Viking exhibit to take over Museum of the Rockies

MSU NEWS SERVICE

BOZEMAN – Rare Scandinavian artifacts will be the focal point of the new exhibit at the Museum of the Rockies, opening on Saturday, May 29.

“The Vikings Begin” will feature boat burial artifacts, helmets, swords, jewelry, glass vessels, bowls and more. The collection of artifacts comes from the Gustavianum Uppsala University Museum in Sweden and is making its first-ever tour of the United States.

To understand the story of how the Vikings began, the exhibition explores their relationship with the outside world, their spiritual and magical beliefs, the role of warfare, the importance of water and waterways, and how trade routes influenced their world. The collection includes weapons for both attack and defense and also smaller treasures such as jewelry and objects of magical importance.

“The Vikings Begin” is divided into thematic sections on Viking warfare, maritime trade, ship burials, Norse gods, the Baltic Sea and geopolitical relationships with other cultures. The exhibition will shed new light on how early Viking society was organized, the role of women and the culture’s reach to the East and the West.

The exhibition is based on research by Dr. Neil Price, Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, and John Ljungkvist and will tell stories about the society and its people.

“The Vikings Begin” exhibition will be on display at the Museum of the Rockies through Sept. 19. For more information visit museumoftherockies.org.