Lecture 5 from The Vikings, a class from Continuing Education at the University of New Mexico's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

1. The Gundestrup Cauldron, 2nd
-1st
century BC, in the National Museum
of Denmark: The cauldron shows evidence of Celtic workmanship, but
was recovered in a bog in Gundestrup, Denmark. This is evidence of
trade between Celtic society and Scandinvia.

2. Ptolemy’s world map, c. 200 AD. The map demonstrates Roman
knowledge of the world, and includes a rather inaccurate depiction of
Scandinavia.

3. Map of Europe at the height of the Roman Empire,
circa 117 AD.
Map from Lynn Hunt, The Making of the West, Volume 1.

4. Maps of Scandinavia: left—map of important areas and sites; right—
environmental map of Scandinavia. Left map from Henry Loyn, The
Vikings in Britain; right map from Vikings: the North American Saga,
edited by William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

5. Reconstruction of an early medieval Viking house, Stöng, Iceland:
stone base with timber and turf walls. Image from Medieval
Scandinavia: From Conversion to Reformation, circa 800-1500, by
Birgit and Peter Sawyer.

6. A nobleman’s outfit and jewelry worn by men: left-reconstruction of an
outfit found in the Mammen grave, Jutland, Denmark; right-ring
brooches worn by Scandinavian noblemen. Images from Vikings: The
North American Saga, edited by William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

7. Weapons used by Viking Age warriors: left top-arrow heads; bottom
center-a striking sword (2 ft long) and a “weapon knife” (1 ft long); right
top-axe head from Mammen grave. Images from Vikings: The North
American Saga, edited by William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

8. Evidence of women’s role in society. Left—keys carried by the wife of
a householder; center—an amulet whose hairstyle indicates a high
status woman; right—a reconstruction of a Finnish noblewoman’s
dress. Images from Vikings: The North American Saga, edited by
William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

9. Jewelry worn by women: left-oval brooches; center-beaded necklace
of glass, crystal, and carnelian; right-box brooch from Gotland. Images
from Vikings: The North American Saga, edited by William Fitzhugh
and Elisabeth Ward.

10. A chieftain’s settlement at Borg, Norway, inhabited from the 6th
-10th
centuries. Images from Vikings: The North American Saga, edited by
William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

11. Evidence of daily life in Viking communities: left—carving of a smith at
work, Hylestad Church, Setesdal, Norway; right top—ice skates made
from bone; right bottom—soapstone bowls. Images from Vikings: The
North American Saga, edited by William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.

12. The Runic alphabet. Image from Robert Ferguson, The Vikings: a
History.

13. The Gokstad Ship, built c. 870-890, buried c. 900, and excavated in the
late 1800s. Now housed in the Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway.

14. The Oseberg Ship and headpost, built c. 820, buried c. 825, and
excavated in the early 1900s. Now housed in the Viking Ship Museum,
Oslo, Norway.

15. Objects from the Oseberg ship burial: left top-horses and cart buried
with the Oseberg woman; bottom-embroidered textile that may depict
the procession to the Oseberg woman’s burial; right top-buckets
decorated with brass and enamel. Images from Vikings: the North
American Saga, edited by William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward.