My project is a 3D digital museum on Viking society, created using a free platform Spatial. The exhibit will feature curated virtual rooms focusing on Viking markets, funerary practices, mythology, warfare, and societal roles, combining visual reconstructions with primary texts and scholarly interpretations.

The project will take approximately 2 weeks to complete, including research, sourcing/creating visuals, curating the museum structure, and researching and writing for each item in the exhibit section.

The biggest question I aimed to answer in this museum is, “Does the media portray Vikings correctly?”

In order to answer such a question, we had to explore the various aspects of Viking life and culture like:

·       Viking Trade

·       Viking Weaponry

·       Viking funerals

·       Berserkers

·       Viking Magic

·       The female role in Viking life

Finally, I included an example of a piece of media that in fact does portray Viking life correctly.

I will use:

• Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah,

• Beowulf

• Real Men of the Viking Age, archaeological records, academic journal articles, and museum archives.

• Visual sources: historically accurate paintings and museum-documented Viking artifacts.

• I chose this project because it combines art, storytelling, history, and technology. As someone interested in both visual art and historical analysis, a digital museum allows me to explore Viking life beyond traditional essays. I was particularly drawn to the different perspectives in Ibn Fadlan and Real Men of the Viking Age.

This project argues that Vikings were complex, multifaced people, and not just raiders and warriors, but also traders, explorers, and even farmers. This exhibit shows different aspects of Viking life that shows they were more than just warriors and will challenge stereotypes by highlighting the depth of their cultural practices.

For example:

• The funeral pyre exhibit visually interprets Ibn Fadlan's account, showing the ritual and symbolic nature of Viking death rites.

• The trade exhibit challenges the stereotype of Vikings as isolated warriors by illustrating their global trade connections.

One of my favorite parts of the museum was the one showcasing two pieces of media and how they portrayed Viking life/culture. I used two shows, Vinland Saga and Vikings. In this section we see how accurately each one portrayed this culture.

• Learning Outcome 2: I will conduct research using art, texts, and historical scholarship to design the exhibit.

• Learning Outcome 3: I will critically assess visual materials and use them to interpret how Viking art and objects conveyed meaning.

Additionally, my project will address:

• Learning Outcome 1: It explores how religion, mythology, and politics shaped Viking art and burial rituals.

• Learning Outcome 5: It invites a thoughtful, respectful comparison of Viking life with modern misconceptions.

• Learning Outcome 6: It shows how the past continues to shape how we perceive Nordic cultures today.

To begin the project, I analyzed the assignment requirements and selected a topic that aligned with both my academic interests and creative abilities: Viking culture as represented in the media vs how they were. I chose to present the research as a 3D virtual museum exhibit, which allowed me to combine visual storytelling, historical analysis, and artistic curation into one cohesive experience.

My process involved several phases:

1. Research:
   I closely read the primary sources:

   • Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah (for burial rituals and trade).

   • Beowulf (for cultural ideals like heroism, honor, and the role of myth).

   • Real Men of the Viking Age (for warrior identity, gender, and social expectations).
     I used these to extract information and their different experiences in Viking life.

• I also used various artworks and cited their painters in the museum itself. I used a few outside sources that were also cited in the museum. 

• This project allowed me to explore a different method of academic inquiry—one that was experiential and visual rather than essay-based. I learned how to translate historical knowledge into a spatial experience, which made the research feel alive and immersive.

• However, I did find challenges while working on this project. First of all, my 3D models were quite limited, so I had to be picky about the ones I chose. This is why I used plantings more than 3D models. Moreover, we established before that Ibn Fadlan’s perspective is somewhat biased, so I had to make sure I was using the information in a way that did not reflect on his bias.

• Finally, this project taught me how visual and spatial design can shape historical interpretation, and how much more engaging history can be when it’s experienced like a museum, not just reading.