Until 23 March 2025, the Archaeological Museum Frankfurt invites you to the special international exhibition ‘Aenigma 2.0 – Who can decipher the enigmatic code from the Bronze Age?’. The exhibition focuses on the so-called bread loaf idols – mysterious, decorated clay objects whose function remains a puzzle for archaeologists to this day.
From 15 October 2024 to 23 March 2025, the Archaeological Museum Frankfurt invites you to the international special exhibition ‘Aenigma 2.0 – Wer entschlüsselt den rätselhaften Code aus der Bronzezeit?’. The exhibition focuses on the so-called Brotlaibidole (literal translation „bread loaf idols“) – mysterious, decorated clay objects that were first discovered in northern Hungary around 1860 and whose function remains a mystery to archaeologists to this day. Never before have so many „Brotlaibidole“ been brought together in one exhibition. Visitors can expect a stimulating tour through Europe, from Lake Garda in northern Italy via central and southern Germany down the Danube to Romania and Bulgaria, and from there westwards to the Adriatic coast and even to central Italy and Corsica. This raises numerous questions: Were the „Brotlaibidole“ early means of communication, trade tokens, tokens, religious symbols or did they have a calendar function? Were they a kind of notch or messenger staff – or was there a completely different purpose behind them? The distribution area of the „Brotlaibidole“ stretches in a south-easterly-north-westerly direction over almost 1500 km from north-west Bulgaria to the Middle Rhine region and in a south-westerly-north-easterly direction over almost 1400 km from the Mediterranean island of Corsica and from central Italy to Kujawy in Poland. As far as the circumstances of the finds are known, they come almost without exception from settlements primarily from the late Early Bronze Age (ca. 1750-1500 BC).
The exhibition is based on a German-Italian research initiative on the subject of
‘Brotlaibidole – tavolette enigmatiche/oggetti enigmatici’ from 2008-2011. ‘Aenigma 2.0’
expands this knowledge with current research results and newly discovered artefacts from
various parts of Europe. This unique exhibition is being realised thanks to collaboration with more than 50 lenders from 11 countries – museums, institutions and private collections – primarily from Italy, the Guest of Honour country at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2024, as well as from other European countries such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, Bulgaria and Romania. Many of the objects have never been exhibited before, including exhibits from Italy, Corsica and Croatia, as well as recently discovered artefacts from Germany, such as finds from the royal palace of Helfta in Saxony-Anhalt and from Salzkotten in East Westphalia.
A varied accompanying programme complements the exhibition and is aimed at visitors of
all ages. The programme includes guided tours for specific target groups, creative workshops and an interactive hands-on station with replica bread loaves and Bronze Age replicas, a bread loaf memory game and stamp sets for children. Families can playfully explore the exhibition with a puzzle booklet.
Particularly noteworthy are the digital 3D models, with which the „Brotlaibidole“ can be
viewed virtually from all perspectives. They have been created since 2011 in a pilot project in cooperation with ARCTron 3D GmbH, Altenthann, using a fringe projection system, fringe light scanner and digital photogrammetry using the ‘structure-from-motion’ method. An interactive platform invites the public to share their own ideas on the function of the „Brotlaibidole“ and thus actively participate in unravelling this archaeological mystery. On 13 March 2025, a public workshop will promote exchange between scientists and interested visitors. This contemporary combination of analogue and digital knowledge transfer offers a sustainable platform for citizen science.
A richly illustrated accompanying publication, sponsored by the Dr Marschner Foundation, is in preparation and will be published on 1 December. The special exhibition is under the patronage of Consul General Massimo Darchini (Consolato Generale d’Italia, Francoforte sul Meno). It is substantially supported by the Kulturfonds Frankfurt RheinMain, the Dr Marschner Foundation and the Department of Culture and Science of the City of Frankfurt am Main.
Archaeology enthusiasts of all ages are cordially invited to set off in search of the solution to one of archaeology’s most fascinating mysteries.