Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Hadleigh Castle Country Park is owned and managed by Essex County Council, a local authority. Background papers from NCC files that support the SSSI citation for the park specifically mention its use as an educational resource as it is a large, continuous, relatively undisturbed area of varying scientific character with mature habitats where it is still possible to find many of the county’s native plants and animals.

The Dietenberg, 506 metres tall is rising about 100 metres above the Kainach valley. The mountain is very well defendable and has been inhabited since the 4th millennium BC. About 1000 BC, there was a large Urnfield culture village. At large terraces, in Celtic times, houses were built, one of which, dating to 100 BC as well as a road was excavated in 1976-1977.

An interesting lake dwelling reconstruction museum can be found at Ohrid Lake, one of the oldest and deepest lakes of Europe, at the border between Macedonia and Albania. This area has attracted tourists for centuries. The Museum on Water is still under expansion and should count about 16 dwellings later on.

Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum bring history alive. Vindolanda is a fascinating Roman fort and civilian settlement lying just to the south of Hadrian's Wall.

Gotland is called the Viking Island by some as it has a very strategic position in the Baltic Sea. Thousands of finds have been made, showing this was an important place to be in the Viking Age. The majority of all the Viking silver treasures in the world have been found on Gotland. All over the island there are ancient monuments.

The first humans came to Jämtland for about 8000 years ago and they came from Norway. The Glösa area is famous for its 6,000 year old rock carvings. In the Glös Hall you can sense the shamans spirit combined with the moose’s.

This time, we will be visiting Wolin, a town located on Poland’s largest island (of the same name) on the coast of the Baltic Sea, in the Land of 44 Islands. Wolin is a City of History, whose glory days date back to 1000 years ago. In the early Middle Ages, it was one of the largest and most powerful cities in this part of Europe, and ranked among the most important ports of the Baltic Sea.

The Piast royal dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland between the 10th century and 1370. The stronghold Ostrów Lednicki on an island in Lake Lednica is thought to be one of the seats of the first Piast kings. You could say, Polands origins are here.

Excavations from 1974 to 1980 revealed a Germanic stronghold at a specific point in the Helbe Valley. It was inhabited between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. 60 Houses or huts and 500 pits were uncovered. The largest house measured 8 x 12 metres. Ceramic finds point to the east but contacts with Romans and Celts are also ascertained. Cultic human sacrifices and cannibalism are presumed.

The Martberg – Mart Mountain is looking out over the Moselle river at a height of 180 metres. This used to be a political and religious centre in the past. 100 BC, the mountain housed a stronghold, a so called Oppidum which was upgraded with a temple area in Roman Times.