Hitzacker Archaeological Centre
Encyclopedia
The Hitzacker Archaeological Centre is an archaeological open air museum
in Hitzacker in the German state of Lower Saxony
. The core them of the museum is the presentation of Bronze Age
settlements.
The museum has three reconstructed
single-room houses (Wohnstallhäuser) or longhouses (Langhäuser) that combine livestock stalls and living accommodation under one roof, a burial hut (Totenhütte) and a pit-house (Grubenhaus), as they would have looked based on local archaeological finds. The longhouses have been further enhanced by various, everyday household and handiwork items. One of the longhouses contains an exhibition of the important aspects of life in the Bronze Age some 3,000 years ago. The museum gives visitors a diverse range of historical activities such as bronze casting, bread
baking, Feuerschlagen, spinning
and weaving
as well as modern activities to participate in and try out.
In 1969 the first archaeological discoveries of ceramic shards and building floor plans were made during building work at Lake Hitzacker (Hitzacker See). Not until 1987 were planned archaeological digs carried out on the area, because the expansion of the lake and upgrade of a federal road endangered the cultural monuments. The following years yielded further finds and floor plans. In 1990 the Hitzacker Archaeological Centre was founded due to the importance of these discoveries. The museum is sponsored by the Lüchow-Dannenberg District Archaeological Society (Kreisarchäologie Lüchow-Dannenberg) and the Society for the Hitzacker Archaeological Centre (Förderverein Archäologisches Zentrum Hitzacker e.V.).
The open air museum is a place recognised by the town of Hitzacker for registry office wedding
s that are accompanied by a supporting programme by the museum.
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...
in Hitzacker in the German state of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
. The core them of the museum is the presentation of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlements.
The museum has three reconstructed
Reconstruction (architecture)
Reconstruction is a term in architectural conservation whose precise meaning varies, depending on the context in which they are used.More broadly, such as under the Burra Charter of Australia, "reconstruction" means returning a damaged building to a known earlier state by the introduction of new...
single-room houses (Wohnstallhäuser) or longhouses (Langhäuser) that combine livestock stalls and living accommodation under one roof, a burial hut (Totenhütte) and a pit-house (Grubenhaus), as they would have looked based on local archaeological finds. The longhouses have been further enhanced by various, everyday household and handiwork items. One of the longhouses contains an exhibition of the important aspects of life in the Bronze Age some 3,000 years ago. The museum gives visitors a diverse range of historical activities such as bronze casting, bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
baking, Feuerschlagen, spinning
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
and weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
as well as modern activities to participate in and try out.
In 1969 the first archaeological discoveries of ceramic shards and building floor plans were made during building work at Lake Hitzacker (Hitzacker See). Not until 1987 were planned archaeological digs carried out on the area, because the expansion of the lake and upgrade of a federal road endangered the cultural monuments. The following years yielded further finds and floor plans. In 1990 the Hitzacker Archaeological Centre was founded due to the importance of these discoveries. The museum is sponsored by the Lüchow-Dannenberg District Archaeological Society (Kreisarchäologie Lüchow-Dannenberg) and the Society for the Hitzacker Archaeological Centre (Förderverein Archäologisches Zentrum Hitzacker e.V.).
The open air museum is a place recognised by the town of Hitzacker for registry office wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s that are accompanied by a supporting programme by the museum.
Source
- Arne Lucke: Zeitpfade - Mensch, Umwelt, Technik vor 3000 Jahren. Archäologisches Zentrum Hitzacker, Hitzacker 2002