Copenhagen, Denmark
Early morning found the Endeavour in the charming city of Copenhagen on Zealand, one of a large number of islands, which combined with the peninsula of Jutland, forms Denmark. A veritable cultural feast awaited us. We boarded our coaches and in the capable hands of local guides we set off to explore some of its wonderful architectural and historical heritage. A short distance from the ship we stopped to view the ‘Little Mermaid.’ This world famous bronze sculpture was created in 1913 by Edward Eriksen and has become the official emblem of Copenhagen. An elegant figure she sits atop a granite boulder in the harbor and is based on a Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. This story relates how a mermaid came up out of the sea having fallen in love with a prince. However her affections were not reciprocated so she eventually headed back out into the salty brine. Among the many interesting visits we made were the Christianborg Palace, the Old Stock Exchange and the Rosenborg Palace where we viewed the impressive Royal jewels.
Following lunch aboard the Endeavour, we divided into two groups to visit the Glyptotek and National Museum. The latter houses an incredible array of archaeological material detailing Denmark’s prehistoric past following on from the end of the Ice Age. The display begins with the Mesolithic period dated to about 9,500 BC and exhibited flint projectiles, choppers and butchered wild mammal bones. The most impressive exhibit was a re-articulated skeleton of an auroch from this time. These wild cattle, which were up to twelve feet long and could weigh a ton, were later domesticated by the first pioneering farming groups to arrive in this part of the Baltic Sea region. Neolithic people arrived here around 4,000 BC and, armed with polished stone axes, cut down large areas of native forest cover in order to establish homesteads and field systems. Theirs was a more settled lifestyle as compared to their semi-nomadic predecessors. It was during this period that the impressive and often awe-inspiring megalithic tombs first appear. Built by individual communities, these tombs housed the dead and also perhaps acted as focal points relating to territoriality. The Bronze and Iron ages were well represented by a rich collection of tools, weapons and personal ornaments. Denmark is famous for its incredibly well preserved bog bodies. Half a dozen oak coffin burials were on display. Dating to approximately 1,400 BC they provided a poignant side to the intriguing story of human cultural developments in Northern Europe. A highlight for many was the displays relating to the Vikings. The Danes were to have a profound influence, particularly on the western Atlantic seaboard where they initially plundered but later settled. A number of guests visited the Glyptotek museum, which houses an impressive collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculpture.
Early morning found the Endeavour in the charming city of Copenhagen on Zealand, one of a large number of islands, which combined with the peninsula of Jutland, forms Denmark. A veritable cultural feast awaited us. We boarded our coaches and in the capable hands of local guides we set off to explore some of its wonderful architectural and historical heritage. A short distance from the ship we stopped to view the ‘Little Mermaid.’ This world famous bronze sculpture was created in 1913 by Edward Eriksen and has become the official emblem of Copenhagen. An elegant figure she sits atop a granite boulder in the harbor and is based on a Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. This story relates how a mermaid came up out of the sea having fallen in love with a prince. However her affections were not reciprocated so she eventually headed back out into the salty brine. Among the many interesting visits we made were the Christianborg Palace, the Old Stock Exchange and the Rosenborg Palace where we viewed the impressive Royal jewels.
Following lunch aboard the Endeavour, we divided into two groups to visit the Glyptotek and National Museum. The latter houses an incredible array of archaeological material detailing Denmark’s prehistoric past following on from the end of the Ice Age. The display begins with the Mesolithic period dated to about 9,500 BC and exhibited flint projectiles, choppers and butchered wild mammal bones. The most impressive exhibit was a re-articulated skeleton of an auroch from this time. These wild cattle, which were up to twelve feet long and could weigh a ton, were later domesticated by the first pioneering farming groups to arrive in this part of the Baltic Sea region. Neolithic people arrived here around 4,000 BC and, armed with polished stone axes, cut down large areas of native forest cover in order to establish homesteads and field systems. Theirs was a more settled lifestyle as compared to their semi-nomadic predecessors. It was during this period that the impressive and often awe-inspiring megalithic tombs first appear. Built by individual communities, these tombs housed the dead and also perhaps acted as focal points relating to territoriality. The Bronze and Iron ages were well represented by a rich collection of tools, weapons and personal ornaments. Denmark is famous for its incredibly well preserved bog bodies. Half a dozen oak coffin burials were on display. Dating to approximately 1,400 BC they provided a poignant side to the intriguing story of human cultural developments in Northern Europe. A highlight for many was the displays relating to the Vikings. The Danes were to have a profound influence, particularly on the western Atlantic seaboard where they initially plundered but later settled. A number of guests visited the Glyptotek museum, which houses an impressive collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculpture.
