WHEN STONE WAS WORTH MORE THAN GOLD

WHEN STONE WAS WORTH MORE THAN GOLD | exhibition

3. 7. 2026 – 11. 4. 2027

exhibition curator: Andrea Dovicová, Jana Langová

1st floor of building 14

Conscious use of tools is a fundamental human characteristic that distinguishes us from other animals. Stone was one of the first materials used by humans, which has survived to this day. And it is after stone that the entire period of the Paleolithic is named.

Where does the story of stone begin? Initially, it was exclusively stone tools, which were already usable in their natural state and were obtained by surface collection. After the depletion of resources, man began to focus on certain rocks and minerals from specific locations that had suitable properties (primarily cleavage, hardness) and could be chipped. These included silicates (chert, flint, radiolarite, lydite, etc.), SiO2 minerals (quartz, crystal, opal) and natural glasses (obsidian, moldavite). From these processed materials, various tools were made, from hand axes, choppers, points, burins, to scrapers, awls, spearheads, etc. There is always room for improvement, and more perfect chipped artifacts began to be accompanied by objects made using grinding techniques, later supplemented with a drilled hole. This is where rocks come into play, for example, metabasites from the Jizerské hory, which, due to their properties, covered a significant part of Central Europe. The first farmers needed axes for building ships and houses! It is surprising that even though humans knew the technique of casting bronze, for a long time the first cast objects copied the shapes of perfect stone axes.

What stories do stone artifacts tell us? From individual finds, we read the technological processes by which objects were made (chipping, grinding, drilling) and we deduce what they were used for. The size of artifacts intended for hunting tells us a story about the size of game animals, how they changed in species over time along with natural conditions. A forest hunter used different weapons and tools than the first farmer. Based on the raw material used for production, we infer sources, which usually document regional and distant contacts with other communities. Stone artifacts in graves clarify the social status of their owners.

The exhibition is divided into two parts. The interactive part of the exhibition invites visitors to become prehistoric humans for a while and try working with stone tools. The atmosphere is evoked by a cave dwelling and the animals that inhabited the landscape. For the no less inquisitive, there is the educational part. Artifacts from Moravian localities displayed in showcases are supplemented with examples of the stone that was used for their production. Information is then supplemented by panels on the walls.

Admission: 69 CZK basic, 45 CZK reduced, 149 CZK family

* ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMS FOR THE EXHIBITION:

Guided tours of the exhibition When Stone Was Worth More Than Gold:

• for employees: 14. 9. 2026, 10:00, J. Langová, A. Dovicová
• for the public: 1. 10. 2026, 16:00
• for the public: 26. 11. 2026, 16:00

Lectures:

• About Amber from Študlov, A. Dovicová, 15. 10. 2026, 17:00, in the 5th floor of building 14

Few people suspect that a treasure lies in the hills on the border with Slovakia in the Zlín Region! We will talk about an amber treasure 40 million years old.

• Stone axes – characteristic tools of the first farmers, A. Přichystal, 5. 11. 2026, 17:00, hall A of building 15.

What the first farmers needed them for. Raw materials for their production and the occurrence of key metabasites in Bohemia and Moravia. Distribution of axes from our mining centers throughout Central Europe. In Western Europe, another raw material dominated - jadeitite. Experiments with their use. Surprisingly, even stone axes lived their own lives.

• Amber in archaeological finds, J. Langová, 19. 11. 2026, 17:00, in the 5th floor of building 14

We will talk about exceptional archaeological finds of amber in Europe from the Paleolithic to the early Middle Ages.

International Archaeology Day | Saturday 17. 10. 2026; 10:00–12:00, 13:00 –17:00,

1st floor in the exhibition When Stone Was Worth More Than Gold

• experimental archaeologist Martin Drahorát will demonstrate cutting metabasite, grinding and drilling stone, i.e., the process of making a polished axe, all supplemented with an explanation at 11:00 and 14:00.
• the educational department will supplement the event with workshops: Making an amulet from slate and talismans from clay
• guided tours of the exhibition

Workshops for the public:

PALEOLITHIC PAINTING – EXPERIMENTAL WORKSHOP 29. 10. 2026 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00, 1st floor of building 14

AMBER JEWELRY – PREHISTORIC WORLD IN A DROP OF SUN 29. 1. 2027 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00, 1st floor of building 14

A STORY ENGRAVED IN STONE – EXPERIMENTAL WORKSHOP 11. 3. 2027 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00, 1st floor of building 14