After yesterday's trip to the national gallery, I was really hoping today's excursion to the national museum was what we expected.
Problem one, the GPS, was solved with some internet research and Lee's sharp eyes (good backseat driving!).
Through the doors and we were met by two friendly and knowledgeable staff, who not only sold us tickets but showed us the layout of the museum.
Score!
The exhibit was broken up into sections of about 200 years of Icelandic history. It started with a discussion of archaelogical dating; why bugs,bones, pollen, and buried rock help confirm anecdotes. The coolest part of this was the 8-foot display of a soil core taken from the countryside. You could see the layers of brown soil with thin and thick layers of black ash. The explainer text at the side showed the years of major volcanic eruptions.
There were dozens upon dozens of iron artifacts, dating from as early as the 1000s. There were three graves recreated in the exhibit, a woman, including a brooch. Near her was a child, and then a man with his horse buried at his feet. The.museum is using teeth from these and other skeletons to determine the real origin of Icelamdic settlers.
You could see the influence of the church, and the impact of Danish rule, which restricted merchant licenses and effectively prevented a middle class from emerging. Iceland didn't really become its own country until the 20th century, though concessions were made in the 19th. Finally, the natural gifts of heat and water were harnessed to power the country's growth.
I have some favorites, which I will write up and share here.
No comments:
Post a Comment