Gokstadhaugen is a large burial mound on the outskirts of Sandefjord where, in 1880, one of the most important Viking ships ever discovered was excavated. The Gokstad ship, built around 890 AD, is 23.8 metres long with 16 pairs of oars and was buried with a chieftain, possibly a petty king. The grave goods included 64 shields, six beds, a sleigh, three smaller boats, and an assortment of animals: twelve horses, eight dogs, and two peacocks.
The ship itself is now at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, so what remains here is the mound and an information board. It is a quiet, somewhat understated spot considering what lay inside it for a thousand years. Worth a brief stop if you are in the area, particularly in combination with the Midgard Vikingsenter at Borre.
The ship itself is now at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, so what remains here is the mound and an information board. It is a quiet, somewhat understated spot considering what lay inside it for a thousand years. Worth a brief stop if you are in the area, particularly in combination with the Midgard Vikingsenter at Borre.
