New exhibition in Graz

The archaeological treasures of south-western Styria

The exhibition curators Barbara Porod and Christoph Gutjahr(Bild: UMJ/J.J.Kucek)

Southwest Styria is one of the most exciting regions in Austria for archaeologists. Not only the Universalmuseum Joanneum, but also many regional initiatives are working to research the historical heritage of this region. The Archaeology Museum in Graz's Eggenberg Castle is now dedicating the special exhibition "The Shaped World" to them. 

Karl Peitler, Head of the Department of Archaeology at the Universalmuseum Joanneum, knows exactly: "269 of the 1221 objects on display in the permanent exhibition at the Archaeology Museum in Eggenberg Castle come from the Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg districts." These include many of the highlights, such as the famous "mask from Kleinklein" or the silver kyphos from the Roman villa in Grünau.

Many regional initiatives
However, not all archaeological treasures found in south-western Styria can be seen in the permanent collection. This is due to the fact that, in addition to the Universalmuseum Joanneum, countless local initiatives have been dedicated to researching and processing the archaeological heritage of this historically exciting region for over 100 years. In 2019, they joined forces to form the "ArcheoRegion Südweststeiermark". Their work is now being honored in the special exhibition "The Shaped World" at the Museum of Archaeology in Graz. 

Some gems from the special exhibition.(Bild: UMJ/J.J.Kucek)

Some of the most exciting archaeological finds of recent decades can be seen there for the first time in Graz - such as the oldest copper axe in Styria, which dates back to the 5th millennium BC and was discovered in 2007 during excavations in the run-up to the construction of the Koralm Railway in Weitendorf (municipality of Wildon).

"Every object tells a piece of history"
"Every single object tells a piece of history," say exhibition curators Barbara Porod and Christoph Gutjahr, pointing to stone artefacts that are around 30,000 years old and were found in St. Martin im Sulmtal: "Because these artefacts were only found very sporadically, we can conclude that the site was not a permanent settlement, but only a short-term hunting camp used by a very small group."

In order to make all the archaeological finds attractive to a younger audience, a cell phone app has also been developed that allows you to become a researcher yourself. A board game has also been specially designed for the exhibition. There are also guided hikes and family excursions to the excavation sites as part of the exhibition, which is on display until October 31.