The Gokstad Ship
Rudder and Tiller
Ropes and Rigging
Rope textures tile to cover any length of rope.
Shields
Oar Hole Covers
Different textures represent a variety of carvings found on different oar hole covers.
Board Game
Wooden Buckets
Rowing Chests
Benches were not found on the Gokstad ship, and a common hypothesis is that rowers used their own personal chests as seats. The shape is based on the Mästermyr find in Sweden, with decoration elements inspired by the Oseberg find.
Oar and a Gangplank
In the 2017 / 2018 academic year, I pursued Fulbright research in Norway at the University of Oslo and the Viking Ship Museum. My goal was to explore the potential roles of game development technology in archaeological visualization, learning, and connecting people with history. Through an interdisciplinary combination of historical research, modeling, and coding, I developed a sailing simulation of the Gokstad ship and an environment where users can examine the ship under sail to better understand details such as rigging and how the crew would have lived on board.
All models are based on museum documentation and artifacts. All images are captured using Unreal Engine 4.
Although the research period has concluded, I will continue to expand and refine the project.
