The Gokstad was a burial ship. The main reason it was discovered was because the Vikings were Pagan. Pagans were either cremated or buried with things they would need in the next life. If they were rich enough, their ship would be buried with them.

The Gokstad was built around 900 A.D. and was discovered in Norway in the year 1880. The ship was buried underground. Its contents consisted of the owner of the ship, his livestock and belongings. The ship was complete except for the upper stem and stern which had rotted away and the mast which had been cut to prevent it from protruding through the dirt.

The ship was a little more than 76 feet long, had and a maximum width of 17 feet. The height from the keel to the gunwale amidship was 7 feet. It is estimated that the weight of the hull, fully equipped, was 20 tons. It had a strong mast support and 16 pairs of oars. It was a sturdy

Another feature in the ship was the Rudder. It was a large oar fixed to the side of the stern. The rudder had to be twisted in order to be able to change the direction of the ship. When the ship was beached, the rudder could not be lower than the keel because it would get caught in the sand.

The planking on the deck was not nailed down for there were no signs of nail holes. Loose planks were convenient for storing cargo beneath the deck. The ship could not carry very heavy items, but could store small objects. Each man could store his weapons under the deck at his rowing position.

The Mast fish was the largest single piece of wood on the Gokstad. Named after its shape, it was 16 feet 6 inches long, 3 feet 3 inches wide, and 20 inches thick. It lay across four cross beams which have extra support from the kerling. It had an open slit in the top through which the mast could be slid through.

Gunwale: The upper edge of a side of a ship or boat.

Mast: A tall vertical spar that rises from the keel of a sailing vessel to support the sails and rigging.

WWW:www.mariner.org/age/gokstad.html (March 13, 1999)

The ship's backbone, or keel, was slightly curved so it would be thicker and deeper in the middle, which is where the largest amount of weight would be put. The tapering at the end of the ship allowed it to glide through the water.

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Some common words found in the essay are:
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