Museum of Ancient Metallurgy in Nowa Słupia with Culture and Archeology Centre

It is usually the case that valuable exhibits are transported to museums. In the case of the museum in Nowa Słupia, it was different - the building was erected in the place of an archaeological site where the remains of a furnace were found - the workplace of ancient metallurgists.

The history of the Museum in Nowa Słupia dates back to the 1960s - then it was opened to the public for the first time. From 2021, the guests of the Museum wander through a completely new, multimedia, light and sound exhibition, getting to know the Świętokrzyskie Mountains from the first centuries of our era.

To understand the process of ancient iron production, you will learn about the history of this element in the 3D cinema. You will also learn how he found himself in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains,

The next rooms present the oldest history of metallurgy known to us and two environments that interpenetrated in the first centuries of our era: the world of ancient Rome and the world of today's Świętokrzyskie Mountains of barbarians.

It was this mysterious people, unknown by name, who mastered the difficult art of iron production in primitive, disposable furnaces called bloomeries. The remains of the kiln discovered by archaeologists are the most valuable exhibit and the most important place in the entire Museum.

What do we know about this iron extraction technique? How did it differ from art presented by other peoples of Europe? What do we know today about ancient metallurgy? You will also learn this at the museum exhibition.

The Museum is complemented by the Cultural and Archaeological Centre. It is a reconstruction of the settlement from the first centuries of our era, made in accordance with the results of archaeological research.

Here you will see the conditions in which the ancient metallurgists lived. You will visit the workshop of a blacksmith, a potter or a metallurgist. In the Center you will take part in interactive shows and workshops.

In August, in the vicinity of the Museum, the largest historical picnic in the region, "Dymarki Świętokrzyskie", has been organized for over 50 years. Reenactment groups from Poland and Europe come to Nowa Słupia. Thanks to the enthusiasts, you can experience the living conditions of the barbarians and Roman legionnaires in the first centuries of our era even more. The main point of the program, however, is an attempt to reconstruct the process of iron production in a bloomery furnace, consistent with the state of archaeological research.