638 KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1891. 



thorowports — lietico the rowing could not have been performed in stand- 

 ing but in a sitting position, and, although seats were not found in the 

 ship, the very expression "sess," as designation of the class of vessels 

 as resultant of the number of oars, indicates that the rowing must have 

 been performed on seats, and that, consequently, thwarts must have 

 existed. 



In the Gokstad shij) three stanchions appear in the central line, eachv 

 stanchion being topped off with a cross-beam in which are two semi- 

 circular depressions. The middle stanchion is borne by a tripod spike; 

 listened to the mast block; the other two rest on a square step in the 

 bottom, after having passed through an aperture in the little fish-tail- 

 shaped blocks between the beams, so that the stanchions could be' 

 removed at pleasure. The exact jmrpose of these stanchions has thus- 

 far been but very unsatisfactorily explained. It is known that a tent 

 was spread over the ship, and these three stanchions have been thought 

 to have been a support for the beams that served as a ridge. Mcolaysen,^ 

 however, says: ^'It may be a matter of doubt, and indeed seems hardly 

 probable, that the three stanchions, and especially their cross-arm, 

 had served as supports for the tilt's ridge, and it may be proper to add 

 that before sotting up the tilt the mast had to be lowered." 



In my opinion, the exact meaning of the lowering of the mast does 

 not imply its being unshipped and laid across the stanchions, since the 

 mast alone, representing from 2,000 to 5,000 pounds in weight, would, 

 for its lifting out of the socket and placing it upon the height of the 

 stanchions, require greater force and more expeditious action, consider- 

 ing the occasion of its lowering, than could be expected of the limited 

 crew represented in the ship, which did not carry one surperfluous hand. 



A significant fact presents itself to my view in the height of the de- 

 l^ressions in the cross-beams of the three stanchions, which are on a 

 level with the neck of tha stem aiul stern])osts, the place at which, in 

 the ancient Greek and Uoman ships, a braided ring^ was applied, 

 through which the double hypozome cable, intended to prevent the 

 breaking of the ship's back in transversely passing over th« waves, 

 were passed, and whic.li were ruu over crutch-like supports along the 

 central line of the sliip. It is therefore, in my opinion, not impossible 

 that the stanchions may have served the purpose indicated additional 

 to crutch-like temporary supports, the material for which may be re[)re- 

 sented in the numerous round sticks ' found in various i^laces of the 



' Nicolnysen : Langakibet fra Gokstad, ji. 58. 



'^ Banmeister : Deukmiiler d. Klass. Altertli., iii, p. 1604, Fig. 1671; Jalirb. d. K. 

 D. Arch. Instit., 1889, 2 Heft, p. 100, Fig. 8. 



^ lu liis enumeration of the articles found with the Gokstad ship, Mr. Nicolaysen 

 (Langskibet fi-a Gokstad, p. 37) describes some inipleiueuts whose application does 

 not api)car to have Ijeen satisfactorily determined; among them are: 



(rt) Two large rougli spars of fir resting on tlie cross-arms of the crutches or stanch- 

 ions. {Ihid., p, 37ft and PI, iv. Figs. 13, 14.) 



(/)) A round timber stock of pine, in standing position, having at one of its ends a. 

 perforated clamp. (Ibid., p. 38/ and PL iv, Fig. 11.) 



