A Viking Age shipyard, the first of its kind, has been discovered in Birka on the island of Björkö (Sweden). Birka was established during the mid-8th century AD on the shores of Lake Mälaren: commonly known as “Sweden’s first town”, it emerged across Europe and beyond as a major trading hub for merchants and tradesmen. Researchers from Stockholm University uncovered a stone-lined depression on the shore with a wooden boat slop at the bottom, large quantities of boat rivets, whetstones made from slate and woodworking tools, all suggesting that the site was a Viking Age shipyard, as confirmed by Sven Isaksson, Professor of Archaeological Science at Stockholm University. Read more: Heritagedaily