What lies beneath the ground is hidden from all of us—regardless of whether we can see or not. Yet archaeologists have the ability to pierce this darkness: they know exactly what to look for and “see” what lies hidden in the ground based on the slightest clues, even before it sees the light of day.
On November 15, 2026, the Rehmann Museum invites you to an extraordinary dialogue event that sheds light on precisely this phenomenon.
Under the title “Understanding the Hidden,” the Aargau Cantonal Archaeology Office and the blind expert Stefan Rehmann will discuss the interplay of knowledge, the sense of touch, and speculation in archaeological research as part of the exhibition featuring the work of Mo Diener (b. 1961).
In archaeology, it is often not the eye but the fingertips that determine the nature of the material. When identifying and dating fragmented ceramic vessels, the sense of touch is an essential method for assessing the material’s texture and the clay’s composition. Both provide clues about the manufacturing technique and the chronological classification of the ceramics.
But the discussion this evening goes a step further and explores the element of speculation: Just as a blind person reconstructs an object in their mind through touch and memory—and this mental image may later prove to be a fallacy—so too does science sometimes experience this. Archaeology is not a rigid construct of facts, but rather a continuous, dynamic process of feeling one’s way forward. Archaeological findings are constantly reevaluated, expanded, and refined. The past is not a fixed narrative, but rather grows steadily alongside the state of research. n.
The panel discussion, moderated by Patrizia Solombrino (Rehmann Museum), thus builds a fascinating bridge between the tactile world of blind people and scientific methodology in dealing with the incomplete.
About Stefan Rehmann: Stefan Rehmann is a psychotherapist and lives next door in the former home of Erwin Rehmann. As a blind art lover, he aims to make the perception of art through the sense of touch accessible to a wider audience. Despite his name, Stefan Rehmann is only distantly related to Erwin Rehmann.
Benjamin Höpfer is an archaeologist and research associate at the Cantonal Archaeology Office. His areas of expertise are Middle Bronze Age settlements and landscape archaeology. He lives with his family in Laufenburg.
Debora C. Tretola Martinez is an archaeologist and amphora specialist at the Cantonal Archaeology Office. Thanks to her extensive experience, she can identify even the smallest amphora fragments and trace them back to their places of origin throughout Europe.
Admission: 15.- CHF
Reduced admission: 10.- CHF
Refugees: free
Admission to the talk includes admission to the exhibition.
If you attend the public guided tour beforehand, the cost is:
Admission, including the guided tour, discussion, and exhibition admission: 20.- CHF
Admission, including the guided tour, discussion, and exhibition admission (reduced): 15.- CHF
On November 15, 2026, the Rehmann Museum invites you to an extraordinary dialogue event that sheds light on precisely this phenomenon.
Under the title “Understanding the Hidden,” the Aargau Cantonal Archaeology Office and the blind expert Stefan Rehmann will discuss the interplay of knowledge, the sense of touch, and speculation in archaeological research as part of the exhibition featuring the work of Mo Diener (b. 1961).
In archaeology, it is often not the eye but the fingertips that determine the nature of the material. When identifying and dating fragmented ceramic vessels, the sense of touch is an essential method for assessing the material’s texture and the clay’s composition. Both provide clues about the manufacturing technique and the chronological classification of the ceramics.
But the discussion this evening goes a step further and explores the element of speculation: Just as a blind person reconstructs an object in their mind through touch and memory—and this mental image may later prove to be a fallacy—so too does science sometimes experience this. Archaeology is not a rigid construct of facts, but rather a continuous, dynamic process of feeling one’s way forward. Archaeological findings are constantly reevaluated, expanded, and refined. The past is not a fixed narrative, but rather grows steadily alongside the state of research. n.
The panel discussion, moderated by Patrizia Solombrino (Rehmann Museum), thus builds a fascinating bridge between the tactile world of blind people and scientific methodology in dealing with the incomplete.
About Stefan Rehmann: Stefan Rehmann is a psychotherapist and lives next door in the former home of Erwin Rehmann. As a blind art lover, he aims to make the perception of art through the sense of touch accessible to a wider audience. Despite his name, Stefan Rehmann is only distantly related to Erwin Rehmann.
Benjamin Höpfer is an archaeologist and research associate at the Cantonal Archaeology Office. His areas of expertise are Middle Bronze Age settlements and landscape archaeology. He lives with his family in Laufenburg.
Debora C. Tretola Martinez is an archaeologist and amphora specialist at the Cantonal Archaeology Office. Thanks to her extensive experience, she can identify even the smallest amphora fragments and trace them back to their places of origin throughout Europe.
Admission: 15.- CHF
Reduced admission: 10.- CHF
Refugees: free
Admission to the talk includes admission to the exhibition.
If you attend the public guided tour beforehand, the cost is:
Admission, including the guided tour, discussion, and exhibition admission: 20.- CHF
Admission, including the guided tour, discussion, and exhibition admission (reduced): 15.- CHF
This text was translated by an AI.
