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Museums in a Box – Teacher’s Notes
The Vikings Artefact Box
Contents
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Helmet
Dice
Brooch
Ring
Belt Buckle
Bone Jug
Bone Small Cup
Bone Bowl
Bone Spoon
Bone Horn
Leather Bag
Woodwind Instrument
Museums in a Box – Teacher’s Notes
The Vikings Artefact Box
Helmet
Iron helmet with a simple bar projecting down from the
forehead to protect the nose, such as this, are likely to have
been worn by the rich and powerful hardened Viking
fighters.
Bone, Antler and Ivory Artefacts
(Comb, Jug, Cup, Bowl, Spoon, Horn & Dice)
Text from: www.lore-and-saga.co.uk/
Bone, antler and ivory were used for a wide range of
practical and decorative uses. Each material has its own
distinct properties which the Viking and Saxon craftsmen
understood well.
Combs were usually made of
antler which is strongest along its length. For this reason
the teeth were cut from narrow plates, these were then
riveted together with long decorated side panels to
complete the comb.
Antler was also the best material for needles and small
items like tweezers that needed some flexibility.
Bone was more plentiful, being surplus from meat
production, but was less strong. Larger surfaces were
available from shoulder blades and, since the long bones were hollow, small boxes
and containers were often made from bone.
Ivory was available from walrus tusks and whale teeth.
There is also evidence that elephant ivory was sometimes
used for precious works. The great advantage of ivory for
the ancient carver was the thickness of the material and
the beauty of finish possible.
The tools for working bone were simple and readily available. Knives, files, saws,
awls and scribers were almost all that were needed to produce the finely
decorated artefacts that can be seen in many of our museums.
Museums in a Box – Teacher’s Notes
The Vikings Artefact Box
Trefoil Brooch
This trefoil (three-lobed) brooch is made of copper alloy.
Each arm is decorated and the pin on the back is for the
attachment of a chain or to clothing.
Brooches of this type were used to fasten a cloak or shawl
across the chest.
Silver Belt Buckle and Ring
The Vikings demonstrated their wealth and status by
wearing beautiful jewellery, or by having expensively
ornamented weapons. In many cases, imported coins
were melted down as the raw material for arm-rings,
neck-rings or brooches. In other cases,
coins were even mounted as jewellery.
The show of wealth was more important
than the idea of a coin-based economy.
Text from: www.bbc.co.uk
Leather Bag
The Vikings used leather for boots, clothing, shields, armour,
tents, bottles and buckets as other flexible materials, like
those we use today, were not available.
This is an example of a belt bag. The belt (although leather)
would be threaded through the straps on the back of the
bag.
Woodwind Instrument
We don't know much about how Viking music sounded, but we
do know some of their musical instruments based on
archaeological finds. The dig at York uncovered a set of
wooden pan-pipes, like the replica pictured here.
These were made by drilling holes in a block of wood and filing
the top of the block to make it more comfortable to play.