Field Museum unveils 'First Kings of Europe' Exhibit: A glimpse into humanity's ancient past

CHICAGO - A new exhibit that just opened at the Field Museum highlights some of the oldest cultural items in the world made by humans.

The exhibit, First Kings of Europe, has been in the making since 2017.

Many of the cultural items have never been on display outside the countries of their origin. 

"700 pieces, 26 museums from 11 countries in Europe. It took us about eight years to pull it all together, and it's just an absolutely fascinating exhibition that tells a story of how we went from small egalitarian farming villages to some of the first big bureaucratic kingdoms in Europe," said Bill Parkinson, Curator & Associate Director of Anthropology, Field Museum. 

Just how old are these items on exhibit you might be asking?

They date back to the neolithic, copper, bronze and iron ages — about 3,000 to 7,0000 years ago.