Viking navigation and expansion
I can explain how the Vikings navigated over long distances to far away places.
Viking navigation and expansion
I can explain how the Vikings navigated over long distances to far away places.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- The Vikings used the sun, moon and stars to navigate, and also followed the path of birds and other animals.
- Some archaeologists have found wooden 'sun-shadow' boards that might have been used by the Vikings to navigate.
- The Vikings used these techniques to travel long distances.
- The Vikings sailed far down the rivers of Europe to trading ports and met with traders from the Middle East and Asia.
- They even travelled as far as Iceland, Greenland and North America.
Keywords
Archaeologist - an archaeologist digs up and studies objects from the past
Evidence - evidence is something that proves an idea or fact to be true
Stars - the stars are balls of gas in space that give off light and heat
Port - a port is a place where boats load and unload, and trade happens
Common misconception
Pupils may think that archaeologists only dig up bones, like dinosaurs or extinct creatures.
Archaeologists work with all sorts of objects from the past, many of the items in museums have been dug up by an archaeologist.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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