Return ticket to the past

Where: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden
When: 23 November 2020 – 9 January 2022
Website: click here

Return Ticket to the Past was a small, temporary exhibition created to celebrate 25 years of ProRail, which invited visitors to travel through 180 years of archaeological discovery along the Dutch railway network. The exhibition explored how railway construction has repeatedly uncovered the country’s past — from chance finds in the 19th century to systematic excavations in modern times.

Concept and Storyline

Over nearly two centuries, railway projects have revealed countless objects, each offering a glimpse into the lives of people long gone. Return ticket to the past showcased a rich selection of these finds: a Carolingian sword from around 800 CE, a medieval knight’s gauntlet, the oldest telescope ever discovered in the Netherlands, and a prehistoric antler axe, among many others.

By spanning prehistory through the medieval period, the exhibition illustrated how archaeology itself has developed alongside infrastructure, while telling compelling human stories embedded in the landscape.

My Role

I was in charge of most of the exhibition’s curatorial, research, and interpretive work:

  • Concept and narrative: Helping shape a thematic framework that linked railway development with archaeology and historical discovery.
  • Object research and selection: Investigating and choosing objects that combine significance, rarity, and interpretive potential.
  • Interpretation and visitor experience: Writing texts and designing interpretive materials to make complex archaeological themes accessible to a broad audience.
  • Engagement: Developing interactive elements such as the family trail Spoorzoeken (“Track Searching”), enabling younger visitors to explore the exhibition hands-on.

My favorite finds

I love all aspects of exhibition design, but my favorite part has to be the privilege of getting to select and get up close and personal with amazing objects from our past. For this exhibition, I had the opportunity to choose artefacts from our own collection and from several external institutions. A veritable smorgasboard of finds!

Double-edged iron sword with decorated hilt, 750-850 CE (RMO).
Harness gloves found in Delft city canal, 1359 CE (Restaura).
Harness gloves found in Delft city canal, 1359 CE (Restaura).
Harness gloves found in Delft city canal, 1359 CE (Restaura).
Trowel found in Delft city canal, 1450-1500 CE (Depot Delft).
Trowel found in Delft city canal, 1450-1500 CE (Depot Delft).
Trowel found in Delft city canal, 1450-1500 CE (Depot Delft).
Antler artifact found at Hardinveld-Giessendam, 5500-5000 BCE (RMO).

Impact

Retourtje Verleden demonstrated how everyday infrastructure projects — railways, tracks, and stations — can reveal the layers of human history beneath our feet. The exhibition highlighted that archaeology is not isolated from daily life; it intersects with urban development, heritage management, and public engagement. Visitors were invited to discover that the tracks they traverse every day carry stories of people, technology, and culture spanning millennia.