Early Middle Ages

The State Archaeological Service (RACM) was situated in Amersfoort for decades. One of the most impressive archaeological campaigns were the 1970s excavations of Dorestad at Wijk bij Duurstede. This led to the idea of reconstructing one of the longhouses but where? In their own back yard?

Although possibly Romans but surely Irish monks had gone before the Vikings, Iceland’s foundation is calculated as having started in 874. Iceland was an independent commonwealth when in 1104 the volcano Hekla in the southern region of Árnessýsla erupted, it had a devastating effect on the rivervalley of Þjórsá.

Haukadalur is an area in the Northwest of the country. This was the home of the famous Erik the Red, around the year 1000 AD. He first became famous after he was sent into exile due to several murders committed. He was forced to leave the island and sailed west and hit on Greenland.

The French-German border cuts straight through a complex of archaeological sites, most of which date to the Iron Age & Roman Era. A perfect occasion to explain that our present borders are in our minds, not in reality. Archaeologist Jean Schaub founded the European Culture park at both sides of the border – in France at Bliesbruck, in Germany at Gersheim-Reinheim.

The archaeological faculty of the University of Århus is situated in the old mansion Moesgård. It is well located, away from the city but not too far and surrounded by a forest like park adjacent to the beach. The 18th century Manor House of Moesgård is also home to an important archaeological and ethnographic museum. The permanent exhibition presents many unique archaeological finds from prehistoric Denmark.

The Musée des Temps Barbares (museum of the Dark Ages) in Marle focuses on the Merovingian Era. The museum is situated in the Aisne area and has both an indoor museum in an old watermill and a vast outdoor archaeological park with an enormous amount of reconstructed small houses.

The village Albertslund is not far from Copenhagen. It is a new town, with many new traditions and ways of working and living together – the population is rich in children and nationalities. The Vikingelandsbyen is a bridge in the meeting of cultures, looking back at the travels of Vikings to all different countries.

The Sachsenhof in Greven-Pentrup is a reconstruction of a 1200-year-old early medieval Saxon courtyard with cultivation trials of cultivated plants and field wild herbs from that time.

In a large nature area, in the middle of Jutland, an ethnographic open-air museum is situated, Hjerl Hedes Frilandsmuseum. Their purpose is to have, maintain, develop and communicate its collection of things and knowledge about building style, the history of the village, the crafts and the cultural landscape.

Craggaunowen – northwest of Limerick – the Living Past experience is situated on 50 acres of wooded grounds. The Park interprets Ireland’s prehistoric and Early Christian eras. It features stunning recreations of some of the homesteads which existed in Ireland over 1,000 years ago.