Fearsome Craftsmen

The Vikings are often portrayed as fierce, seagoing, pagan warriors. However, this is only half of the picture. Discover what made them such fearsome craftsmen in our fascinating exhibition.

The Vikings were warriors, but they were also travellers, traders and crafters who lived a settled, urban life. Advances in boat technology led to the development of a thriving trade network. This provided access to materials that skilled craftspeople turned into complex objects, decorated with designs which revealed the true spirit of the Viking Age.

This exhibition allows you to discover how these Fearsome Craftsmen working over 1000 years ago made everything they needed from natural materials. Antler could be turned into combs, and dyed and woven wool was transformed into colourful cloth. Wood was vital for everything from houses and furniture to spoons and bowls. Our archaeological finds allow the whole family to delve into ordinary aspects of Viking life. They can immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the Viking Age with our replica boat, market stalls, workshops and house interior.

You can read our Fearsome Craftsmen Case Study here to see how we partnered with Preston Park to bring our exhibition to them.

Testimonials

York Archaeology was great to work with. They were professional, communicated clearly and regularly and were very helpful. The team seemed to understand our needs for them to provide, deliver and install all aspects of the exhibition without the need for us to provide additional resources and input. This worked really well for us and our experience shows that this is unusual for a touring exhibition provider. In our own evaluation of the exhibition, we identified three key strengths: the quality and use of the interactive elements, the multisensory nature of the exhibit and the professional delivery of the project.

We chose York Archaeology Attractions as they are the leaders in providing excellent temporary exhibitions. The exhibition was a massive benefit for the museum.

The professionalism and quality of interaction and service provided by York Archaeology Touring was outstanding and allowed us as a venue to diversify our offer, attract a new audience and become operational following the sustained closure

Fearsome Craftsmen Technical Specifications

Our exhibitions are designed for spaces between 150 and 200 square metres. However, the nature of our exhibitions allows for them to be adapted to fit smaller or larger spaces, with a bespoke design for your venue included as standard.

The exact exhibition content is reviewed on a venue-by-venue by basis. Previous exhibitions have included:

A selection of original artefacts
Showpiece item
Themed family-friendly area with activities
Interpretation panels and labels
Bespoke site-specific content
Replica items
AV material

Please note that due to the nature of the original artefacts provided, including human remains, certain environmental and display criteria will apply. Full details of these will be provided by our curatorial team.

For more information please see our Essential Information page here.

Get in Touch

To see how we can work with your venue, please contact Chris Tuckley, Head of Interpretation and Learning, [email protected]