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Evidence of Vikings at Maeshowe burial chamber

Description

A Norse saga relates the tale of a group of Vikings forced to shelter for three nights in Maeshowe burial chamber in Orkney. During this time the Norse carved runes into the walls. From the runes, archaeologists know that the Norse were Christian and called themselves crusaders.

Classroom Ideas

Students could consider what people in the future would make of today鈥檚 graffiti. Students could try carving runes to discover how the process of carving letters led to the development of the simple straight lines that make up runes.

Alternatively, students could be given the Norse alphabet and a message written in runes which they must try to translate. They could also be challenged to write their own secret messages in runes for a partner to translate.