High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Viking ship is a collective term for ships used during the Viking Age (793?1066) in Northern Europe. They often had a dragon head or other circular object protruding from the front and back, for design. Viking ships were known for being able to navigate rivers and shoals which other navy's ships could not negotiate. They were also able to handle rough seas, such as the North Atlantic Ocean. They ranged in the Baltic Sea and far from the Scandinavian home areas, to Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, the Mediterranean, and Africa. The ships are normally divided into classes based on size and function