Editing Viking ship (section)

== Development ==
The ship has been functioning as the centerpiece of Scandinavian culture for centuries, serving both pragmatic and religious purposes, and its importance was already deeply rooted in the Scandinavian culture when the Viking Age began. Scandinavia is a region with relatively high inland mountain ranges and dense forests, making inland travel hazardous and cumbersome. In contrast most communities had easy access to  natural ports and the coastal sea lanes; consequently, trade was primarily conducted as coastal shipping. Many stone engravings from the [[Nordic Stone Age]] and in particular the [[Nordic Bronze Age]], depict ships in various situations, and valuable ships were sacrificed as part of  ceremonial [[votive offerings]] since at least the [[Nordic Iron Age]], as evidenced by the [[Hjortspring boat|Hjortspring]] and [[Nydam Mose|Nydam boats]].

The Viking Age saw the first local developments of trading ports into forts and coastal towns, all of which were deeply dependent on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea for survival and growth. Control of the waterways was of great economical and political importance, and consequently, ships were in high demand. The Hedeby coins, among the earliest known Danish currency, have impressions of ships as emblems, showing the importance of naval vessels in the area.<ref name="Juelsgård Horte2024">{{cite web |last1=Juelsgård Horte |first1=Bill |last2=Juelsgård Horte |first2=Jan |last3=Juelsgård Horte |first3=Marianne |title=The Maritime Jan Bill-Red (Topography of the Medieval Town:Picture-sources |url=https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/professions/education/the-longships/picture-sources |website=www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk |access-date=6 December 2024 |date=2024}}</ref>