Researcher Dr Han Nijdam of the Fryske Akademy and Dr Johan Nicolai of the University of Groningen, previous winner of the thesis prize of the Fryske Akademy 1996-1998, are supervising a research project on Weapons and armour in Frisia. 

The research is being conducted by curator of Middle Ages and Mound Culture Diana Spiekhout of the Fries Museum. She has been awarded a Museum grant for this study.

From research to exhibition
The study examines the significance of weapons and armour in Frisia from the period 350 to 800 AD. Archaeological remains of weapons are important in the study of political (in)stability in northern and central Europe during the early Middle Ages. However, previous studies on this subject concerning Frisia do not provide a complete overview of these objects. The new research therefore aims to inventory all weapons and armour across Frisia. In this way, more insight can be gained into the power development of this area. These insights are then placed within the international discussions on the meaning of arms and the position of Frisia in the time of migration and the early Middle Ages and the development of kingship. The results of this research will be featured in the exhibition with the working title Redbad, which will open at the Fries Museum in 2026. 

Museum Scholarships
The Museum Scholarships programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) gives shape to the possibility of conducting short-term research in one of the more than 400 museums in the Netherlands. The research is in the hands of a museum expert and takes place in collaboration with university researchers. The intended purpose of the Museum Scholarships is to deepen and clarify the ideas, materials and objects in the museum collection.