European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                An ornate sled displayed at the Oslo museum. By Ron Jensen staff writer for centuries the secret of Viking shipbuilding was buried along the fjord that leads to Oslo Norway s capital City. Modern historians wondered How people sailed from Scanda Nivia to Iceland Greenland  at least As far As Newfoundland before 1000 . The secret began to unravel with the discovery of one of those Viking ships in 1867 in tune on the East Side of the fjord. Thirteen years later another ship was found on the West Side of the fjord near Tokstad. In 1904, a ship was excavated at nearby oseberg. Within 37 years the knowledge of those Early Craft went from almost nothing to extensive. Today the three relics  Many items they contained can be seen at the Viking ship museum in Oslo. The most Complete  impressive of the ships is the one found at oseberg. It was built in about 800 . And had been used As a burial chamber about Midway through the ninth Century. Sometime during the Middle Ages robbers removed Many of the items that were placed in the grave. To remove the ship was a monumental task. The humid Clay in which it had rested for More than a millennium had helped to preserve it but the weight of the soil  stones placed inside the vessel at the time of burial broke the ship into pieces. Each piece was numbered  meticulously removed to be fitted together again later. Because the pieces were Bent  misshapen they first had to be steamed  pressed into their original shapes. The ship is nearly 70 feet Long  about 18 feet across at its widest Point. The other two ships Are nearly the same size a one a bit larger  the other slightly smaller. The museum also displays items found in the ships. Most impressive is a wooden cart More than 15 feet Long  decorated with ornate carvings. The meaning of Many of these carvings is unclear. Also interesting Are the sleighs discovered with the ship. They too Are covered with carvings. Metal tools from the buried ships Are also a splayed As Are Many other wooden items from the Kimg age such As a Saddle buckets  Kitchen utensils. A Quot St a the keel of the ship found at Tokstad left was one Long piece of Oak. The ship it built in . 850, Ivas rowed by 32 men. Below a rough Hen Viking Craft built in . 800. A amps photos by Gus Schuettler March 29, 1990 stripes Magazine 5