Viking-era wooden sailboats listed on heritage by UNESCO

28 Jan,22 9:30 am
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Nordic "Clinker Boats": United Nations (UN) culture agency, UNESCO, in December 2021 added Nordic “clinker boats” to its list of traditions that represent the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Key Highlights:

  • Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway jointly sought the UNESCO designation.
  • The UNESCO nomination was signed by around 200 communities and cultural bearers in the field of construction and traditional clinker boat craftsmanship, including Sami communities.
  • For thousands of years, these wooden sailboats allowed the peoples of Northern Europe to spread influence, trade, and sometimes war across seas and continents.
  • The term “clinker” is believed to refer to the way its wooden boards were fastened together.
  • Supporters of the successful nomination hope it will safeguard and preserve the boat-building techniques that drove the Viking era for future generations as the number of active clinker craftsmen fades and fishermen and others opt for vessels with cheaper glass fiber hulls.
  • There are only about 20 practicing clinker boat craftsmen in Denmark, perhaps 200 across all of northern Europe.

Characteristics of Wooden Clinker Boats:

  • Wooden clinker boats are characterized by the use of overlapping longitudinal wooden hull planks that are sewn or riveted together.
  • Builders strengthen the boats internally by additional wooden components, mainly tall oak trees, which constitute the ribs of the vessel.
  • They stuff the gaps in between with tar or tallow mixed with wool, animal hair, and moss.

Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde:

  • The Viking Ship Museum is located in Roskilde, west of Copenhagen.
  • The museum not only exhibits the remains of wooden vessels built 1,000 years ago, but also works to rebuild and reconstruct other Viking boats.
  • The process of construction involves use of experimental archaeological methods to gain a deeper, and practical understanding of Viking Age.

About World Heritage Site:

  • World Heritage Site is an area or landmark, which is legally protected by an international convention administered by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • These Sites are designated by UNESCO for having historical, cultural, scientific or other form of significance.
  • The sites are judged for comprising “cultural and natural heritage worldwide, considered to be important to humanity”.

World Heritage Sites in India and World:

  • At present, there are 40 World Heritage Sites located in India.
  • Out of these, 32 are cultural, 7 are natural, and 1 is mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria), as determined by the organization's selection criteria.
  • India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.
  • As of July 2021, there are 1,154 World Heritage Sites, across 167 countries.
  • Out of them, 897 are cultural, 218 natural, and 39 mixed properties.
  • Italy, with 58 selected areas, is the country with the greatest number of sites on UNESCO List.

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