Gokstad ship

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gokstad-ship

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Gokstad ship?Excavated from a large burial mound at Gokstad, Sandar, Vestfold, Norway
2. What is the vessel classification?Viking Age longship, likely a warship or chieftain's burial vessel
3. What is the construction period?9th century CE
4. Why was the Gokstad Ship buried in a mound?It was buried as part of a special funeral for a high-status person, and the mound helped protect the ship for more than a thousand years.
5. How big is the Gokstad Ship?The ship is about 23.8 meters long and 7.2 meters wide, making it the biggest complete Viking ship that has been found.

Longship: A versatile type of Viking vessel characterized by its long, narrow hull, shallow draft, and capacity for both sail and oar propulsion.
Burial Mound (Tumulus): An artificial hill constructed over a grave, often signifying the high status of the interred individual and containing grave goods.
Clinker-building: A traditional shipbuilding technique where hull planks overlap and are secured with rivets, creating a strong, flexible, and watertight structure.
Viking Age: The period of Scandinavian history from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries, marked by Viking exploration, raids, and trade.