16th International Symposium on Boat & Ship Archaeology

51 Zadar, Croatia | 26 September – 1 October 2021 Sarah Fawsitt, Marja-Liisa Petrelius Grue & Hilde Vangstad Norwegian Maritime Museum, Oslo, Norway Bispevika 8 – Homemade? An early 16 th century carvel ship found in Oslo harbour In 2015 the wreck Bispevika 8 was found in the Renaissance era harbour of Oslo, amongst 37 other 16 th Century (+/-20 years) wrecks. While some of the other wrecks had carvel elements, they were primarily clinker-built vessels. Bispevika 8 was the only vessel found with an entirely carvel construction. Although only the lower, aft section of the wreck was preserved, it still provides an interesting perspective on the introduction of carvel construction to Scandinavia. The trees used to build the ship were felled between 1534-39 AD, making Bispevika 8 the earliest carvel wreck found in Norway, and one the oldest Northern Dutch flush wrecks found anywhere. The construction elements of Bispevika 08 strongly suggest a Northern Dutch influence. Dendrochronological analysis of the ship’s planking revealed a provenance in southern Norway. This alone would not raise any eyebrows as Norway exported timber on a large scale in the 16 th century; however, analysis of the caulking material has revealed that the caulking was not gathered in the Netherlands. Three potential regions were suggested, the south-eastern coast of Sweden, the eastern Baltic, and southern Norway. Bispevika 8 has undergone thorough documentation, making it an excellent source to assess early carvel construction in Northern Europe, and Scandinavia specifically. Bispevika 8 raises the possibility of a locally constructed carvel ship. A ship, feasibly built not for the purpose of war but for trade, sparking debate about the reasons for the introduction of carvel construction into Scandinavia. But is the remaining evidence robust enough to determine that such an early Dutch-in- fluenced ship could have been constructed in Norway? Based on the historical context, the archaeological documentation, and the scientific analysis we will try to ascertain the wrecks intended usage, and furthermore its origin.