The National Museum
Copenhagen, Denmark
 

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Prehistory Exhibition, National Museum, Copenhagen
 New:
Prehistoric Exhibition
in the National Museum 

 

 











 

Viking dress
The National Museum is the place, where the original treasures of Danish archaeology are gathered, while replicas are found in local museums all over the country. There are exceptions, however. This dress from the National Museum is a reconstruction of what the clothes of King Cnut the Great may have looked like.

When a small museum in Denmark unearths a unique find from the Viking Age, they know that they will probably not be allowed to keep it. They must perforce walk the heavy road to the National Museum and hand over the costly treasure.

Although it may be somewhat disappointing to the locals, it means that a tourist in Copenhagen has access to the most spectacular archaeological finds.

In the National Museum you'll find the almost two kg. heavy gold-necklace that was found at the chieftain’s seat at Tissø in Western Zealand in 1977.

You may also see the cup of King Gorm, a small, delicate silver cup that was found in the burial mound of King Gorm the Old in Jelling, along with hoards of silver coins and jewellery. Even a selection of runic stones that weigh several tons has been collected at the National Museum for exhibition in the Runic Hall.

The Chariot of the Sun, Copenhagen
One of the National Museum's biggest attractions is bronze age The Chariot of the Sun, found by a farmer on Zealand in 1902. The disc is coated with a thin layer of gold on one side representing daytime when the sun is on its east-west trajectory. Photo: The National Museum

Many of the most famous finds have been copied and are thus exhibited in the local museums, too, but the treasury surely lies in Copenhagen - this is where you must go, if you wish to see the true treasures.

Thanks to a donation of 4,8 million Euros from the private company Maersk, the National Museum has in 2008 been able to open a new Prehistoric Exhibition covering Danish Prehistory - including Viking age.

The National Museum of Denmark
The Prince's Palace
Ny Vestergade 10
1220 Copenhagen K
phone (+45) 33 13 44 11
homepage

Open: Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00. Monday closed.

Entrance is free
 

Forms for Viking jewels
Forms from Viking age for producing silver jewels. The form to right can be used for producing both a Christian crucifix and the hammers of Thor for customers who still believed in the Norse Mythology.