To bring this small exhibition to life, we’ve combined original artifacts with digital tools. On our interactive Storymap, you can dive deeper into the history and learn more about the Viking Age in Bygland.
Several objects – including oval brooches, a bronze bracelet, and a sword hilt from one of the graves – have been digitally scanned. The sword hilt was even CT-scanned to see if we could reveal the fine silver inlays typical of this type of weapon. While only faint traces are visible on the surface, the scans help us imagine what it once looked like.
Using 3D printing, we recreated the hilt, the brooches, the bracelet, and beads. Some of these replicas are mounted on the exhibition wall at a child-friendly height, while others were used in outreach activities at local schools.
Bygland is situated in Setesdal, and this region is also known for its remarkable medieval stave church portals. These wooden masterpieces are decorated with scenes from Norse legends, such as Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and Gunnar in the snake pit. The most famous is the Hylestad Portal from Valle. Austad, in Bygland, also had a stave church. Though the church is long gone, its portals have been preserved and are now on display in Heritage at the Historical Museum.
We created augmented reality (AR) models of both portals and used the Austad model in school programs. Alongside the AR experiences, we developed fun and creative activities – like a Viking-themed card game – that encouraged students to collaborate and explore history in new ways.
With exciting stories, local artifacts, and rich digital resources, we used every tool we had to make the Viking Age come alive for the people of Bygland. And as you can see on the pictures below, both teachers and students were inspired by the stories in art class.
