Bronze Age: Fires of Change at Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Bronze Age
Fires of Change
Until March 16, 2025
The major exhibition Bronze Age – Fires of Change explores a fascinating period in our history. The Bronze Age (2000-800 BC) began over four thousand years ago with the introduction of a new metal, bronze, sparking great changes in societies in Europe. The exhibition brings together the most beautiful and most extraordinary objects from the Netherlands and surrounding countries, with unique loans from museums in the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, France and Denmark. More than four hundred archaeological finds are on display.
Spectacular offerings and mighty swords
Bronze Age presents spectacular offerings, mighty ritual swords and precious objects used by the elite, such as the ‘golden hat of Schifferstadt’ from Germany. But typical, everyday objects are also on display, such as a wooden ladle and a 3,500-year-old ladder. They offer an intimate glimpse into daily life four thousand years ago. In addition to bronze, gold and wood, objects made of pottery, amber, glass, leather and textiles adorn the galleries. Exhibition visitors will find out about the most recent scientific discoveries on this period, explained by the researchers themselves.
A key period
The Bronze Age was perhaps a key period in our history. The introduction of a new metal, bronze (a combination of copper and tin), brought far-reaching social, economic and religious innovations. Trade networks, migration and intensive contacts connected Europe on a large scale for the first time. The internationally oriented exhibition story addresses themes such as technology, innovation and connectedness, peace, and identity and change.
Networks and connections
The thirst for bronze led to profound changes, such as new role patterns, powerful leaders, extensive trade networks, primitive money and the large-scale transformation of the landscape. It was also the period when the sword was invented, and which saw the rise of warrior elites, large-scale conflicts and even war. Increasing connectedness between people was not only a feature of European areas, but also of the Middle East and Egypt. Importantly, bronze sparked an process of technological innovation, as well as an unprecedented large-scale organisation of the land. A recognisable world, but also one that feels alien today: precious weapons, tools and jewellery were cast into water as offerings, mysterious burial mounds afforded a final resting place, and archaeologists have discovered log-paths, sanctuaries and human remains in former swamps.
Holding up a mirror
Many questions about this era remain unanswered. Some researchers have identified aspects of modern Europe in the Bronze Age. Above all, though, the Bronze Age holds up a mirror to society today, one of people who lived simultaneously in a regional and a global world. Without any doubt, this fiery period is increasingly seen as a key era in our history.
