Archaeology and the Sea in Scandinavia and Britain. A Personal Account

As described by Barbara Crawford and Tinna Damgård-Sørensen in the foreword, at 18 years of age Ole Crumlin-Pedersen read a newspaper article describing maritime archaeology as “the most urgent and the most tempting” of the uncultivated fields within archaeology (Berlingske Aftenavis, 20 March 1953). Two years later he obtained acopyofA.W.BrøggerandHaakanShetelig’s opus,TheVikingShips—TheirAncestryand Evolution (1950–1951). These two events crystallized a life-long career as the ancient ship expert at the Danish National Museum and a founding father of the discipline of nautical archaeology. His work over half a century, together with George Bass who pioneered the same field in the Mediterranean, is responsible for much of what is known about the history of European ship-building