Norway's Oseberg Ship Begins a New Chapter in the Museum of the Viking Age - Medievalists.net

"A landmark in Viking heritage preservation took place on earlier this month, when the Oseberg Ship - one of the world's greatest Viking treasures - was carefully moved to its new home in Oslo's forthcoming Museum of the Viking Age. After nearly a hundred years on display in the old Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy, the Oseberg Ship has finally been transferred to its permanent location in the newly constructed Museum of the Viking Age. The move was the culmination of more than a decade of planning and testing, involving engineers, conservators, and specialists from diverse fields."

"The ship, over 1,200 years old and composed of 90 percent original timber, is extraordinarily fragile. Vibrations and uneven support structures in the old museum had caused stress fractures in its planks. Without intervention, experts warned that the ship might eventually collapse under its own weight. In 2012, a Norwegian government-appointed committee determined that the old building was unsuitable for the ships' long-term preservation. By 2016, plans for the new museum were underway, and the Viking Ship Museum closed in 2021 to prepare for the relocation."

The Oseberg Ship, over 1,200 years old and comprising 90 percent original timber, was relocated to the Museum of the Viking Age in Oslo to secure its preservation. Vibrations and uneven supports in the old museum had caused stress fractures and threatened collapse without intervention. A 2012 government committee found the old building unsuitable, plans began by 2016, and the Viking Ship Museum closed in 2021 for relocation preparations. More than a decade of planning involved engineers, conservators, and specialists who designed custom supports and employed offshore-grade technology. The 21.5-metre vessel moved 106.5 metres at a maximum speed of 25 centimetres per minute with millimetre clearances to protect it for future generations.

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