Viking Longship

[JayC]

Hi Indy

 

Have you heard of this as reported on the BBC today.

 

1,000-year-old Viking longship is thought to have been discovered under a pub car park on Merseyside.

The vessel is believed to lie beneath 6ft to 10ft (2m to 3m) of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, Wirral, where Vikings are known to have settled.

 

Experts believe the ship could be one of Britain's most significant archaeological finds.

 

Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham, is now seeking funds to pay for an excavation.

 

The Viking expert used ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment to pinpoint the ship's whereabouts.

 

He believes the vessel could be carefully removed and exhibited in a museum.

 

What a fantastic find.

 

John

[indy]

Hi JayC,

Yes I have heard this one in the past, in fact correct me if i'm wrong but didn't Mark Olly do something on this in his last series??

 

[ 11.09.2007, 14:48: Message edited by: indiana James ]

[JayC]

Indy.

 

Im not to sure , it appeared on the BBC as a recent find so unless they are recycling the news it may well be a new find, still exciting whatever the case.

 

John

[Steve the Original]

Viking ship found (again) under pub

 

Builders who uncovered the remains of a Viking ship in a pub cellar did as their foreman advised - and hid it.

 

Instead they knocked down the Railway Inn in Meols, Merseyside, rebuilt it further from the road and turned the old pub into a car park.

 

Fifty years on, one of the builders mentioned it to his son who drew a sketch and passed it on to the local university, reports Sky News.

 

Now archaeologists believe it was a 1,000-year-old Viking longship and could be one of Britain's most significant archaeological finds.

 

Viking expert Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham, used ground-penetrating radar equipment to pinpoint the ship's whereabouts.

 

He is now seeking funds to pay for a major archaeological dig to excavate the site.

 

Prof Harding said: "Although we still don't know what sort of vessel it is, it's very old for sure and its Nordic clinker design, position and location suggests it may be a transport vessel from the Viking settlement period if, not long afterwards.

 

"It is speculation at the moment but at least we now know exactly where to look to find out. How it got there is also hard to say. It is some distance from the present coastline and probably the old one too. It might have got to its present position after flooding and sinking into an old marsh."

 

The vessel is thought to lie beneath 6ft to 10ft of waterlogged clay - a natural preservative - under the Railway Inn and its car park.

 

Workers unearthed the vessel in 1938 but were told by the foreman to cover it over again - he knew that an archaeological dig would delay construction.

 

 

I dont think they will get the 2 million they need to dig it up...

[indy]

:confused: ?2 million pounds...... If they are so sure it exists then surely test pitting to confirm their theory would be the 1st step costing just a fraction of the quoted price. It may even be that the test pitting could possibly prove that it is not what they think it is saving a fortune in funds. If results are very positive then funding should be sought :scared:

[indy]

[robot]

The trouble with proving anything is that if there is something down there then the control of the site will be whisked away!!

 

So I suppose eventually the Time Team will be contacted again?

 

Now if only the voluntary groups in the area could be encouraged to at least do some of the prep work (ie before some University bring their students over and elbows the locals out)...Im sure S.T.A.G. would love a crack at a bit of GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) work?

[bumble]

Time to get TIME TEAM in me thinks, they are fantastic at any challenge thrown at them.