Viking Longboat Sails Into Field Museum For New Exhibit
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Viking longboat has been moved to safe harbor inside the Field Museum, where it'll headline a new exhibit about the complexities of Viking culture.
As crews used a red construction crane to carefully swing the 28-foot replica Viking ship into the south entrance of the museum on Thursday, a handful of Viking reenactors provided a touch of authenticity to the proceedings.
Officials said the the Krampmacken, a replica Viking ship from Sweden, based on archaeological sources, would be quarantined for 11 days to make sure the pine boat doesn't contain pests that might damage other exhibits at the museum.
"It will be completely sealed off, and for the next 11 days, we will monitor the ship every two days. Our pest management [and] conservation folks will go in and take a close look with their flashlights to see if there is any activity at all," Field Museum projects manager Susan Neill said.
A Viking longboat has been moved to safe harbor inside the Field Museum, where it'll headline a new exhibit about the complexities of Viking culture.
She said the museum must ensure dermestid beetles, or other insect pests, or even mice did not hitchhike on the boat as it was brought to the U.S. Such pests could start eating other museum exhibits containing wool or other fabrics if they were to gain access to the rest of the facility.
The "Vikings" exhibit was scheduled to open Feb. 27, and scheduled to run through Oct. 4.
The exhibit was designed to explore common misconceptions about the early Scandinavians, including Viking helmet replicas that – surprising to some – have no horns. In fact, no Viking helmet has ever been discovered with horns. The popular image of Vikings in horned helmets comes from 19th century romanticized images of the warriors.
"Vikings" includes displays of ship and weapon craftsmanship, a virtual excavation of a boat grave, an exploration of Norse mythology, an early Scandinavian board game, and insight into runes, letters from various ancient Germanic alphabets.
The exhibition is aimed at teaching Field visitors about what Vikings did for a living, such as trading and exploring, rather than the common image of them as no more than violent marauders.