Exhibition:
Persia's Ancient Splendour (Persiens Antike Pracht)
28 November 2004 - 29 May 2005
Organised by: Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum
Am Bergbaumuseum 28
main entrance: Europaplatz
44791 Bochum
Germany
This exhibition is arranged by four topics and chronological development. In this exhibition you will receive an impression of the enormous virtuosity of ancient Iranian craftsmen.
Veshnaveh, reconstruction of mining methods
Early Metals: Copper and Bronze:
This part of the exhibition starts with the Early Stone Age and ends with the Early Bronze Age, the era of early urban settlements und the first "preindustrial" usage of raw material. It is exciting to see the very first beginnings of the use of metals and raw materials with the first appearing of mankind. Each unit of the exhibition shows the development in different parts of Iran, such as Khuzestan, the Western Lowlands, southeastern Iran and the Central Plateau.
From raw material to finished goods:
A tour through the second hall provides an insight into metal extraction and metal working in ancient times as well as its scientific investigation. You can see the way of the ore from the mine to the finished good and the stupendous ingeniousness of workmanship in treating ores and metals. In addition to the archaeological findings on display there are also reconstruction drawings to exemplify the ancient manufacturing processes. A main focus is on the research projects of Arisman and Vesnaveh, where the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum (German Mining-Museum) was and still is significantly involved.
Landscape, culture and archaeology:
Extraordinary finds such as the golden beaker of Marlik Hill give an idea of the Persian culture. The famous Apadana frieze from Persepolis is an example of ancient Persian-Achaemenian architecture of finest quality. The frieze is surrounded by beautiful aerial views showing the archaeology and landscape as a kind of "Alphabet of Iran".
Crafts through the ages:
In the third hall, designed like an oriental bazaar, you will find on display different aspects of handicraft and processing of raw material. High class bronze objects from Lurestan (2nd and 1st millennium BC) connect chronologically the third hall to the previous halls. You will find characteristic elements of handicraft and treating of raw material. During the 1st millennium BC the usage of iron revolutionised warfare. Gold changed its meaning from a prestigious metal to a popular currency in form of minted coins. Glass and glazes were also invented at this time. They reached their best quality in early Islamic times. The very complex recipes reflect the very high standard of science and technology in Iran during this period.
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