Where: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden
When: 18 October 2024 – 16 March 2025
Website: click here
In 2024, I had the privilege of contributing to the exhibition Bronze Age: Fires of Change at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. This major international collaboration brought together more than 700 extraordinary objects from across Europe — from gleaming gold ornaments to intricately cast weapons and ritual vessels — to tell the story of an age defined by innovation, connection, and transformation.
A Europe Without Borders
The Bronze Age (c. 2000–800 BCE) was a time when Europe was already deeply interconnected. People, materials, and ideas moved freely across vast distances, linking communities from Ireland to the Aegean. Bronze itself — an alloy of copper and tin — became both a symbol and a catalyst of change: forging networks, wealth, and power, but also sparking cultural exchange and conflict.
The exhibition invited visitors to see the Bronze Age not as a remote, primitive era, but as a vibrant and dynamic world — a Europe without borders.
My Role
As part of the curatorial and research team, I worked on the conceptual and narrative development of the exhibition, helping to shape its overarching storyline and thematic structure. My contributions included:
- Object research and interpretation, connecting finds from across Europe through themes of craft, mobility, and belief;
- Writing and editing of interpretive texts, ensuring they were both academically robust and accessible to a broad audience;
- Advising on presentation and display, translating archaeological research into engaging visual and narrative experiences;
- Coordination with international partners, fostering collaboration between museums and researchers across borders.
Behind the Scenes
Working on Fires of Change was an inspiring process that balanced scholarship with creativity. The exhibition design — full of light, texture, and motion — mirrored the dynamism of the Bronze Age itself. The result was an immersive experience that revealed a period of both beauty and upheaval: a time when fire shaped metal, people, and ideas alike.
Recognition
Bronze Age: Fires of Change has been praised for its innovative, international scope and its blend of scientific research with storytelling. The exhibition won second place for the 2025 Museum Exhibition of the Year Award, highlighting its impact and resonance with audiences across disciplines.
Reflection
For me, Fires of Change was a project that perfectly captured why I love working in museums. It brought research to life — transforming data and objects into stories that move, connect, and inspire. Seeing visitors encounter these ancient artefacts with wonder and curiosity reminded me that archaeology is not about the past alone; it’s about understanding our shared humanity through time.