Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research

Last updated

The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (Norwegian : Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning, NIKU) is a cultural heritage research institute based in Oslo, Norway.

Contents

Organization

The institute has nearly 80 employees and regional offices in Bergen, Trondheim, Tønsberg and Tromsø. [1] It consists of six research departments: [2]

The chair is Torger Ødegaard and the deputy chair is Mette Bye [3] The current director general is Kristin Bakken.

NIKU was created in 1994 as a split from the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage. [1] From 1994 to 2003, the institute shared a board of directors with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research under the moniker NINA•NIKU. [4]

In 2019, archaeologists from NIKU, using large-scale high-resolution georadar technology, determined that a 17-meter-long Viking ship was buried beside Edøy Church on the island of Edøya. Traces of a small settlement were also found. NIKU estimates the ship's age as over 1,000 years: from the Merovingian or Viking Age. The group plans to conduct additional searches in the area. A similar buried ship was found previously by a NIKU group in 2018, in Gjellestad. [5]

Gjellestad ship burial

Replica longship similar in size and appearance to the Gjellestad Ship. Gaia innsegling Kyststevnet 2014 (04).jpg
Replica longship similar in size and appearance to the Gjellestad Ship.
A Viking burial mound at Gjellestad. The Jellhaugen Mound was probably built in the 6th century, about 300 years before the burial of the Gjellestad ship. Halden gjellestad IMG 0271 Jellhaugen rk 42959.JPG
A Viking burial mound at Gjellestad. The Jellhaugen Mound was probably built in the 6th century, about 300 years before the burial of the Gjellestad ship.

The Gjellestad [6] (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈjɛ̂lːəˌstɑː] ) ship burial, also spelt Jellestad, is the remains of a Viking Age longship found at the farm of Gjellestad in Halden municipality in Norway in 2018 by the archeologists Lars Gustavsen and Erich Nau. An ancient well-preserved Viking cemetery for more than 1000 years was discovered using ground-penetrating radar. Archaeologists also revealed at least seven other previously unknown burial mounds and the remnants of five longhouses with the help of the radar survey. [7] [8] [9] [10] The discovery of extensive Bronze Age remains at Gjellestad has led archaeologists to speculate that it had been a sacred site for centuries before the Viking Age. [11]

A 2019 examination by the University of Oslo has dated it to AD 733, at the earliest. [12] Originally interred beneath a burial mound, in the present day the ship lies 50 centimetres below the topsoil due to years of plowing. [13]

Due to extensive fungus damage to the hull caused by field drainage, drought and exposure to the air, archaeologists called for an immediate dig to save the ship. [14] Excavation of the ship at Gjellestad began in June 2020, [15] overseen by Professor Knut Paasche from the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. It is estimated to be over 20 metres long, although only parts of the keel have survived. [16] This would mean that the boat is of a similar size to the Gokstad ship. [17] The identity of the boat's occupant has not yet been confirmed, but experts have speculated that it may have belonged to a king or queen. [18]

By July 2021, archaeologists had exposed the keel of the ship [19] and discovered the remains of a Viking axe. [20] As of December 2021, exploratory excavations and metal detecting surveys in the surrounding area have revealed the existence of a Viking longhouse, [21] a feasting hall, a Norse pagan ritual site, [22] and metal artefacts including an Arabic dirham and three belt buckles. [23]

By December 2022, the archaeological team had completed the excavations. The remains of the keel will be preserved with water-soluble wax. Although most of the wood had disintegrated, the surviving nails will be used to create a 3d reconstruction of the boat. Objects of particular interest included a large amber bead, a spindle whorl, a bracelet, horse and cattle bones, human remains, a comb, a whetstone, fragments of a wooden chest, and two Viking axe heads. [24] The soil from the excavation will be X-rayed and CT scanned before being sifted. [25] The Viken and Halden municipalities intend to open a visitor centre at Gjellestad for viewing the outline of the ship. [26] Meanwhile, the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research has begun a research project called Viking Nativity to investigate the land surrounding the Gjellestad ship burial. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longship</span> Specialised Scandinavian warship

Longships were a type of specialised Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the Norsemen for commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age, many of the longship's characteristics were adopted by other cultures, like Anglo-Saxons, and continued to influence shipbuilding for centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ship burial</span> Burial in which a ship or boat is used

A ship burial or boat grave is a burial in which a ship or boat is used either as the tomb for the dead and the grave goods, or as a part of the grave goods itself. If the ship is very small, it is called a boat grave. This style of burial was practiced by various seafaring cultures in Asia and Europe. Notable ship burial practices include those by the Germanic peoples, particularly by Viking Age Norsemen, as well as the pre-colonial ship burials described in the Boxer Codex in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Østfold</span> County (fylke) in Eastern Norway

Østfold is a county in Eastern Norway, which from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2023 was part of Viken. Østfold borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden, while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other side of Oslofjord. The county's administrative seat is Sarpsborg. The county controversially became part of the newly established Viken County on 1 January 2020. On 1 January 2024, Østfold was re-established as an independent county, however without the former municipality of Rømskog, which was amalgamated with the Akershus municipality Aurskog-Høland in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halden</span> Municipality in Østfold, Norway

Halden, between 1665 and 1928 known as Fredrikshald, is both a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The municipality borders Sarpsborg to the northwest, Rakkestad to the north and Aremark to the east, as well as the Swedish municipalities Strömstad, Tanum and Dals-Ed respectively to the southwest, south and southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loppa</span> Municipality in Finnmark, Norway

Loppa is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Øksfjord. Other villages in Loppa include Andsnes, Bergsfjord, Langfjordhamn, Loppa, Nuvsvåg, Øksfjordbotn, Sandland, and Sør-Tverrfjord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smøla</span> Municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Smøla is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen, other villages include Dyrnes, Råket, and Veiholmen.

Gokstad ship 9th-century Viking ship

The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oseberg Ship</span> Preserved Viking ship

The Oseberg ship is a well-preserved Viking ship discovered in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold county, Norway. This ship is commonly acknowledged to be among the finest artifacts to have survived from the Viking Age. The ship and some of its contents are displayed at the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy on the western side of Oslo, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Stine Ingstad</span> Norwegian archaeologist (1918–1997)

Anne Stine Ingstad was a Norwegian archaeologist who, along with her husband explorer Helge Ingstad, discovered the remains of a Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1960.

Tune ship Preserved Viking ship

The Tune ship (Tuneskipet) is a Viking ship exhibited in the Viking Ship Museum in Bygdøy, Oslo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borre mound cemetery</span> Burial mound site in Norway

Borre mound cemetery forms part of the Borre National Park at Horten in Vestfold, Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edøy</span> Former municipality in Norway

Udøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1960. It was located in the southern and central parts of the present-day Smøla Municipality. The old municipality originally encompassed all the islands surrounding the Edøyfjorden. This included the islands of Smøla, Tustna, Stabblandet, and the many smaller islands between the larger ones. The island of Edøya lies between the two and that was the center of the old municipality. Over time, parts of Edøy were split off to form other municipalities. At the time it was dissolved, Edøy municipality was 149 square kilometres (58 sq mi). The Old Edøy Church and later the (new) Edøy Church were the main churches for the municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolay Nicolaysen</span> Norwegian archaeologist and antiquarian

Nicolay Nicolaysen was a Norwegian archaeologist and Norway's first state employed antiquarian. He is perhaps best known for his excavations of the ship burial at Gokstad in 1880.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Møre og Romsdal</span> County of Norway

Møre og Romsdal is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Trøndelag, Innlandet, and Vestland. The county administration is located in the town of Molde, while Ålesund is the largest town. The county is governed by the Møre og Romsdal County Municipality which includes an elected county council and a county mayor. The national government is represented by the county governor.

Øysletta is a village in the municipality of Overhalla in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the south shore of the river Namsen, along the now-defunct Namsos Line railway. The municipal center, Ranemsletta lies about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) to the northwest and the municipal border with Grong lies about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of Øysletta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Edøy Church</span> Church in Møre og Romsdal, Norway

Old Edøy Church is a historic parish church of the Church of Norway in Smøla Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the southwestern end of the small island of Edøya, just south of the larger island of Smøla. Prior to the construction of the new Edøy Church in 1885, it was the main church for the Edøy parish which is part of the Ytre Nordmøre prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Møre. The stone church was built in a long church style around the year 1190 by an unknown architect. The church seats about 120 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edøya</span> Island in Norway

Edøya is an island in Smøla Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The 7.5-square-kilometre (2.9 sq mi) island lies in the Edøyfjorden between the larger islands of Smøla and Ertvågsøya and Tustna. The island played an important political role during the Viking Age. More recently, it was the center of the old municipality of Edøy and the historic Old Edøy Church is located on the island.

This page lists major archaeological events of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurum Church</span> Medieval stone church in Norway

Hurum Church is a medieval stone church in Hurum, Norway. It was constructed in the 12th century. The church was damaged by fire in 1686, and rebuilt with a baroque interior. Next to the church, the Huitfeldt-family built a wooden funeral chapel in the second half of the 17th century. A new stone chapel was built in 1750, and contains the remains of the naval commander Iver Huitfeldt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solsem cave</span> Cave painting

The Solsem cave is a cave lying to the southwest of the island of Leka in Leka municipality in Trøndelag, Norway. The cave is well known for its cave paintings, which were discovered in 1912. For a long time, they were the only known cave paintings in Norway.

References

  1. 1 2 Henriksen, Petter, ed. (2007). "Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
  2. ↑ "About NIKU". Norsk institutt for kulturminneforskning. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  3. ↑ "Styret" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "NINANIKU – Årsmelding 2002" (in Norwegian). NINA-NIKU. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ancient Viking ship discovered buried next to church using breakthrough georadar technology" . The Independent. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 27 November 2019. This will certainly be of great historical significance, archaeologists say
  6. ↑ "Gjellestadskipet".
  7. ↑ "Viking ship burial discovered in Norway just 50cm underground". the Guardian. 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  8. ↑ Starr, Michelle (15 October 2018). "A Rare Viking Ship Burial Was Just Discovered in Norway, Less Than 2 Feet Underground". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  9. ↑ McGreevy, Nora. "For the First Time in a Century, Norway Will Excavate Viking Ship Burial". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  10. ↑ miljødepartementet, Klima-og (2020-05-12). "Vil grave fram det første vikingskipet på 100 år". Regjeringa.no (in Norwegian Nynorsk). Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  11. ↑ What kind of place was Gjellestad?
  12. ↑ "Skipsgraven fra Gjellestad – ny viten om datering og bevaringstilstand – Kulturhistorisk museum".
  13. ↑ Jellestad Ship
  14. ↑ Science Norway
  15. ↑ Gjellestad excavation
  16. ↑ BBC News
  17. ↑ Historic excavation now underway
  18. ↑ SFL Times
  19. ↑ Science Norway
  20. ↑ KHM Advent Calendar
  21. ↑ Longhouse at Gjellestad
  22. ↑ Longhouse, feasting hall and temple unearthed at Gjellestad
  23. ↑ Viking ship museum Gjellestad
  24. ↑ 12 most exciting finds
  25. ↑ Science Norway
  26. ↑ Gjellestad ship latest
  27. ↑ Viking Nativity
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.