Hammer! Crafting like Celts and Romans

April 3rd to July 19th, 2020

Technical knowledge and skills have always been acquired through practical instruction. Showing and explaining, demonstrating and imitating are essential methods for teaching – and understanding – how a wide variety of objects are made.

The special exhibition follows this principle: Archaeological finds from Hesse allow a look into the toolboxes of the Celts and Romans, and replicas, drawings and films illustrate basic craft activities. The entire process from raw material to product is shown and the procedures used are made comprehensible.

It becomes clear that many tools and techniques have hardly changed for centuries. A Celtic hammer is not much different from a Roman or even a modern metalworker's hammer. Iron still needs to be heated to deform it. And today fibers are still straightened, spun and woven to create fabrics.

With large-format drawings in comic style, numerous films and elements to think about and try out, the exhibition is aimed primarily at a young audience.

The presented original finds from the Celts and Romans underline the importance of craftsmanship over thousands of years and provide evidence of Hesse's rich cultural heritage, including in this important aspect of everyday life.

Funded by the Frankfurt RheinMain Cultural Fund