Man from Proosa site (Rekonstruktsiooni autor Jaana Ratas)

The exhibition “The Prehistory of Tallinn” at the Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum presents the ancient history of Tallinn.

The exhibition “The Prehistory of Tallinn” at the Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum is a new part of the museum’s permanent exhibition. The exhibition focuses on the importance of the Iru hillfort and its surroundings, the lower reaches of the Pirita River, before Tallinn came into being. You will get an overview of the representativeness of the Iru fortress and its defence, ancient farming and funeral customs, and you will also find an answer to why urban settlement in Tallinn only emerged in the 13th century.

The exhibition features copies and reconstructions of objects made in Iru Castle by artist and heritage technologist Jaana Ratas and armour smith Edvards Puciriuss. Unique artefacts found in the Proosa cairn near Tallinn and a reconstruction of a rõngasmõõk from migration time(from the 5th-6th century, by Raivo Paju) are on display. You can also get an idea of a 5th-6th century warrior and 11th-13th century Kaberla woman buried in the Proosa cairn.

The curator of the exhibition: Küllike Tint (the keeper of the archaeological collection of Tallinn City Museum).

Artist: Anne Järvpõld.

Consultant: Ando Pajus (historian).

Project manager: Toomas Abiline (historian, director of the Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum)

Technical execution of the exhibition: Kristiina Laurits, Villu Plink, Virko Vähi & Riksen OÜ.

The exhibition was assisted by Lilian Juhkam, Heivo Murdmets, Merike Neidorp, Jaan Märss, Sergei Andrejev, Natalja Gritsõk, Kristel Lemming, Ulla Kadakas, Rünno Läänemägi, Maarja Valk, Evelina Vedom, Jaroslavna Nazarova, Anne Rahusaar, translation agency Pangloss.

The picture shows Iru Castle, reconstructed by artist and heritage technologist Jaana Ratas.

The opening of the exhibition was accompanied by the Archaeology Autumn lecture series.

NB! It is possible to access the Tallinn City Museum archaeological collection virtually on the platform Google Arts & Culture

The reconstruction of Iru Castle by Jaana Ratas