The roots of culture
3rd floor -
Explore the ancient cultures whose ideas still live on today. For the roots from Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, and Rome extend further than we probably realize.
How close are you to the people from the great cultures of the past? Find out in the "Antiquities Collection" on the 3rd floor.
Highlights from antiquity
1.
The voice of the people began with a question
Imagine them – sitting on stone steps in the shadow of marble columns, overlooking the Mediterranean. They debated loudly and passionately: Who should decide? What is justice? What is the meaning of life? Their ideas spread like ripples in water – from person to person, from city-state to empire. In Athens, Cleisthenes took power from the nobility in 508 BCE and passed it on to the city's free men, who got a voice in the assembly. Later, in Rome, the law was written down so that it applied to all citizens. Throughout history, the first thoughts about democracy have shaped cities, overthrown rulers, ignited hope, and helped to shape the Western world.
Centaur head from the Parthenon in Athens
2.
Amulet made of hippopotamus tooth - Middle Kingdom, circa 2060-1785 BC
Life begins under the hippo’s watch
A woman in labor and a new child. A strong, yet fragile moment. In ancient Egypt, women sought strength from a particular goddess. This amulet, carved from hippopotamus ivory and adorned with crocodiles, frogs, and fire-breathing hippopotamuses, provided magical protection.
A threat, written in hieroglyphs, warns that any enemy who comes too close will have their head cut off! The goddess Taweret, depicted as a pregnant hippopotamus with lion paws and a crocodile tail, stood as a guardian over women in childbirth and their newborn children.
Back then, only male and naked warriors were allowed to participate, but today everyone is welcome to join the greatest sports competition in the world. Today one wins money, but back then one won a victory wreath and a trophy, such as this Panathenaic prize amphora, which you can see in the exhibition.
Amulet made of hippopotamus tooth - Middle Kingdom, circa 2060-1785 BC
Image gallery
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A song from Egypt's greatest temple
The woman Di-mut-shep was a singer and priestess in the mighty temple of the god Amon. She was part of Egypt's elite, chosen to serve the gods. Song and music pleased the gods and kept chaos at bay.
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Recycled clothes in death
In death, she was wrapped in recycled clothing - tunics and shawls - which may have belonged to her. Textile was expensive, as everything was handmade. If it broke, it was patched up and ultimately used for the mummies.
3.
In Mesopotamia, the internet was something on clay tablets
Who owes whom? A dissolved marriage, the sale of a house, a recipe, a list of fat sheep. By pressing small wedges into soft clay, the scribes keep track of the community's accounts.
It is in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago that we find the world's oldest known writing system: cuneiform. Initially, it was used to keep track of accounts. Later, the writing became a collective memory for everything under the sun.
Clay tablet with Sumerian inscription, circa 2300 BC.
4.
Athletes waving from Athens, circa 470 BC.
Sports are 2,500 years of blood, sweat, and honor
The legs scream stop. The runner tumbles over the finish line. The strongest and fastest Greek athletes compete for victory at the Olympic Games. The best are the heroes of the cities and the idols of the youth.
But victory requires diligent visits to the training facility. Naked, smeared with oil and sand, the long jumper, javelin thrower, and discus thrower train to the sound of flute music over and over again.
Athletes waving from Athens, circa 470 BC.
5.
The Etruscans trod the paths that the Romans turned into roads
A merchant walks through the mountainous landscape 500 years B.C. On one side he has the city and on the other the city of the dead. Buried Etruscans lie as testimony to the foundation upon which Roman society would build further.
All roads lead to Rome. From the north, you must first pass through Tuscany. Here, the colorful Etruscans lived around 500 years B.C. and shaped some of the roads that the Romans would later build upon. Perhaps this Etruscan sandal has trodden some of these paths 2,500 years ago.
A pair of bronze sandals, 500-300 BC.
6.
Bust of Augustus,
Europe's first superpower
The earth trembles. With rhythmic and purposeful strides, the Roman army moves towards new territories in the service of the emperor. The Romans amass a mighty empire across three continents, and with the Romans come uniform stone cities with buildings dedicated to gods, entertainment, and administration. In the city squares, statues of the eternally young and idealized Emperor Augustus are erected. Carved in stone, he stands as an eternal symbol of Rome's political dominance. Behold him – the emperor who mastered spin.
Bust of Augustus,
Open today
10:00 - 17:00
Admission ticket