Viking Age

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.

One of the most well known structures of the late Viking Age are the round fortresses, like at Aggersborg, Fyrkat and Trelleborg, both the one in Sweden and the one in Denmark near Slagelse. Unlike its Skånske counterpart, the Slagelse Trelleborg has never been overbuilt. The ruins were still visible at excavation and the earthen rampart is now rebuilt up to its original size: 180 metres in diameter.

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 settlement Birka, at the island Björkö was hugely important in the Viking Period, around 750 AD. It was a key site in the Viking trading network, the nearby island Adelsö was the royal residence (Hovgården). The amount of artefacts excavated since the 19th century, the density of population is striking and following the excavations, both islands are UNESCO world heritage since 1993. The area had massive influence on this part of Europe.

It was already known for a long time that near Hobro in Northern Jutland, Fyrkat was one of the sites where a Viking Age round fortress was situated. The site is strategillay located in a protected bay inside a fjord on the banks of a waterway that facilitated commercial exchange.

1997, Northeast Scotland saw the birth of a new archaeological open-air museum: Archaeolink. Goal is to interpret the Prehistory of NE Scotland via living history, craft/technology demonstrations and archaeological experimentation for the benefit of the general public, academia and the educational sector.

The area around Ribe, in South Jutland, plays an important role in Viking Age. Since about 1980, there have been major excavations, followed by setting up Ribe Vikingecenter. Ribe town museum is by the way a good combination visit.