Clothes swapping party on 21st May 2017
Clothes make the man – even Ötzi knew this! On Sunday May 21st, the International Museum Day, we are holding a clothes swapping party in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, in conjunction with the OEW (Organization for One solidarity world, Brixen-Bressanone). You can bring from 5 to a maximum of 10 articles of clothing and select “new” clothes to take back with you from the resulting pool. Clothes can be handed in at the museum from 10am – please only bring clean clothing in good condition. We start swapping at 3pm.
Ötzi the Iceman’s fur coat and his leather leggings are the oldest known items of clothing from the Stone Age. And it wasn’t just the tanned animal hides which survived – even the sheath for his dagger and some woven grass matting were preserved in the ice for over five thousand years.
Textiles which are not preserved by the cold will normally deteriorate quickly. As a result, we have only a few textile finds, most of them from water-logged sites from the Copper Age, where cloth has survived under anaerobic conditions in saturated sediments. But this isn’t the only reason why we have so few fabrics from the past: textiles have always been ideal for recycling!
And we shall continue with this tradition at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. There won’t be any leather jackets from the Copper Age, nor any woollen gaiters from the Ice Age, but you are bound to find some great bargains – all in an excellent state of preservation – from the recent Modern Age…
Complete programme at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology at the International Museum Day 21st of may 2017:
Entrance free.
Short guides in the special exhibition “Heavy Metal – How copper changed the world”
10.15 a.m. Guided tour in german
10.30 a.m. Guided tour in italian
11.15 a.m. Guided tour in german
11.30 a.m. Guided tour in italian
12.15 p.m. Guided tour in german
12.30 p.m. Guided tour in italian
Reservation at the ticket desk.
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Try and experience wool processing
Our experts show the basic steps of wool processing. A unique opportunity to test yourself in the art of spinning and weaving, learning what you’d always wanted to know about wool …
3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Swap-Party!
Following the footsteps of our ancestors, who have always traded and recycled as much as possible, we organize with OEW (Brixen-Bressanone) a Swap-party to exchange clothes and discover a thousand new information on today’s textile industry.
Those who want to participate can bring 5 to 10 garments and swap it for others. Clothes can be brought to the museum from 10 a.m. We only accept clean clothes and in good condition. The exchange begins at 3 p.m.
In collaboration with OEW Organization for One solidarity world Brixen-Bressanone and youngCaritas. 
Programs of the other museums at the International Museum Day: www.musei-altoadige.it
