George J
Herefordshire member
Buried very deep on the BBC News website is a page I look at quite often. It is the News the BBC considers worth reporting from Norway, and stories appear often weeks apart. I found this hour long report on the excavation of the Oseberg ship in 1904, which transformed the historical view of the culture of the Viking Era, and not least that it was not the primitive, barbaric, and male dominated phenomenon many of us may have been taught in school.
It is not on the iPlayer, but the news pages.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/clm1wxp5mgxt/norway
Obviously as a half-Norwegian, I always had a more nuanced understanding of Viking culture, and have visited the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo twice, first in 1973 [aged 11] and 1986, both times with my grandmother. So I knew the characterisations we were given of the Vikings and their attacks on England were not quite fair, but it does not do to argue with teachers!
The fact of the Oseberg ship being buried as a tomb, and the unique soil conditions led to the preservation of clothes, personal items from yarn, combs, shoes, as well as metal objects including jewellery. Plus many high status items such as a decorated wagon, faerings [small two man rowing boats], beds, and the only Viking era chair still in existence.
I hope you enjoy the film. The presenter is a bit histrionic to start with, but the content soon wins.
Best wishes from George
It is not on the iPlayer, but the news pages.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/clm1wxp5mgxt/norway
Obviously as a half-Norwegian, I always had a more nuanced understanding of Viking culture, and have visited the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo twice, first in 1973 [aged 11] and 1986, both times with my grandmother. So I knew the characterisations we were given of the Vikings and their attacks on England were not quite fair, but it does not do to argue with teachers!
The fact of the Oseberg ship being buried as a tomb, and the unique soil conditions led to the preservation of clothes, personal items from yarn, combs, shoes, as well as metal objects including jewellery. Plus many high status items such as a decorated wagon, faerings [small two man rowing boats], beds, and the only Viking era chair still in existence.
I hope you enjoy the film. The presenter is a bit histrionic to start with, but the content soon wins.
Best wishes from George
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