Evidence of Large Vessels and Sail in Bronze Age Scandinavia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6095476 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boel Bengtsson (0009-0004-9170-5280, University of Gothenburg, corresponding author), Magnus Artursson (0000-0002-7316-0780, University of Gothenburg), Joakim Wehlin (0000-0002-1072-2600, Uppsala University) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 59-84 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-02 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Norwegian Archaeological Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0029-3652 • E-ISSN: 1502-7678 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00293652.2024.2357135 |
| OpenAlex | W4399986098 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 19 |
This paper argues that the Nordic boatbuilding tradition and the use of sail in Scandinavia can be traced back to the Early Bronze Age when it developed in response to emerging chiefdoms and an associated need for long-distance trade in bronze metals. The southern Scandinavian boat imagery dated to the Bronze Age (BA) depicts different types of boats and means of propulsion, including large vessels and the use of sail. This paper focuses on crewlines on such imagery as indicative of boat length in relation to both the 350 BC Hjortspring boat, a BA type boat and the width-to-length ratio of BA ship-settings. This comparison suggests the BA boat imagery and ship-settings depict the same type of plank-built vessels and that the BA ship-settings are likely to represent 'real' vessels. Centrally positioned post holes in four of these ship-settings are therefore likely to represent masts, providing a direct link with mast-like features also present in the rock art boat imagery. Available BA boatbuilding technologies, based on analysis of the Hjortspring boat, and other indirect evidence of BA boatbuilding technologies, suggests that large, sailed vessels most likely existed, propelled in combination with mainly paddling
Ancient history · Archaeology · Bronze · Bronze Age · Geography · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
Rock Art and Seascapes in Uppland
Neolithic Versus Bronze Age Social Formations
Sailing Rock Art Boats
Early Boats in Scandinavia
Imaginary Vessels in the Late Bronze Age of Gotland and South Scandinavia
Morgawr
Copper ingots from a probable Bronze Age shipwreck off the coast of Salcombe, Devon
Argonauts of the North Sea - a Social Maritime Archaeology for the 2nd Millennium BC
The Oseberg Ship
Boom and bust in Bronze Age Britain
War Canoes or Social Units? Human Representation in Rock-Art Ships
Stone ships
Plankboat skeuomorphs in Bronze Age logboats
Maritime Mode of Production
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |