Vikings and more

Thus the Scots shouted at the arrival of the Vikings, I guess, although a museum in York suggests the marauders actually settled in quite well.   But this was a hoard and that suggests rapine and that's the image of the Vikings.  The Galloway hoard was a major travelling exhibition at the SA Museum.  Also in Adelaide at the time was Chihuly glass at the Botanic Gardens but we missed that one.  The Hoard must have been easy to travel, requiring perhaps just a well insured show box of two.  A hoard is a collection of ingots, jewellery and the like, so compact.  But some lovely pieces, prime amongst all an inscribed cross with chain of twisted silver wire (very lovely) and a knot of arm rings.  What I mostly took from this was the date, ~900CE.  I think it only seems recent in context of the Church, prominent given the recent death of the Pope Francis, but the Church is the oldest extant institution in Europe so perhaps an unfair comparison.  Otherwise there was lots of video, perfectly interesting with interviews with archaeologist investigators, and a smattering of Lego windows for the kids.  We managed a visit to a few other areas of the Museum: the famed and much loved, old-styled, Egyptian room, small with its mummy and more, and the stunning opalised fossils in the next room and a few meteorites.  Most unexpected was the Egyptian boomerang!  All interesting but then I always found that local museum of interest over many years.

The Galloway Hoard was displayed at the SA Museum.  Also on display are Egyptian artifacts, opalised fossils and more.