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It is in the revised national budget that the government grants NOK 15.6 million for the archaeological excavation of the Viking tomb. Excavation will begin in June.
“There are very few preserved Viking ships in the world, and all the new knowledge about them contributes to a better understanding of society in the Viking era,” says Håkon Glørstad, director of the Museum of Cultural History, in a press release.
Last year’s excavation shows that the shipyard is very prone to degradation and therefore it has been important to start excavation before it is too late. Actual excavation is estimated to take five months.
– We have learned more about bad and bad times. Therefore, we are already allocating this money to be able to save as much of the ship as possible, says the Minister for Climate and Environment, Sveinung Rotevatn (V).
The ship is buried on land in Gjellestad, in Halden Municipality, where it was found in 2018. The Gjellestad ship is approximately the same size as the Gokstad ship and the Oseberg ship.
– The discovery of the Gjellestadship since the Viking Age is important both nationally and internationally, says Rotevatn, who believes it is important to care for what remains of the ship and make important knowledge about the Viking Age available to the public.
