What did a Viking pack to go raiding? What happened if they got sea sick? And why where they such keen travellers in the first place?
These are the questions that JORVIK Viking Centre will be answering this summer with its new exhibition Summer Voyage: Travel and Trade.
Part of the artefact gallery will be transformed into an interactive wharf scene, where visitors hear about travel and trade from JORVIK’s team of expert interactive guides.
An illuminated wall will create the illusion that they are by the riverside, whilst items from York Archaeology’s collections of artefacts found during the Coppergate dig provide inspiration for talks about the Viking’s a great sea-farers – and those with whom they traded.
“The longship was the key to the success of the Norse people, as invaders and traders – boats that were as happy on the open sea as they were on inland rivers like the Ouse. Once the Norse invaders had settled in the city they called Jorvik, it became a hub of trade from Europe and much further afield,” explains head of operations, Mark Jackson.
“We found silk from the far East, coins from across Europe and many other items that would not be produced here, but which would have been traded for metalwork created by local blacksmiths, wooden items from the cup-maker and intricate carved bone combs, pins and ornamental items.
“Coppergate – where JORVIK Viking Centre stands today – was a street where people were making and manufacturing goods.”
Children visiting JORVIK Viking Centre over the summer will be given a special activity book linked to travel and trade to complete during their visit.
Find out more and book your tickets at the Jorvik Viking Centre website here.
