1,100-year-old 'ceremonial' Viking shields were actually used in battle, study suggests

Live Science ^ | published 7 days ago | Tom Metcalfe

[SunkenCiv]

The Gokstad ship as it would have looked on the water, in a drawing from the original 1882 report of the discovery. The yellow and black painted shields can be seen in a row along the top of the hull.

Image credit: Harry Schøyen/Nicolaysen et al, 1882

[SunkenCiv]

They come from the land of ice and snow...

[Larry Lucido]

Typical dudes.

“You’re using your GOOD shield?? I just had that dry cleaned!”

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

[FreedomPoster]

Going about in the North Sea in that would not have been for the faint of heart.

[SuperLuminal]

There has never been any doubt that they were an important weapon in battle!

[pierrem15]

When Erik the Red settled Greenland, 35 ships left but only 14 survived the journey to Greenland.

[Delta 21]

"hand-to-hand combat"

Is there any other kind?

[FreedomPoster]

Yeah, that’s the North Atlantic, that’s even worse than the North Sea. Crossing to Britain is a picnic compared to getting to Greenland.

[Larry Lucido]

Vikings could get down!

[SunkenCiv]

Well, generally speaking you don’t need any extra incentive to murder a dry cleaner.

[SunkenCiv]

It’s not surprising that the Vikings made those journeys and settlements, but it’s probably not surprising that they didn’t long endure.

https://allthatsinteresting.com/freydis-eiriksdottir

[SunkenCiv]

Flashback to high school in the early 1970s.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You have a war ship.

You can load it with extra food, water and weapons or you can tie round pieces of wood along the side to make it look pretty.

Someone needs to get their nose out of a book and go sailing.

Which is why I am all for hands on archaeology.

[Larry Lucido]

Exactly!

[Delta 21]

Just hang on, man. It’ll be over in a minute.

[Delta 21]

https://youtu.be/ApxnAr6pRt0

[GingisK]

Flokie settled Greenland.