Foteviken Museum (SE)

The last stop on our Scandinavian trip in the summer of 2019 was the  Museum in Foteviken in southern Sweden. It is an archaeological heritage park that shows what life in the town could have looked like in the late Viking age and the early Middle Ages. In addition to the traditional object exhibition, the museum has reconstructed the Viking settlement with 23 different buildings and a Viking ship based on archaeological finds from the Bay of Foteviken.

Foteviken is a place where reenactors can come and stay for a few days during the summer season. During our visit we volunteered as educators and craftsmen. We lived in a merchant’s hut, breathing in the pleasant, leisurely life of a medieval village. Ania Kępa showed visitors naalbinding, i.e. the ancient technique of needle binding used to create hats, mittens and socks. Ania Raczkowska “took over” the woodworking workshop, and Emilia Pawłusz wove belts on tablets in the weaver’s hut. We had a great time interacting with tourists, other volunteers and museum staff.