Land of legends (Sagnlandet Lejre)
Encyclopedia
The Land of Legends, Centre for Historical-Archaeological Research and Communication (in Danish "Sagnlandet Lejre" and formerly known as Lejre Experimental Centre) is a 106 acre (43 hectare) archaeological open air museum
situated in the Lejre Municipality, few kilometres west of Roskilde
(Denmark
). It was founded in 1964 by ethnologist Hans-Ole Hansen. The Land of Legends comprises reconstructions of an Iron Age
village and sacrificial bog (200 BC to 200 AD), a Viking
market place (900 AD), a Stone Age camp-site (5000 BC), a 18th-century farmstead and various grave monuments. The historical artisan workshops (the pottery, the weaver's workshop, the smithy) work to reproduce (pre-)historical handicraft. Gardens, pastures and fields are the natural scenario of activities and reconstructions. At The Land of Legends Lejre, the activities for the public are based on knowledge of past techniques, archaeological evidence and historical documents.
Each summer many every-day families spend a week of their holidays in the Iron Age village, the farm cottages and the Stone Age camp-site. They dress in epoch dresses and have the role of peopling the reconstructed areas, while trying to live as in the past.
Many archaeologists from all over the world come to the Land of Legends to perform their experiments, dealing with a broad variety of subjects and artifacts. The Land of legends has, for example, several times supported the experimental work of Errett Callahan
, one among the world's most considered flintknappers.
Around 55.000 tourists and school children visit Lejre each year.
Archaeological open air museum
An archaeological open air museum is a non-profit permanent institution with outdoor true to scale architectural reconstructions primarily based on archaeological sources...
situated in the Lejre Municipality, few kilometres west of Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
(Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
). It was founded in 1964 by ethnologist Hans-Ole Hansen. The Land of Legends comprises reconstructions of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
village and sacrificial bog (200 BC to 200 AD), a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
market place (900 AD), a Stone Age camp-site (5000 BC), a 18th-century farmstead and various grave monuments. The historical artisan workshops (the pottery, the weaver's workshop, the smithy) work to reproduce (pre-)historical handicraft. Gardens, pastures and fields are the natural scenario of activities and reconstructions. At The Land of Legends Lejre, the activities for the public are based on knowledge of past techniques, archaeological evidence and historical documents.
Each summer many every-day families spend a week of their holidays in the Iron Age village, the farm cottages and the Stone Age camp-site. They dress in epoch dresses and have the role of peopling the reconstructed areas, while trying to live as in the past.
Many archaeologists from all over the world come to the Land of Legends to perform their experiments, dealing with a broad variety of subjects and artifacts. The Land of legends has, for example, several times supported the experimental work of Errett Callahan
Errett Callahan
Errett Callahan is an American archaeologist, flintknapper, and pioneer in the fields of experimental archaeology and lithic replication studies.-Early life:...
, one among the world's most considered flintknappers.
Around 55.000 tourists and school children visit Lejre each year.