GLAS BEADS
A very special handicraft of the Vikings was making beads out of melted glass. Thousands of beads and pieces of them have been found during archaeological excavations. These beads were made from different types of coloured glass and some had intricate decoration. In some beads, gold and silver were included. Today it is clear to us that glass beads had a special role in the life of the Vikings, as medium of exchange, burial objects or as garb jewellery, far in excess of the borders of the ancient Scandinavian countries. That this craft was actively practiced by crafters in the port city of Hedeby and other regions of today’s Denmark is proven by the discovery of metal sticks with glass coverings.