The "Zeiteninsel" is an Archaeological Open-Air Museum situated in Weimar-Argenstein near Marburg. The museum is under construction since 2010, although erecting of buildings started in 2017.
Archaeological findings in the main excavation site span over at least 9000 years and will be presented in five so called time-stations at the "Zeiteninsel": the Mesolithic, the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Germanic People of the early Roman Imperial Period. Each station will "revive" an archaeological time period and consists of both buildings and fields (apart from the Mesolithic). They are placed into the reconstructed landscape of the relevant era.
The construction of the first time station, a Neolithic longhouse of more than 30 m of length, began in 2017. In 2018 the farmstead of the Germanic People, which date into the early Roman Imperial Period, was built. In 2020 this time station will consist of three buildings. Currently three Bronze Age houses are being planned, in 2021 an iron-age village is going to be built.
Living history and demonstrations are part of the concept. Already since 2014 we offer different workshops which touch a variety of ancient techniques. The "Zeiteninsel" aims to be a place for outdoor- and lifelong learning and “ancient-skill”-development not only for pupils. There are also guided tours and events with various actors and archaeo-technicians. Our main focus is to offer hands-on-activities with visitor participation, but there are also presentations of numerous ancient crafts.
The Archaeological Open-Air Museum is not yet open regularly, but is expected to open full scale in 2022.
