Numidian straw hut

This Viking tent model is based on the frames recovered from the Oseberg and Gokstad ship burials. It is designed to be used as a baggage element for any Norse and Viking army and it is approximately 40mm wide, 65mm deep and 37mm tall, so fits on two standard DBM baggage base, that is 80x40mm. The gable boards survived in relatively good conditions. They are made of oak terminating in fierce, carved animal heads. It is thought that most Viking ships probably carried some tents of this type to provide shelter, at least for the more important members of the crew, when the ship was away from home. These tents varied considerably in size, some of them being large enough to have a fire inside! Unfortunately, we do not know exactly how the canvas fitted to these tents, or indeed, if they may have just used the ship's sail to cover the frame. These tents may well have functioned as a 'market stall' when the ship's crew were engaged in trade, although they could equally well have provided shelter for soldiers on campaign. We do not know much more about Viking tents because they do not seem to be illustrated in any contemporary pictures, or mentioned in any contemporary literature. .