Bronze Age

Please note: The exhibition on the Bronze Age is closed until further notice due to renovation work. 

Metals change the world

With the beginning of the Bronze Age around 1700 BC, a fundamental change takes place within society. Influences from the south lead to increased significance of the individual. The accumulation of treasures in tombs and landfills as well as new status symbols such as swords and halberds verify this change. Weapons are dominant in the men’s equipment, achieving high technical and aesthetic quality. During the earlier Bonze Age, for the first time items were placed in the tombs and landfills which can be allocated as women’s possessions.

Gold vessels in sword burials indicate a connection between sacred and secular power. Healthy trade provides the north with raw materials and further import goods. Trade routes are mostly along the coasts and rivers. Boats play a paramount role, both for trade and in cult. A rich world of images on bronze devices and jewellery implies developed religious beliefs regarding the course of the sun and aspects of a different transcendental world.