Explore the Viking exhibits in the British Museum
British museum in London promises a great tour of Viking lifestyle through their exhibition Vikings: Life and Legend. The exhibits include axes, swords, armors, looted treasures, and ships they used to sail across the vast seas.
The Viking exhibition was a landmark for British museum because it was the first exhibition in their new World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre opened in 2014.
Who are Vikings?
Vikings are the Scandinavian warriors and explorers who raided Western Europe from 8th to 11th century. They explored Western Europe, Iceland, northern Russia and the British islands during their time. They raided and looted monasteries and mansions and even took slaves for trade.
Their exceptional navigation skills and long ships were the keys assets for their explorations. Their ships were made of oak trees. An average Viking ship can carry a total of thirty people at once. These ships were believed to have great speed and durability.
Roskilde 6: The biggest Viking ship
Roskilde 6 is the biggest Viking ship ever found. It was excavated from Denmark in 1996. The ship is about 36m in length. 39 pairs of oars are found in the ship which means there were 78 oarsmen served in the ship. The size of the ship and the recourses utilized for its construction indicates that it was a royal warship.
The ship was in the British museum in 2014, as a part of museum’s exhibition Vikings: Life and Legend. The ship was placed in the new Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the British museum. The exhibition was in collaboration with the National Museum of Denmark and then the ship went to the Berlin.
Other Viking exhibits in British museum
Vikings left behind very few written scriptures. Most of the records related to Vikings were written by travelers and victims of the Viking raid. Vikings looted a lot of treasures from the Christian monasteries in the Western European countries. Those treasures are also a part of the exhibition.
The display of the Viking weapons demonstrates their skills as a warrior and their knowledge on sword making. One other interesting exhibit is a Viking helmet with the jaw bone of the warrior who wore it. Some of the Viking jewelry displayed in the exhibition was found in Uzbekistan. It demonstrates the reach Vikings had during their reign.
The exhibition is a treat for the history enthusiasts all over the world. It will give you a clear picture on the culture of Vikings and their explorations around the world.