Wijk bij Duurstede, Sunday 24th October 2004

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Museum Dorestad/Wijk bij Duurstede
Sunday 24 October 2004

We had been to Wijk bij Duurstede once before that year, but that had not been a very good occasion. This time that would be totally different. We were invited to the local museum (Museum Dorestad) at quite the last minute to do a show there, in the company of a group of Vikings. Wijk bij Duurstede is a modern town with an old and picturesque town centre. Not a Roman fort (Levefanum lies across the river), but certainly occupied during Roman times - the name contains the element duro- which signifies Celtic origins. The settlement later became a Carolingian trading center of great renown (Dorestad) which had come to an early demise, being ransacked once too often by Viking raiders. When the river shifted its banks again after the last destruction, the harbour finally died. The modern town is built on top of these remains and while much may have been washed away by the shifting river, the later remains are still found all over town.

The museum has a very good collection a very clear display of the finds. The ground floor shows the movements of the Rhine river through the ages and what that meant for the Roman settlement Levefanum and its early Medieval successor Dorestad. We had a nice spot in the Roman section, surrounded by Roman and Germanic finds from the period including several from Late Roman times. I brought Marrit and Jeroen with me, who behaved very well in their first museum show! Marrit proudly showed the coin collection to all visitors, as well as her new dress and jewelry. The museum people were very nice, the visitors interested. All in all, a high point of the season - can't think of a better one to end it with.

Museum Dorestad

Roman section.

Marrit.

Jeroen.

Very serious.

He was very much into it!

Chariovalda sparring with little Bran (mind the glas!!)...

Me and my family.