Skopje, 3 April 2023 (MIA) - Chicago's Field Museum has opened the exhibition 'First Kings of Europe', which also includes North Macedonia with rare objects from the Neolithic Age. 

The Field Museum invites visitors to dive into history through artifacts that have never before been shown together, and travel back to 5000 BCE to uncover what prehistoric tools, weapons, and ritual sculptures can tell us about life in the Balkans’ earliest societies. 

Macedonian representatives at this gathering of more than 700 exquisite objects, coordinated by Goce Naumov, come from the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage and Museum–Bitola, the Institute for Protection of the Monuments of Culture and Museum–Prilep, and the National Institution Museum–Gevgelija.

Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska has extended congratulations for the success of Macedonian archeology, pointing out it is a great privilege to have 20 objects from prehistory showcased at the virtual tour presenting ancient Europe’s first kings and queens.  

"This exclusive exhibition shows us how important non-institutional cooperation in the region is, as well as cooperation with partner institutions and foundations in North America in the implementation of such a project, which will certainly leave lasting scholarly and cultural values ​​for future generations," the Culture Minister added. 

The 'First Kings of Europe' exhibition is realized with the support of the U.S. Embassy. 

Bill Parkinson, curator at the Field Museum and of the 'First Kings of Europe' said the exhibition has been made in partnership with 11 countries, plus the United States and Canada, and 26 different museums.

"Many of the cultural items have never been on display outside of the countries of their origin, and some have never been on display – ever!  'First Kings of Europe' is a unique opportunity to see these cultural items side by side," said Parkinson. 

Coordinator of the exhibition from North Macedonia, Goce Naumov, said it was a great honor that the altar from Vrbjanska Chuka is one of the first and oldest objects with which the mystical journey through Balkan prehistory begins.

Director of the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage and Museum–Bitola, Meri Stojanova, spoke of the complexity of the project which unites for the first time three Macedonian museums with related institutions in the Balkans, for a first such presentation of prehistory in North America. 

"This event is significant because it is the first presentation of a segment of Macedonian culture to the wider American public. Many thanks to all those who contributed to make this great idea and initiative a reality," Stojanova added. 

'First Kings of Europe' explores how ancient farming villages led to the earliest tribal kingdoms in Europe. The countries represented in the exhibition include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia, with various lending institutions working together to make the show happen.

The exhibition opened March 31, 2023 and runs through January 28, 2024. It includes more than 700 cultural items organized in chronological eras, dating back to the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, and Iron ages.