Precious Things

The stories behind the greatest treasures of the museum lead the reader into worlds of sea monsters and stranded whales, stones falling from the sky and prehistoric animals emerging from the ground. They tell of ancient human skulls found in Brazilian caves and beautiful flowers in the Danish landscape; of the very last pair of great auks in this world; and about a unique gift from Darwin that was first lost and forgotten but recently rediscovered.


The stories tell of objects meticulously collected throughout centuries from every corner of the world - by explorers, naturalists and scientists. And now they are to be found, guarded and stores with care, at the Natural History Museum of Denmark. This book serves as a tribute to our collection, our history, our treasures - our Precious Things.