The vikings made to last

Vikings were the original marine engineers. The rise of the Vikings can be attributed largely to their creation and mastery of the advanced technology of the day. They built long, narrow ships that could travel fast and reach far into rivers and shallow inlets, fully exploiting their natural resource of oak. The Vikings did not have maps but used observation and memory. They were rarely at sea for more than a few days at a time, so they used their senses, noting the position of the stars and the sun, the direction of the waves and how the sea changes colour when it mingles with soil from approaching land. A new British Museum exhibition shows we can learn plenty about navigation and shipbuilding from them.