Station: [201] Foreword

A new era in the history of mankind has begun: it’s called the New Stone Age or Neolithic period. Immigrants from the Near East have introduced a new kind of subsistence economy. They grow crops, breed livestock, and live in permanent, dwellings. These new agricultural techniques oust the old ways of life that the migratory hunters and gatherers practised for thousands of years.  Archaeologists refer to these accomplishments as the “Neolithic Package”.By around 5,500 BC it had also reached of today’s Saxony via the Carpathian mountains.

The Neolithic people increasingly modified their natural environment as part of an ongoing process. For the first time ever work was dictated by the rhythm of the days and the seasons,.  Evidence of this process can be seen in the inventions and innovations that feature in their culture and technology. Their social structures also became more varied. By cooperating with each other, they were able to develop new projects on much larger scales. However, violent conflicts were also on the increase.

The exhibits and installations on this level are all about these 6000 years of sedentism in Saxony, from the agricultural cultures of the Neolithic period right up to the Migration period. Join us for an exciting tour!