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Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age

Permanent exhibition
Neues Museum

On the upper floor, the 'Museum of Prehistory and Early History' takes visitors on a tour through the oldest eras of human history. With its unique collections on the prehistory and ancient history of Europe and near-lying regions of Asia, the museum manages to trace vividly the major lines of development in early European history, using outstanding original pieces.

The tour of level 3 starts in the Roter Saal, which recreates the atmosphere of an exhibition in the late 19th century and sheds light on the origins of important holdings in the prehistoric collection. In stark contrast is the modern presentation in the following gallery, dedicated to present-day archaeology in Berlin, which uses recent finds to show what archaeologists, working with modern methods, unearth in the German capital nowadays.

This is immediately followed by a room dedicated to the earliest chapters in human history. The Stone Age gallery features the famous 11-year-old Neanderthal from Le Moustier in France and the popular elk found at Berlin's Hansaplatz in Tiergarten. The second half of the gallery shows the transition to agriculture and animal husbandry with brilliant finds from the Neolithic period.

With its large display cases containing impressive montages of exhibits and background scenes, and a three-dimensional view of the oldest known battlefield in human history, the Bronze Age room forms a kind of 'processional way' to the world-renowned Berlin Golden Hat. The tour of level 3 ends with displays of Iron Age cultures: Hallstatt-period graves and large-scale finds dating from the La Tène period including some from Mediterranean cultures.

The Time Machine through the Millenia

A special journey awaits visitors between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age Hall: Our time machine takes the visitors into a historical river landscape and observes its inhabitants over the passing millennia. Archaeological findings serve as the basis for this journey. The mutual influences of people and the environment become clear in our time machine.

The animated film sequences, created especially for the exhibition, feature many exhibits visitors will have just seen in the collection display. The film illustrates the role these objects played in the life of our predecessors, thereby encapsulating the core idea of this exhibition level as an exciting journey back to the very early periods of human history in Europe.


A permanent exhibition of the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

Neandertaler Schädel, Le Moustier, Frankreich, um 45.000 v. Chr.
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Claudia Plamp CC NC-BY-SA
Auf der Spur des Menschen der Altsteinzeit


Ausstellungsgespräch | 60 Minuten | 30 €

Goldener Zeremonialhut ("Berliner Goldhut"), späte Bronzezeit, 1000 - 800 v. Chr., Fundort: Süddeutschland, Deutschland
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Claudia Plamp
Auf der Spur des Menschen der Bronzezeit


Ausstellungsgespräch | 60 Minuten | 30 €

Keramikgefäß der havelländischen Kultur der Jungsteinzeit, verziert mit zwei Henkelösen, um 2500 v. Chr., Jungsteinzeit, Fundort: Butzow, Brandenburg, Deutschland
© Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin , Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Jürgen Liepe
Auf der Spur des Menschen der Jungsteinzeit


Ausstellungsgespräch | 60 Minuten | 30 €

Goldener Zeremonialhut ("Berliner Goldhut"), späte Bronzezeit, 1000 - 800 v. Chr., Fundort: Süddeutschland, Deutschland
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Claudia Plamp
Die Bronzezeit begreifen und verstehen


Workshop | 120 Minuten | 60 €

Keramikgefäß der havelländischen Kultur der Jungsteinzeit, verziert mit zwei Henkelösen, um 2500 v. Chr., Jungsteinzeit, Fundort: Butzow, Brandenburg, Deutschland

    Gefäß / Ton
    Höhe: 8 cm
© Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin , Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Jürgen Liepe
Die Jungsteinzeit begreifen und verstehen


Workshop | 120 Minuten | 60 €

© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Valerie Schmidt
It's a Match!?


Projekttag | 180 Minuten | 90 Euro

School workshop at Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Neues Museum / Valerie Schmidt
Steinzeiten. Jahrtausende voller Veränderung


Workshop | 120 Minuten | 60 Euro

© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Leo Leowald
Von gestern und übermorgen. Geschichte der Museumsinsel


Projekttag | 240 Minuten | 120 Euro

The Berlin Gold Hat is decorated with various types of circular ornamentation, which can be explained as a lunisolar calendar, i.e., a calendar based on both the sun and the moon. It represents the connection between cult, knowledge and material wealth.
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Claudia Plamp

Permanent exhibition

A cross-section sample of the finds from the Treasure of Neupotz, 2nd half of the 3rd century AD
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte / Claudia Klein

Permanent exhibition

James-Simon-Galerie, Bodestraße
10178 Berlin

wheelchair accessible
Information and floor plans for the Neues Museum (PDF, 323 KB)

All groups meet at the information desk in the lower foyer in James-Simon-Galerie.

Advise for group visits to the Neues Museum and Pergamonmuseum (PDF)

U-Bahn: Museumsinsel (U5)
S-Bahn: Friedrichstraße, Hackescher Markt
Tram: Am Kupfergraben, Hackescher Markt
Bus: Staatsoper, Lustgarten, Friedrichstraße

Low-carbon public transport connections
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Long distance

Sun 10:00 - 18:00
Mon closed
Tue 10:00 - 18:00
Wed 10:00 - 18:00
Thu 10:00 - 20:00
Fri 10:00 - 18:00
Sat 10:00 - 18:00

Opening times on public holidays Opening Hours

Neues Museum
14,00 EUR Concessions 7,00
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Museum Island + Panorama
24,00 EUR Concessions 12,00
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Annual Ticket from 25,00 EUR
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Tel 030 - 266 42 42 42 (Mon - Fri, 9 am - 4 pm)
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Related Links

Museum and the City: Posts about the Museum of Prehistory and Early History on the blog of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (German only)