Anthropos Pavilion

Giant mammoth, cave paintings, exhibits from the oldest history of humankind

Today’s Anthropos Pavilion in Brno has its roots in the First Czechoslovak Republic. Then, thanks to efforts of archaeologist prof. Karel Absolon, an unprecedented quantity of finds from the earliest history of humankind was assembled in a special pavilion entitled Mankind and His Family, which formed part of the Exhibition of Contemporary Culture in 1928. This tradition was continued after the war by anthropologist prof. Jan Jelínek, and construction of the Anthropos Pavilion in the park at Pisárky was completed in 1962 according to the plans of architect Evžen Šteflíček. In the years 2003–2006, the museum underwent extensive renovation. Throughout its history, the exhibition has had one indisputable draw – a life-size reconstruction of an extinct woolly mammoth. This star has recently been joined by a mammoth calf.

Anthropos Pavilion’s permanent exhibition on the prehistoric settlement of Moravia and the European continent is comprised of three distinct sections – Moravian Hunters and Gatherers, Oldest Art of Europe, and Palaeolithic Technologies – all devised and put together by the nation’s leading scientists. In the second part, visitors learn about the latest research discoveries concerning the evolution of humankind and the origins of our culture – Genetics in the Evolution of Humankind, and the Story of Humankind, supplemented by an introduction to the lives and behaviour of our nearest relatives, i.e. primates, in the section Primates – Our Family. The newly built exhibition of the Moravian Museum familiarizes us with the current state of knowledge in archaeological, anthropological and genetic research. You will also find interactive presentations and regular supporting exhibitions.