The Vikings came from the rugged, inhospitable north known today as Scandinavia.
As the Roman Empire flourished further south, Scandinavians had small settlements, no central government, and no coinage.
Yet by the 11th century, the Vikings had spread far from Scandinavia, gaining control of trade routes throughout Europe, conquering kingdoms as far as Africa, and even building outposts in North America.
The secret to their success was their ships.
The formidable Viking longship had its origins in the humble dugout canoe, or log boat.
For millennia, the inhabitants of Scandinavia had used these canoes for transportation.
Dense forests and tall mountains made overland travel difficult, but long coastlines and numerous rivers, lakes, and fjords provided a viable alternative.
The first canoes were simply hollowed-out logs rowed with paddles.
Over time, they added planks to the log boat base using the clinker, or "lapstrake" technique, meaning the planks overlapped and were fastened to each other along their edges.
As the Roman Empire expanded north, some Scandinavians served in their new neighbors' armies — and brought home Roman maritime technology.