The Lofotr Viking Museum (Lofotr Vikingmuseum) is a historical museum based on a reconstruction and archaeological excavation of a Viking chieftain's village in the North Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten, Norway. It is located in the hamlet of Borg, near Bøstad, Vestvågøy.[1]
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In 1983, archaeologists uncovered the Chieftain House at Borg (På Borg på Vestvågøya i Lofoten), a large Viking Era building believed to have been already established around the year 500 AD. A joint Scandinavian research project was conducted at Borg during 1986-1989. Excavations revealed the largest building ever to be found from the Viking period in Norway. The foundation of the Chieftain House at Borg measured 83 meters long and 9 meters high. The seat at Borg is estimated to have been abandoned around AD 950.[2][3][4]
After the excavation ended, the remains of what had once been the long-house remained visible. The long-house has been reconstructed slightly to the north of the excavation site. In 1995 the Lofotr Viking Museum was opened. The museum includes a full reconstruction of an 83-meter long chieftain's house, a blacksmith's forge, two ships and their boathouses, and various re-enactments intended to immerse the visitor in life at the time of the Vikings. The main building was designed by Norwegian architect, Gisle Jakhelln .
The administration of Lofotr Viking Museum is located in the former parsonage of the Borge Church. In September 2006, a planned enlargement of Lofotr was postponed due to archeological finds of 2000 year old cooking sites and pole holes at the site. The plan was to build a large amphitheater into the ground between the reception building and the Chieftain House. [5]