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Ash was preferred by Viking shipbuilders for oars and for parts exposed to heavy impact. Thanks to its toughness and high shock resistance, ash offered the ideal engineering solution for ship components that worked under constant fatigue...

In clinker Viking ships, branches and trunk junctions with natural curves were vital for making frames without cutting the fibres. This search for curved timber required extensive scanning within the forest and directly affected the durability...

For the clinker planks for a Viking ship, the tree was split radially from the centre outward. Unlike a saw, this process did not cut the fibres and preserved the natural strength of the wood. This first intervention with the axe formed the...

Viking shipbuilders strengthened knot-related weak points in the oak planks with patches fastened from the outside. This management of defects was aimed at minimising the structural risks created by knots that remained within the plank plane...

In Viking shipbuilding, instead of relying on a single ideal tree, a functional selection system was applied. Hardwoods such as oak were preferred for the keel, while lighter softwoods such as pine and spruce were chosen for masts and oars...

Before felling, the tree’s diameter, length, and usable section were roughly calculated by the Viking shipbuilder. Since the pale outer sapwood would rot quickly and the irregular pith in the centre would not be fully useful either, a larger-than-needed...

When selecting the trunk, the Viking shipbuilder considered not only the main section for the long boards, but also the naturally curved parts in the crown, since these bends could be valuable for ribs and other internal members. Charcoal...

The oak trunk about to be cut down was read by the Viking shipbuilder not only for its straightness but also for the degree of twist in its fibres. By looking at the bark, the builder could understand whether the wood had grown in a twisted...

The Viking shipbuilders did not enter the forest at random. They first searched for large, straight-grown, knot-free oaks capable of yielding broad planks, because a clinker hull would not forgive poor timber, and the choice made at the start...

The work of building a Viking ship began by determining the type and purpose of the vessel. Whether it would be a warship, a cargo boat, or a coastal craft was decided, and the hull length, need for lightness, and choice of materials were...