This showcase is dedicated to the slightly less relevant object in our collection.

The text for the signs on the showcase: text

See Survey Equipment

Showcase description:
Looking somewhat similar to a regular telescope, this device, called a theodolite, forms an instrument that can be used for conducting accurate land surveys. Mounted on a tripod, the theodolite allows one to perform very precise angular measurements, necessary for triangulation in many civil engineering projects, such as road building and tunnel alignment.

W.I.P

Showcase description:
As meteorites, these three slabs of extraterrestrial debris contain a lot of information about the history of the solar system. Many scientists spend their careers studying the chemical makeup of these objects, trying to retrace conditions in the early solar system, the formation processes of the planets and even the origin of life: recent discoveries concerning the presence of fundamental biological building blocks in meteorites, seem to suggest that life came from outer space.

Plague epidemic in Leiden Just like in most places in Europe, there have been numerous outbreaks of the plague in Leiden throughout the Middle Ages. The outbreaks in the 17th century were especially deadly; between 1624 and 1625 almost 10,000 people died - twenty percent of the population at the time. A graveyard for the poor was opened just outside the city walls, where the observatory is currently located. Many of the plague victims were buried here. It was closed again in 1816. During the renovation in 2009 many bones emerged, like the bones that are displayed here.

Showcase description:
A silent testimony to one of history's most devastating epidemics, these bones tell the story of Leiden's many thousand inhabitants who died due to the plague during the 17th century. At that time this location served as a mass grave for the poor, becoming the final resting place of many plague victims, until the cemetery was closed in 1816. During renovations of the old observatory in 2009 many bones were uncovered such as the ones on display here.