Anglo-Saxons and Vikings gallery

This gallery is currently closed due to building works for the Royal Palace Reborn project.

The Anglo-Saxon and Viking Age was a dangerous and turbulent time. It's also when many aspects of modern-day English culture took root. 'England' is derived from the name 'Anglia' - the land of the Angles.

Norwich Castle has one of the best collections of Anglo-Saxon material in the country. Over 900 superb objects are on display in our Anglo-Saxons and Vikings gallery. These include:

• The mysterious 'Spong Man', a 6th century ceramic cremation pot lid. This was excavated from Spong Hill, North Elmham in Norfolk. It is the earliest known three-dimensional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon person.
• A tiny, double-sided gold seal - one of the most spectacular items on display and one of the smallest. It has a depiction of the 7th century Frankish Queen Bathild on one side and a secret, erotic scene on the other. It is likely it was owned by the Queen herself. It was found in a Norfolk field in 1999.
• Jewellery worn by men and women to show their status
• Items of leisure such as gaming pieces and bone flutes
• Weaponry and horse equipment which tell the story of the invasion and warfare that marked this period

There are also interactives and activities designed to enhance the displays. These offer new ways of exploring the story:

• Dress in Anglo-Saxon clothes,
• Write your name in Runes,
• Play our specially designed Viking game 'Trade and Raid',
• Or listen to some Anglo-Saxon poetry spoken in Old English!

Search our collections

You can search the Norfolk Museums Collections to find items related to the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.