Pocket Museum: Vikings

A unique collection of significant objects and works of art from across the Viking world Pocket Museum: Vikings brings together 200 of the most remarkable artifacts that are held in museum collections around the world. Although the popular image of the Vikings is one of wild, violent raiders, the objects in this book reveal a more complex society composed of pioneering explorers and master metalworkers who established a far-reaching trade network. From the vast Oseberg Viking ship to a tiny valkyrie pendant, and from simple wooden panpipes to the unparalleled collection of silver items in the Spillings Hoard, each object provides an important insight into this most fascinating of cultures. Equally significant are the less familiar fragments of everyday life: a brooch, a woollen sock, even a loaf of bread. This juxtaposition of the elite and the everyday makes this volume unique in its field. Contents List Introduction 1. The Early Viking Age 2. The Middle Viking Age – Towns, Trade and the Tenth Century 3. The Late Viking Age: Conquest, Colony and Conversion