Africa is the cradle of humanity with a unique cultural heritage – a hotspot of research, a continent as rich in nature, history and cultural change as an entire planet. Our exhibition takes you on a journey through 70 episodes of current research into the archaeology of Africa in images, texts, film clips and objects. Together with African artists and a network of international researchers, we explore archaeology as a connecting element between continents and cultures to promote intercultural dialogue.
Introduction to the exhibition
Archaeological questions transcend borders, and researching them has the potential to bring people and ideas together. Against the backdrop of Africa's great political diversity, archaeology can open doors to continental solidarity across borders that were often drawn during colonial times. The exhibition Planet Africa – Archaeological Time Travel aims to seize this opportunity and offer visitors to the exhibition venues a pan-African perspective.
Planet Africa not only reflects the fascinating play of colors on the continent, but also stands for ingenuity and innovation: people have continuously adapted to (environmental) changes and developed new survival strategies. Rarely has this wealth of experience been as important as it is today.
Africa has the longest and most exciting history of humans and their ancestors on our planet and thus a unique cultural heritage. This extraordinary history is highlighted in six modules. It ranges from the first representatives of the genus Homo to the more recent development of new cultural techniques and nutritional strategies that spread from Africa to the rest of the world.
This creates a panorama of a continent that fascinates with its natural diversity and that, with ongoing (environmental) changes, adaptation processes, and migratory movements, has repeatedly required new survival strategies.
Furthermore, the modern use of ancient knowledge and the archaeological exploration of one's own past are demonstrated by the African researchers and artists involved in the research projects and the exhibition. In this way, the exhibition also examines the viability of archaeology as a unifying bracket for a pan-African commonality and intercontinental connectedness.
The exhibition Planet Africa – Archaeological Time Travel was created by a team of curators led by Jörg Linstädter, Miriam Rotgänger (Commission for Non-European Archaeology and Cultures) and Gerd-Christian Weniger (Museum Consult), together with Wazi Apoh (University of Ghana, Accra-Legon), Matthias Wemhoff, and Ewa Dutkiewicz (Museum of Prehistory and Early History), and a large number of African and German archaeologists.
Since 2021, a large and international network of scientists, museum staff, and dedicated colleagues has been working on the implementation of Planet Africa – Archaeological Time Travel at six locations on the African continent and in Germany.
The exhibition venues
2025
smac – Staatliches Museum für Archäologie Chemnitz | Germany
