The Nydam Boat Guild
The Nydam Society’s long-standing desire to build a copy of the Nydam Boat is being realised. The boat will be built employing the techniques of the time – both to exploit the material characteristics of the timber and to develop an understanding for how large vessels were built in that period.
The construction of the Nydam Boat is divided into two phases. Phase 1 is feasibility study to investigate the construction of the boat. Here we will investigate prerequisites and gather experience for use in Phase 2, which comprises building the complete boat.
The construction project will be conducted in close cooperation with the National Museum of Denmark and the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. We have also established cooperation with the Gottorp Castle Museum in Slesvig (Arkäologischem Landesmuseum Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf).
Construction of a copy of the Nydam Boat will be based on:
- the oak boat found in 1859
- recent archaeological excavations including the discovery of fragments from the oak boat, which still remained in the Bog
- reconstruction of the geometric form of the oak boat, based upon scientific calculations and experience from other boat discoveries
- previous experience in building historic boats.
Phase 1
Jointly with the Guild of the Hjortspring Boat, we are in the process of building two sections of the Nydam Boat reproduction. he first is a mid-section 2.3 metres long, and the other is the stern. The boat building site is the “Lindeværft” shipyard, belonging to the Guild of the Hjortspring Boat, in Holm near Nordborg on Northern Als. Construction is well under way and will be completed in 2005.
Phase 2
Phase 2 comprises construction of the entire boat, and is planned to take place on Sundeved, as close as possible to Nydam Bog. A suitable site for a shipyard must first be found.
Membership
Everyone who is interested is welcome to join the Nydam Society. Membership fees are to be found on our page about membership.
All members of the Nydam Society with interest in the progress of the Nydam Boat Guild, are naturally welcome to register in the Guild without any requirement to work upon the boat building.
