Nine parts copper, one part tin - five thousand years ago, this supposedly simple formula gives rise to a new material that revolutionizes our world. Bronze was invented. The new exhibition "And then came bronze!" at the Bernisches Historisches Museum takes the public on "a journey into a fascinating epoch in which highly efficient tools and weapons could be mass-produced for the first time and in which wealth, rule and war were subsequently established on a permanent basis. On display for the first time in Bern is the bronze hand of Prêles: a sensational archaeological find from Bernese soil.
The procurement of raw materials for bronze production led to close trade relations between the Near East, Egypt and Europe on an unprecedented scale. The global Bronze Age world is characterized by innovation and progress, but also by social inequality and violence. Powerful elites and hierarchies emerge. The accumulated wealth is unequally distributed. And conflict resolution through war becomes the new norm. The Bronze Age saw the emergence or intensification of numerous issues that still concern us today. "We all have a basic knowledge of the Stone Age or the Romans from our school days - but who can tell us anything about the Bronze Age? Yet this was an era that shaped our lives today. A look at the Bronze Age opens up completely new perspectives on our present day," says curator Sabine Bolliger Schreyer, explaining the significance of the exhibition.
Immerse yourself in the Bronze Age
Outstanding archaeological objects from all over Europe, replicas you can touch and an entertaining audio tour with narrating protagonists allow visitors to immerse themselves in the life of the Bronze Age over an area of one thousand square meters. Large-format murals open up a view of "hotspots" of the time such as Babylon, Troy and the Nile Valley.
The highlight of the exhibition is one of the most spectacular discoveries from Bronze Age Europe: the mysterious bronze hand from Prêles. It is not clear what the hand once stood for - the exhibition provides possible answers and also invites the public to put forward theories. Bernisches Historisches Museum, Bern. Photo: Stefan Wermuth
Spectacular bronze hand
The bronze hand from Prêles, found in 2017 at the southern foot of the Bernese Jura, takes us back to this pioneering era in human history. What was the mysterious hand once used for? We do not know. However, the example of this sensational find allows us to formulate theses on the history of the hand that impressively reflect the profound upheavals of the Bronze Age. "We are delighted to be able to tell the story of the Bronze Age based on this unique find. The hand is the oldest known bronze replica of a human body part in Europe and puts the Bernese Seeland on a par with the advanced civilizations of Babylon, Crete and Troy," says museum director and archaeologist Thomas Pauli-Gabi about the bronze hand. After stops in Biel/Bienne, Halle (Saale) and London, the hand is now on display in Bern for the first time.
The exhibition "And then came bronze!" shows the consequences of the epoch-making invention of the new material for human life - then and now. Bernisches Historisches Museum, Bern. Photo: Stefan Wermuth
Bronze casting and festival
The exhibition forms the core of the annual theme of "Bronze", to which the Bernisches Historisches Museum is dedicating itself in 2024. In addition, the rich supporting program provides variety: from February, families can make Bronze Age treasures in the Sunday family workshops and young researchers can explore the exhibition independently on the "Secrets of the Bronze Age" discovery trail. The museum park also invites visitors to explore: From April, the bronze workshop offers an insight into the craftsmanship of the Bronze Age with a crackling fire and hissing bronze. A special highlight is the Bronze Festival on the weekend of June 22 and 23, when the park offers exciting demonstrations and a variety of hands-on activities for young and old. From October 16 to November 27, experts will discuss topics relating to bronze and the Bronze Age in the "An Evening at the Museum" event series - from the decline of Bronze Age civilizations to power in the hands of men.
February 1, 2024 to April 21, 2025
www.bhm.ch
www.bhm.ch/bronze
