Ship Built?
This Viking ship was built around the year 900 AD. It was mostly made from oak wood. The planks were put together using a method called "clinker building." This means the edges of the wooden planks overlapped each other, like the siding on a house. The ship was built to be very strong. It had natural curves in its wooden ribs, thick crossbeams, and a solid top edge called a gunwale.
Other Information About the Tune Ship
- Marstrander, Sverre (1999) Tuneskipet (Sarpsborg: Borgarsyssel Museum) ISBN: 8299266424
