Norse Knarr Merchant Ship

Timeline

1. 800–1050Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic routes · North AtlanticDuring the Viking Age, knarrs were built of oak in clinker fashion, their deep, broad hulls carrying furs, amber, sealskins, and iron goods along the Norwegian coast via Shetland and the Faroes to Iceland, and further south to Britain and the Frankish coast.
2. 1131–1140Baltic and North Sea trade network · DenmarkIn the 1130s, the Norse kingdoms maintained transoceanic trade within a Christian framework: knarrs carried dried fish, furs, and beeswax from Norway and Iceland to Britain and the Baltic, returning with grain, iron goods, and cloth; the trade that preceded ports such as Lübeck also relied on similar broad-hulled sailing ships.
3. 1025Roskilde Fjord · DenmarkKnarr wrecks excavated at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark (the Skuldelev series) reveal their clinker construction, central cargo hold, and single-mast square-sail layout, providing material evidence for the study of Norse trade ships; the ship type's characteristics persisted into the 12th century.