The wreck-site at Bøle near Skien was first reported in 1950 during dredging in the river. The Bøle ship is one of the most significant medieval ship-finds in Norway, and the manner of its discovery is referred to as a tragedy in ship archaeology. New investigations at the site in 2004–2006 revealed more fragments from the vessel and its cargo, and the ship is now the object of new studies. This article presents a description of the ship and its context, and the results of an initial dendrochronological analysis and provenance determination.© 2007 The Authors