Carboniferous Monsters
100 million years before the Dinosaurs
Main Gallery
Monday 10 June to Saturday 31 August
Step back to the Carboniferous period, 100 million years before the dinosaurs. Visit tropical forests and swamps teeming with bizarre and ferocious ancient monsters, some of which had larger teeth than T. rex. Meet the dinosaurs’ distant ancestors, the very first reptiles, the largest creepy-crawlies ever to live, and prehistoric animals unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!
Come face-to-face with scorpions the size of dogs, millipedes the length of crocodiles, and giant meat-eating dragonflies the size of seagulls.
This blockbuster national touring exhibition features stunning 350 million year-old original fossils, reconstructed giant prehistoric animals, and skeleton casts from museums around the world, many of which have never been displayed in the UK before.
This exhibition shows what Durham and the Dales was like 300 million years ago, and explores how the remains of these prehistoric plants were the source of the carbon which formed coal. Discover how these ancient forests and swamps are linked to fossil fuels that powered the industrial revolution and the climate change we’re facing today.
Suitable for prehistoric monster fans of all ages!
Two Minutes To Midnight
The Strong Room
Monday 10 June to Saturday 31 August
Alongside some of the Carboniferous Monsters, artist and Newcastle University MA Fine Art student Sarah March has created eight giant canvas panels as reimagined cave paintings, each covering a period of time from the Carboniferous to Now – the rise of man.
The species depicted range from plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates on both the land and in the sea. All the species are chosen as their fossils were found in the British Isles, Europe or worldwide.