Making of a Nation - Heritage and History in Iceland
The National Museum of Iceland's permanent exhibition, Making of a Nation - Heritage and History in Iceland, is intended to provide insight into the history of the Icelandic nation from the Settlement to the present day.
Saga of Hofstaðir, Unearthing the Past in North Iceland
At Hofstaðir in the district of Lake Mývatn, north Iceland, extensive archaeological excavations have been carried out over the past three decades. The site includes remains from the Viking Age to the 20th century. A huge Viking-Age structure was excavated: a hall or longhouse where people gathered on social occasions, with other smaller buildings around it. The hall is one of the largest structures ever excavated in Iceland. In addition, a churchyard was excavated at Hofstaðir, which is one of the oldest churchyards unearthed in Iceland. Whole families were laid to rest in the cemetery, and their bones yield evidence about their lives. The face of one of the women buried at Hofstaðir has been reconstructed using DNA technology, and a drawing of her is included in the exhibition.
From mire to metal
In the past, iron smelting from bog iron was performed in Iceland. The use of metallurgical furnaces called bloomeries were used to smelt iron throughout the Middle Ages. Thereafter the practice steadily declined until it was completely abandoned in the 17th or 18th century. The knowledge of this ancient craftmanship has since been forgotten to time, leaving numerous questions about the bloomery process unanswered.
In the eleventh hour
In the 1970s, only a few of Iceland’s turf houses were still inhabited. Having served as the primary form of housing for more than a thousand years, the Icelandic turf farm had now played out its role, and with no comprehensive preservation plan in sight, the remaining farms faced extinction.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.
A guided tour through the exhibition Making of a Nation – Heritage and History in Iceland
Take a journey of Icelandic history from the settlement period through the 20th century. The National Museum of Iceland offers a guided tour every Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays at 10.30 am. Admission ticket is needed. Tickets and registration for the guided tour are available at the reception.