After 95 years of operation, the Viking Shipyard on Bygdøy has recently closed its doors. Here, among other things, you have been able to admire the Oseberg ship and the Gokstad ship from Vestfold, and the Tune ship from Rolvsøy in Fredrikstad. But fear not. In 2026, the new Viking Age Museum will open in the same location. The ships stand on vibration-damping cushions that run on columns down into the basement. Then vibrations from the building work outside will not reach the ships. Photo: Vegard Vike, Cultural History Museum Taking no chances The work is complicated, to say the least. Because even if the Viking ships have been out a few winter nights before, they can’t stand being ravaged with them very badly. After all, it is more than a thousand years since they were buried with a trip to Valhall in mind. At Bygdøy, therefore, no chances are taken when it comes to movement or other factors that could affect the condition of the magnificent vessels. The distance is measured with sensors, so that any vibrations are immediately notified. Photo: Vegard Vike, Museum of Cultural History Initially it seemed almost impossible to carry out the work without affecting the ships, but with the help of modern technology good solutions have been found. That’s what Anders Helseth, conservator at the University of Oslo, says. – The machine operators on the outside have a gadget around their neck that lights up red and beeps if they exceed the limit, he says. If this happens, all work stops immediately. Conservator Anders Helseth makes sure that the Viking ships are not damaged. Photo: Robert Hansen / news – Limits have been set for how much movement the excavation work on the outside can shake the ground, explains Helseth. This is regulated with so-called vibration sensors on each ship, in addition to more than 30 weight sensors that indicate whether the ships are moving. The distance to the walls and floor is measured with a laser weekly. – Starting to get used to it The machine operators have a far more challenging day at work than they are used to. This is what Lars Christian Gomnæs, project manager at Statsbygg, tells us. Everyone who works on the construction site has a so-called vibration alarm hanging around their neck. Lars Christian Gomnæs, project manager at Statsbygg. Photo: Statsbygg – If one of the drivers receives a signal on their vibration detector, all work must be stopped immediately. The problem is then identified by looking at which frequency is affected, he explains. Gomnæs says that the machine operators have had to turn to some extra stays during the working day. – I have never come across this before, but we are getting used to it. Perfect storage The ships are now hidden and wrapped like huge ghosts, and are monitored around the clock. Sailmakers have been commissioned to make special cloths that enclose the rigging, so that dust from renovation work does not land on the stately vessels. – This is a conservator’s dream, says Helseth, clearly satisfied. The Oseberg ship was visited by half a million people a year. Now no one gets to see the Viking ships for four years. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – It is of course not suitable for displaying the objects, but for a conservator with responsibility for preservation, this is about as good as it gets. The new facility will be the world’s largest of its kind, i.e. among museums that have the Viking Age as their theme. The price tag has already passed NOK 3 billion. Here you will be able to experience the three ships and around 8,000 other objects from the Viking Age. – An exhibition will be built that will be world class, says Helseth.
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34 sensors monitor the Viking ships around the clock – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
