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University Museum of Bergen

Viking Site at Bjørkum

If you are passing through Lærdal and Bjørkum during summer, you’re travelling on truly unique historic grounds. New information boards in English and Norwegian provide information about, among other things, an extensive craft production that took place here during the Viking Age.

Photo:
Morten Ramstad

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During the summer of 2009, archaeologists at the University Museum of Bergen (Bergen Museum’s new name) unearthed more than 20 houses, sheds and tofts at Bjørkum in Lærdal, Sogn og Fjordane. This is probably the largest find of archaeological bone material from the Viking Age found in one single locality in Norway. The surprising find was made in connection with a new road alignment for E 16 between Seltun and Stuvane. Read more (in Norwegian): Vikingtidsplassen Bjørkum – utgraving og formidling.

The new information boards have been put up in collaboration with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Vegvesenet) to inform car drivers and other travellers about the extensive craft production and other farming activities that took place at Bjørkum in the Viking Age.

If you happen to be travelling to Borgundsenteret, you may also visit a small, permanent exhibition about the Bjørkum find there. Both dissemination projects have been produced in collaboration with Arkikon.

Watch news report from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) NRK Dagsrevyen 10.09.