The Picture Stone from Bopparve in Alva

The Picture Stone from Hunninge at Klinte
The Picture Stone from Väskinde Cemetary The Picture Stone from Levide Parish Church
The Picture Stone from Havor in Hablingbo The Picture Stone from Bopparve in Alva
The Picture Stone from Martebo Parish Church The Picture Stone from Ire in Hellvi
The Picture Stone from Austers at Hangvar A Further Picture Stone from Ire in Hellvi
The Picture Stone from Sanda The Picture Stone from Broa in Halla
The Picture Stone from Smiss at När The Picture Stone from Smiss in Stenkyrka
The Picture Stones from Larsarve at Eskelhem The Picture Stone from Laxare in Boge
Picture stones from Smiss at Garda The Picture Stones from Sjonhem Parish Church
The Picture Stone from Ardre
 

On some of the smaller picture stones, like this one from 700–800 A.D. the sole depiction is of a ship, thus indicating the tremendous importance of the ship during the Viking Age. The picture stones and the discovery of larger and smaller ships in the grave at Oseberg in Norway prove the existence of many different types of ships at this time. We can no longer use the expression ‘the Viking ship’ to indicate one particular design. However, the smaller merchant ship was undoubtedly more common than the warships that could be up to 30 metres in length.

  The Viking Age sailing ships, with their tapered stems and sterns, were clinker built with vertical keels and rudders, masts, rigging and square sail. To a certain extent the Viking Age ship-building art can be said to have survived to the present day on Gotland by way of the so-called two and three-manned vessels.