2010: New Norse
“JORVIK has always been at the cutting edge of historical and archaeological presentation but now, with the new developments, even more so. Even if you have been before, you have to come again.” Time Teams’ Tony Robinson.
JORVIK Re-Opening
In February 2010, JORVIK Viking Centre reopened after a £1 million refurbishment that placed archaeology at the heart of the attraction.
New Features Included:
- A glass-floored gallery allowed visitors to see the original Coppergate excavation site underfoot, providing a firsthand look at how the Viking Age remains were discovered.
- Preserved 1,000-year-old timbers that once formed the walls of a Viking house.
- Displays of previously unseen artifacts from the Coppergate excavation, offering fascinating new insights into Viking-era life.
- Seven state-of-the-art animatronic figures that interact with visitors in Old Norse.
- A reconstructed Viking Age house and backyard, based on evidence from the Coppergate excavation site.
Vikings From the New World
Sigurd the antler worker, Unni the woodworker, two Viking builders, an arguing couple, and a rat arrived in the city. These life like animatronic characters, created by US specialist Life Formations, are based on archaeological evidence from the Coppergate dig that now houses the JORVIK Viking Centre. The characters speak directly to visitors in Old Norse, voiced by York University MA and PhD students.
Discover the next chapter of the JORVIK Story…
