This exhibition was long-anticipated, in fact ever since the oldest wooden wheel (with and intact axle) in the world was uncovered in the Ljubljansko Barje. The exhibition links ancient heritage, technological and scientific development with culture and art in an original manner and even escapes the limitations of the planet.

"The exhibition not only speaks about the times this wheel was made but attempts to show how incredibly powerful the invention of the wheel had been", Blaž Peršin, Director of Museum & Galleries of Ljubljana, said at the occasion of the exhibition, adding that "many people believe that this invention was the most important in human civilisation". He added that this wheel brought together several institutions, resulting in the implementation of this outstanding project. The exhibition was created through the cooperation of several partners in the areas of culture, preservation of heritage and economy and will be accompanied by a diverse programme adjusted to different groups of visitors.

"The exhibition surpasses all our other events to date. The exhibition was prepared in cooperation with a large group of experts from different areas", said the creator of the exhibition, Irena Šinkovec, at its opening. She presented the history of the wheel in three sections: the first places the wheel into its primary context – in the space and time of pile dwellings on Ljubljana Barje, with special emphasis on the conservation and preservation of the rich cultural heritage. The second section showcases the wheel as one of the most significant technological inventions, with emphasis on the fields of industrialisation and the industrial revolution, which fundamentally changed the economic, scientific, political and broader social development of Western civilisation. The third section presents the wheel on the symbolic level, revolving through different dimensions of time and space. The human desire for knowledge, exploration and creativity is unstoppable and even expands beyond our home planet. The exhibition's broader concept encourages visitors to develop their own thoughts and emphasises the indivisibility of science, art and heritage.
At the exhibition, it will be possible to experience life in the pile dwellings, since this, combined with the inspiration of the wheel, will also be a starting point for a number of associated events for kindergartens, schools, families and adult visitors from both Slovenia and abroad.

The Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies also participated in the exhibition, which prompted Sunita Williams, the US astronaut of Slovenian descent, to attend the opening of the exhibition, which she found extremely appealing.

Uncovering the wheel - Pile-dwellings in the Ljubljansko Barje on the UNESCO World Heritage List
In the spring of 2002, archaeologists of the Institute of Archaeology headed by Anton Velušček carried out preventive cleaning of a drainage channel in Stara Gmajna pri Vrhniki, during which they uncovered several rich finds. In addition to two wooden canoes, they found the remains of a wooden wheel at the bottom of the channel, and after widening it, they also found the axle, which had fallen off the wheel. Thus, the efforts of many archaeologists who have been carrying out demanding archaeological research in the marshy environment since the pile-dwellings were first discovered at the Ljubljansko Barje in 1875 were rewarded.

Outstanding value of pile-dwellings
The pile-dwellings at the Ljubljansko Barje dating back to the period from the 5th to the 2nd millennium, i.e. to the times of the first farmers, have been preserved due to earth layers having been constantly soaked with water, which provided for preservation of organic remains, including wooden items, over thousands of years. Knowledge and understanding of the lives lived by these first permanent inhabitants of the wider Ljubljana area are based exclusively on material remains of abandoned villages, since that period did not leave behind any written documents. The importance of protecting and preserving such sites was also recognised by UNESCO, which in 2011 confirmed the group nomination of Alpine countries (Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Slovenia and Switzerland) and added the pile-dwellings on the World Heritage Site List.

Preserving the wooden wheel with the axle
The exhibition is also noteworthy because it posed a specific restoration challenge. This find was distinct and singular as none had been before. "The enthusiasm over the find was combined with an element of fear, because these are extremely sensitive materials, which demand specific preservation", said Irena Šinkovec. The items from the so-called wet wood are heavily degraded and exposed to a rapid decomposition process after being lifted from the earth, due to the presence of oxygen and accelerated activity of microorganisms. After consultations with several experts, the wheel and axle was sent from the City Museum of Ljubljana to the well-known conservation workshop of the Roman-German Museum in Mainz, where the items were conserved by using the melamine method. Simultaneously with this operation, a special microclimate chamber was manufactured, which will facilitate the exhibition and preservation of valuable items for the future generations.

By Polona Prešeren, SINFO