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How tar making helped Vikings launch their fearsome fleets

High-yield tar kilns provided crucial material for protecting ships from rot.
A viking ship

The Oseberg ship dates to the early ninth century, when the Vikings travelled far and wide by sea, thanks in part to the large-scale manufacture of tar. Credit: Noe Falk Nielsen/NurPhoto/Getty

The Vikings of the eighth century AD perfected the large-scale production of tar, which helped to preserve their ships on voyages of trade and plunder.

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Nature 563, 9 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07159-6

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