618 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



Sticks, 2 to 4 fcot long, soinewliat ]>oiut€Ml at one end, scattered liere 

 and there in the vessel. At many places inside tlie vessel, but not 

 equally distributed throughout it, juniper branches which had been 

 pulled up with the root were lying in the clay and still so well preserved 

 that the needles could be distinctly seen. Finally, under the vessel, on 

 its eastern side were found an oaken spade or shovel and a hand- 

 spike made of a young oak trunk, of which the bark was partially pre- 

 served. The articles found in and near the vessel completely estab- 

 lished what might also have been supposed without their testimony, 

 viz, that one had come on a ship-tomb from the younger iron age. The 

 ship was carefully drawn out of the river not far distant; it was placed 

 on the ground, the turf and earth having been previously removed. 

 The situation chosen was such as was generally preferred for inter- 

 ments in heathen times, as the mound could be seen a great distance 

 on all sides and the deceased could thus enjoy from his last resting 

 place a fine view over the country where he had lived and toiled. After 

 the space under t\ie ship had been filled with earth the body of the 

 deceased was jilaced in its aft part Avhere, as its captain, he had sat 

 when alive. The beads and the jiiece of cloth indicate that the body 

 was buried with the clothes on. By its side a horse and a saddle, har- 

 ness, and snow skate were laid. Tlius he had shij), saddle, horse, and 

 snow skates with him in the sepulchral tumulus. One involuntarily 

 calls to mind tlie ancient account of Harold Hildebrand, who fell at 

 the battle of Braavalla. Sigurd Iting ordered the body of the fallen 

 king to be driven into the mound on the chariot he had used in the 

 battle. The horse was killed, and Sigurd then had his own saddle 

 buried in the mound, "that Harold might choose whether he would 

 ride or drive to Yalhalla.'' A little farther out in the mound, and ap- 

 parently without regard to order, the weapons and several of the 

 horses of the deceased were buried. With respect to several other 

 articles discovered here, we can make the same remark as with the 

 articles now and then found in other tumuli, that it is rather difficult 

 to understand for what purpose they have been laid there. 



We have, then, here considerable fragments of a vessel undoubtedly 

 belonging to the Yiking period. It can hardly be supposed that this 

 is one of the ships in which the Norwegians of that period made their 

 bold Viking expeditions in the Baltic, the Xorth Sea, an«l tlie Atlan- 

 tic. A vessel so small in size, and built so low and flat, could not 

 be adapted to long voyages in the open sea; it can only have been 

 used for coasting trade and shorter expeditions." 



The Golstad ship ^ (Plate Lxxviii). — In midst of a woodless plain ex- 

 tending northeasterly from the northern terminus of the Sandefjord is 

 located the farm of Gokstad, and near it is a mound, for centuries known 



' Nicolaysen, X.: Langskibet fra Gokstad \ed Sauclefjord, Kristiania, 1882. 

 Mcohiysen, N.: The Viking ship, discovwefl at Gokstad in Norway, Christianla, 

 1882. ThG Aiitifjnary, Angnst. 1880; Doeemhcr, 1881, 1882, p. 87. Popular Science 

 Monthly, May, 1881 (borrowing i'roni La Natnri', view ofshi]) //( .v//m). Xordeiisliiiild: 



