The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo consists of early Norwegian artefacts, classical antiquities from ancient Egypt and other areas of Africa, as well as Asia. It opened in 1904 and is in a rather lovely Art Deco building.
Inside, the Ancient Egyptian exhibit had some really excellent mummies and artefacts recovered from tombs.
Another exhibit focused on the ways indigenous people build their society and maintain their traditions.
There was also a really interesting exhibition examining the different people and cultures of the Arctic Circle with their traditional costumes and artefacts on display.
There was also the expected Viking influences and an interesting display of jewellery including some made from fat from a liposuction procedure (which I decided not to photograph, preferring the more traditional instead).
I also liked the display which focused on the Lendbreen Tunic which I don’t recall having heard about before. In 2011 an archaeological team found a tunic on the mountainside by Lendbreen glacier. It’s the oldest piece of clothing found in Europe and one of very few surviving garments from Iron Age Europe. A reproduction was on display in the museum.
It’s a nicely presented museum and well worth a visit (with plenty of information available in English). More photos can be found here.
Louise Jayne's Blog 