On Saturday, The Nordic Museum in Ballard debuts a new exhibit called “The Vikings Begin.”
The exhibit showcases artifacts that are part of a 10-year study from Sweden’s Uppsala University.
The 44 items, which range from swords to helmets to jewelry, were unearthed from several “grave boats,” found near Uppsala. Curators say Vikings typically cremated their dead in boats, set on fire and then cast off to sea, but for some reason, these grave boats were buried, preserving the items inside.
The artifacts are clues to Viking early society, dating back to the 7th Century, as the Viking era was beginning to emerge.
The exhibition will open Saturday, October 20 and will run until mid-April.
