Special Collections

Imagine a world without metal. Journey to the Copper Age tells the story of the profound changes that metallurgy

brought to human society: the birth of Mediterranean farming, the creation of the first temples and cemeteries, and the

emergence of complex societies. Drawing on evidence and discoveries dating to the Copper Age, or Chalcolithic period

(4500–3600 B.C.E.), the exhibit takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the development of humanity in

present-day Israel, Palestine and Jordan, and its ties to the beginnings of metal production.

This exhibit is based on a National Geographic expedition organized by Professor Thomas Levy of the University of

California, San Diego, who led a group of international scientists on donkeys across the deserts of Jordan and Israel to

reconstruct the ancient trade route, mining methods and ore smelting that were first used more than 6,000 years ago.^b Highlights from the exhibition include

photographs from renowned National Geographic photographer Kenneth Garrett and a collection of spectacular archaeological

artifacts, including a bronze mace head featuring a twin-headed ibex.²

The fossilized remains of a 3.2-million-year-old hominid known as “Lucy” serve as the centerpiece for this

unique collection of Ethiopia’s treasures. With a rich cultural heritage going back more than 3,000 years, Ethiopia

has long been home to a variety of peoples and religions. The ancient civilization of Axum became the first Christian

African nation in the fourth century C.E. Ethiopia’s dynasty of emperors, which ruled the country until 1974, were

traditionally believed to be an unbroken line of direct descendants of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.

This exhibit features more than 100 artifacts, including fossils, manuscripts, paintings—such as the decorated

doorway of an Ethiopian Orthodox church—coins, musical instruments, and religious

artifacts.

In an interactive new exhibit at the Jewish Museum, children ages 3–10 can explore how archaeologists analyze

objects that they unearth. Four questions will guide families through the exhibition: Where did it come from? What is it?

When was it made? And why was it made? Children will piece together two larger-than-life vessels, examine replicas by

weighing and magnifying, interpret symbols in a colorful reproduction of the sixth-century C.E. Beth Alpha synagogue mosaic

in Israel, create works of art inspired by objects in the museum’s collection, and dress in costumes from long ago.

The exhibition also includes an introductory video, original artifacts and colorful illustrations that provide a visual

context for how objects were used and preserved over time.