This catalog accompanies an international exhibition, "First Kings of Europe," and a companion book of essays entitled First Kings of Europe: From Farmers to Rulers in Prehistoric Southeastern Europe. This exhibition explores nearly 6,000 years of history in the Balkans and adjacent regions to chronicle the emergence of social inequality and political hierarchy from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Twenty-six museums from eleven countries generously lent some of their most precious treasures to be displayed in three North American venues to tell the exciting story of how small farming villages transformed into some of the earliest kingdoms on the European continent—a story that changed our world forever. This story is told through the objects and assemblages described in the catalog, with detailed photographs of enigmatic hoards, lavish burial sets, ceremonial masterpieces, unique gold and silver ornaments, and formidable weapons, many of which have never left their country of origin.
First Kings of Europe Exhibition Venues
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, New York, NY, USA — September 21, 2022 through February 19, 2023
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA — March 31, 2023 through January 28, 2024
Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada — April 4, 2024 through January 19, 2025