Archaeologist Sailed Like a Viking for 3 Years and Made an Unexpected Discovery

This Archaeologist Sailed Like a Viking for 3 Years and Made an Unexpected Discovery​

Archaeologist Greer Jarrett from Lund University in Sweden has spent the past three years sailing along routes once used by the Vikings. His findings show that the Vikings likely sailed much farther from Scandinavia and farther from the coast than previously believed. In his latest study, he presents evidence of a decentralized network of ports located on islands and peninsulas, which likely played a key role in Viking trade and travel.

The sailing boat, an open square-rigged clinker vessel modeled after those used during the Viking Age (800 to 1050 AD), made a journey from Trondheim to the Arctic Circle and back in 2022. Since then, Jarrett and his team have sailed more than 5,000 kilometers along historic Viking trade routes. His research suggests that Viking voyages often took place well offshore, challenging earlier assumptions about their navigation methods.

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