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A 1,000-year-old Viking longship is thought to have been discovered under a pub car park on Merseyside.

The vessel is believed to lie beneath 2 metres to 3 metres of clay by the Railway Inn in Meols, a town in the north west of England, where Vikings are known to have settled.

Experts believe the ship could be one of Britain's most significant archaeological finds.

Professor Stephen Harding, of the University of Nottingham, is now seeking funds to pay for an excavation.

The Viking expert used ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment to pinpoint the ship's whereabouts.

He believes the vessel could be carefully removed and exhibited in a museum. Professor Harding said: "The next stage is the big one. Using the GPR technique only costs ￡450, but we have to think carefully about what to do next.

"Although we still don't know what sort of vessel it is, it's very old for sure and its Nordic clinker design, position and location suggests it may be a transport vessel from the Viking settlement period if not long afterwards.

"Scandinavian influence persisted here through the centuries. It is speculation at the moment, but at least we now know exactly where to look to find out. How it got there is also hard to say.

"It is some distance from the present coastline and probably the old one too. It might have got to its present position after flooding and sinking into an old marsh."

The ship was first uncovered in 1938 when the Railway Inn was being knocked down and rebuilt further from the road, the site of the old pub was being made into a car park.

Workers were advised by the foreman to cover the ship over again so as not to delay construction.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

longship 长船

pub car park 酒吧停车场

vessel 船只

to lie beneath 躺在…的下面

clay 粘/泥土

settled 解决

archaeological finds 考古发现

seeking funds 寻找资金

excavation 挖掘

ground penetrating radar 探地雷达 

pinpoint 精确定位

exhibited 展出 

technique 技术

Nordic clinker （公元前9世纪）北欧地区制造的木船 

a transport vessel 运输船

Viking （北欧）海盗 

Scandanavian 斯堪的纳维亚

persisted 坚持不懈 

speculation 揣测

coastline 海岸线