Early Middle Ages

In the "Nord" départment, you will find a Gaul / Merovingian / Carolingian “archéosite”. Following archaeological research in the area, this archaeological open air museum came into existence in 1982.

Following decades of archaeological excavation in the Talou region (reported about 1,000 archaeological sites), local archaeologists and enthusiasts founded Fatra (Fédération des Archeologues du Talou et des Régions Avoisinantes) in 1999.

According to the Saga of Erik the Red it was at a site called Brattahlid (Qassiarsuk, near Narsaq) that in the year 1000 AD, the first little Christian chapel was constructed in the New World of which Greenland is a part. It took until the 1960s before it was rediscovered by archaeologists from the National Museum of Greenland and the Narsaq Museum.

At Landa, In the 1980s and 90s, over 250 houses were excavated in one of the largest excavation campaigns of Norway. This area was in extensive use from Bronze Age well into the Viking Age. The project "Fortidslandsbyen Landa på Forsand" has three reconstructed houses.

The State Archaeological Service (RACM) was situated in Amersfoort for decades. One of the most impressive archaeological campaigns were the 1970s excavations of Dorestad at Wijk bij Duurstede. This led to the idea of reconstructing one of the longhouses but where? In their own back yard?

Although possibly Romans but surely Irish monks had gone before the Vikings, Iceland’s foundation is calculated as having started in 874. Iceland was an independent commonwealth when in 1104 the volcano Hekla in the southern region of Árnessýsla erupted, it had a devastating effect on the rivervalley of Þjórsá.

Haukadalur is an area in the Northwest of the country. This was the home of the famous Erik the Red, around the year 1000 AD. He first became famous after he was sent into exile due to several murders committed. He was forced to leave the island and sailed west and hit on Greenland.

The French-German border cuts straight through a complex of archaeological sites, most of which date to the Iron Age & Roman Era. A perfect occasion to explain that our present borders are in our minds, not in reality. Archaeologist Jean Schaub founded the European Culture park at both sides of the border – in France at Bliesbruck, in Germany at Gersheim-Reinheim.

The archaeological faculty of the University of Århus is situated in the old mansion Moesgård. It is well located, away from the city but not too far and surrounded by a forest like park adjacent to the beach. The 18th century Manor House of Moesgård is also home to an important archaeological and ethnographic museum. The permanent exhibition presents many unique archaeological finds from prehistoric Denmark.

The Musée des Temps Barbares (museum of the Dark Ages) in Marle focuses on the Merovingian Era. The museum is situated in the Aisne area and has both an indoor museum in an old watermill and a vast outdoor archaeological park with an enormous amount of reconstructed small houses.