Rockfossils english

Exhibition

There are those scientists who name new, previously unknown species of animals after the places where they were found or their unique shapes. And then there are scientists who dedicate new species to their favourite rock stars. Continue ...

There are, apparently, quite a few palaeontologists in particular who not only love fossils but are just as passionate about rock music – especially heavy metal and punk rock. The special exhibition titled „Rock Fossils – Yes, it’s Love!“ brings to light this previously hidden love affair within the natural sciences. Continue ...

The special exhibition presents a number of fossils, including one dinosaur, bearing the names of bands or singers from the rock music scene. Each of the rock legends is portrayed both in writing (German/ English) and in images. Continue ...

These include, to name but a few, AC/DC, Lemmy of Motörhead, the Ramones, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols. Continue ...

The exhibition was created by Jesper Milàn (Geomuseum Faxe) and Esben Horn (10 Tons) and first shown at the Geomuseum in Faxe, Denmark, where it created quite a stir, especially within the metal scene. The Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern (NMBE) is honored to be the first venue to present the exhibition outside of Scandinavia. Continue ...

A reconstruction of a recently discovered fossil of an ancestor of the hippopotamus, named after Mick Jagger for its full lips, will be presented for the very first time, alongside its skeletal remains. Continue ...

The museum’s palaeontologists have dedicated a previously unknown species of sea urchin to the band Eluveitie. Continue ...

Additionally, NMBE employees have dedicated a spectacularly preserved marine reptile, whose skull displays the bite marks of another animal, to the Wacken : Open : Air Heavy Metal Festival and their Wacken Foundation. back...

Visiting

Opening times
Monday 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday / Thursday / Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday / Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Prices incl. permanent exhibition
Adults CHF 8.00
Students / pensioners / disability benefits claimants/ groups of 10 people or more CHF 6.00
Members of the Verein des Naturhistorischen Museums CHF 2.00
Children and young people aged 16 and under/ school parties Free

Events

Stage Dive

For fossil fans and music fans alike: Everything you wanted to know about earth history but were afraid to ask – with a bar and the fitting sounds of DJ Electric (1:30 in length).

Saturday, March 28, 5 p.m.
Ursula Menkveld, Fossilien & Mystik
Sagenhafte Geschichten über Versteinerungen

Tuesday April 14, 7.30 p.m.
Michael Hautmann, Arten & Unarten
Wie Tierarten zu ihren Namen kommen

Saturday, April 18, 5 p.m.
Achim Reisdorf, Sex Pistols & Phacops
Rock 'n' Roll im Erdaltertum

Sunday April 19, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Rock Families
Schaue Forschern über die Schulter, erfahre packende Geschichten & lass’ Deine Fossilien bestimmen

Saturday, May 2, 5 p.m.
Jesper Milan, The Making of Rock Fossils –
(in English!)

Saturday, May 9, 5 p.m.
Bernhard Hostettler, Höllische Schmerzen
Seeigel verteidigen sich erfolgreich seit Jahrmillionen

Big Bang Rock Store

A record shop, run by Bern’s Rathouse Records, will be open at the exhibition on weekends.

Vinyl

AC/DC – Rock or Bust Continue ...

Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here Continue ...

Blue Öyster Cult – Cultösaurus erectus Continue ...

Deep Purple – In Rock Continue ...

Destroy The Moon – Mesozoic Continue ...

Edenbridge – The Bonding Continue ...

Hollow Leg – Instinct Continue ...

Erosion – Thoughts Continue ...

Jackknife Seizure – Time of The Trilobites Continue ...

Lamb – Backspace Unwind Continue ...

Mammoth – Mammoth Continue ...

Mammoth – Mammoth Mammoth Continue ...

Motörhead – Bomber (BRONZE Label) Continue ...

Nightwish – Endless Forms Most Beautiful Continue ...

Ogre – The Last Neanderthal Continue ...

Post Mortem – The Missing Link Continue ...

Red Fang – Red Fang Continue ...

Restmensch – Die Erde ist eine Scheisse Continue ...

Rosetta – Wake / Lift Continue ...

Rosetta/ East Of The Wall/ Split Continue ...

Science Slam Sonic Explorers – Deep Time Predator Continue ...

Senmuth – Jurassic Continue ...

Sentenced – Crimson Continue ...

The Rolling Stones – Stone Age Continue ...

Tool – Aenema Continue ...

Toxoplasma – Monsters of Bullshit Continue ...

XTC – Fossil Fuel – The XTC Singles 1977-92 back...

T-Shirts

1: «Rock-Fossil-Rodeo» Continue ...

2: «Rock Fossils – Ja, es ist Liebe!» Continue ...

3: «Kingnites diamondi» back...

Poster / Artwork

1: «Rock Fossils – Ja, es ist Liebe!» Continue ...

2: The METAL! comic strip by Dustin Snider, well-known in the music scene, now as a poster for the first time! Continue ...

Dagmar & Thomas Helmbold, Hannover

3: “IDA” (2015), collage und mix technique on canvass (100 x 160 cm) focuses on the world-famous Darwinius masillae fossil, a primate from the Messel pit in Germany. back...

Picture Discs

Limited edition picture discs by Science Slam Sonic Explorers: Fossil Hunters 001: «IDA/ Darwinius masillae», feat. Mina Caputo (LIFE OF AGONY), GATOR BAIT TEN, Ted Parsons (SWANS, PRONG, GODFLESH) next...

Limited edition picture discs by Science Slam Sonic Explorers: Fossil Hunters 002: «Deep Time Predator/ Kingnites diamondi», feat. Tompa (AT THE GATES), INVERTIA, DENATA, SEETYCA, ZERFALLMENSCH next...

Limited edition picture discs by Science Slam Sonic Explorers: Fossil Hunters 003: «So Bizarrely Twisted/ Archaeopteryx», feat. Nicole Blackman (THE GOLDEN PALOMINOS, RECOIL), SUBMERGED, Justin K. Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU), Bill Laswell (MATERIAL, PRAXIS, PAINKILLER), THE BLOOD OF HEROES, SEETYCA, DR. ISRAEL, DUO DÍAZ-FERRI und SVEVO back...

Fossils

A number of the fossils featured in the exhibition are on sale

The museum’s palaeontologists have dedicated a previously unknown species of sea urchin to the band Eluveitie. Paracidaris eluveitie is a 160-million-year-old echinoderm recently discovered in the Swiss Jura Mountains (Auenstein, Aargau), whose shell’s ornaments are evocative of the embellishments of Celtic jewelry. The band name Eluveitie is the Etruscan form of the Celtic word Helvetios (“Helvetian”).

The band will play an exclusive gig in the museum on March 18.

Tickets are no longer available.

seeigel

Backstage

Science Slam Sonic Explorers: a musical project

Our paleontologist and scientific director of the exhibition project, Achim Reisdorf, reveals his secret passion for music with the “Science Slam Sonic Explorers”. In the international project, scientists write short educational texts to be transformed into rock songs by well-known musicians and spoken-word artists.