KonzeptioNerd

The White Gold of the Celts

“Das Weiße Gold der Kelten” (the white gold of the Celts) - current special exhibition in the Frankfurt Museum of Archaeology (link goes to homepage which will cover “white gold” till the exhibition ends April 26). Nice little exhibition with an uncomplex parcours like the double-circle vaults of a stoneage temple.Unpretentious plywood boxes with lots of text, a few images and graphs and well-selected exhibits. The exhibition focuses on the Hallstatt salt mines in the bronze and iron ages.

Größere Kartenansicht

Most inspiring insight: salt-digging 3.000 years ago was already organized in an almost industrial scale, with a streamlined division of labor, trade-relations all across Europe and extremely specialized tools. Picture a backpack for carrying stone-salt (up to 40 kilos per load) that can be uloaded in a controlled way without the carrier having to bend over. Or picture tapered pick-shafts that reduce stress on the diggers’ arms and shoulders. Or movable stairs put together in situ from beams and steps that can be adjusted to different degrees of incline, so that for a changed conditions in a newly opened digging section, there’s no need to supply new parts. Just disassemble the no longer needed stairs in a depleted section and custom rebuild it from your prefabs on the new site. Sweet.

Small as it is, this exhibition inspires to go visit the Hallstatt Salzwelten for a closer look. Wonder why they didn’t cooperate with the Austrian Tourist Office to vamp up the show a bit.

One Response to “The White Gold of the Celts”

1. dani Says:
   

   A very interesting and stunning exhibition.

   April 7th, 2009 at 9:44 am

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