Soil Treasures – Stories from the Underground

A Join-in Event for the Entire Family

Starting on 05/25/2012 at Kalkriese; to be continued from fall 2012 onward as a traveling exhibition all over Germany 

Have you ever used magic to create soil?
Our new join-in event gives you the opportunity to work magic – no problem with the big SoilMagicMachine! In reality, too, the formation of soil is a truly magical process, and moreover, the unique and unusual abilities of soil itself are a little miracle.
 

If you always believed that soil is simply everywhere and that it is always a dull brown color and crumbly, you are completely mistaken. What lies beneath our feet is actually a universe of its own right – one that is teeming with life. Without soil, our planet would be pretty barren: there wouldn’t be food on our plates, no clothing, and we, too, wouldn’t exist … because without soil, there would be no plants, without plants no oxygen, and without oxygen, there is no life.
 

Soil is not only multi-talented; it also harbors numerous secrets and a wealth of stories. Actually, soil is a great storyteller – after all it’s been around for so long, it had many adventures. Each type of soil has its own voice, be it loud, ironic, jolly or grumpy. There is a wide range of voices, and likewise the stories soil tells differ widely. Like in real life, they are about love and hate, conflicts and reconciliation, adventures and yearning. Who would have thought that our soil has so much to say?

Our soil is also a dedicated collector. Whatever has been absorbed by it will stay there for good. Well, not always, and of course not everything. Nevertheless, soil is the world’s largest museum. Unfortunately, its treasures are not on exhibition. In order to find them, you must learn the tricks of the trade. You need a keen eye, a quick mind and a lot of curiosity. As a result, researchers can discover medieval castles or graves that are thousands of years old from the air. And if you take up a spatula and a brush, you may find even more exciting things.

The new join-in event and exhibition is all about soil, about antlions and soil colors, clay castles and soil art, bog bodies and healing earth. More than 20 theme booths, among them many research and experimentation desks, offer an overview of the many faces of soil. Besides the SoilMagicMachine – which does really exist – the big excavation site is another highlight. The pivotal question here is: »What is hiding in the sand?« Those who wish to find their own answers can take up a brush and participate in a real excavation.
 

Informative, full of surprises and interactive features, our new join-in event is great fun for the entire family and ideal for field workers, soil scientists and treasure hunters aged 8 years and up.