The National Archaeological Museum () in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. It is situated in the Exarhia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic.
History
The first national archaeological museum in Greece was established by prime minister of Greece Ioannis Kapodistrias in Aigina in 1829. Since then the archaeological collection has been moved to a number of exhibition places until 1858, when an international architectural competition was announced for the location and the architectural design of the new museum.
The current location was proposed and the construction of the museum's building began in 1866 and was completed in 1889 using funds from the Greek Government, the Greek Archaeological Society and the society of Mycenae. Major benefactors were Eleni Tositsa who donated the land for the building of the museum, Demetrios and Nikolaos Vernardakis from Saint Petersburg who donated a large amount for the completion of the museum.
The initial name for the museum was The Central Museum and it was renamed to its current name in 1881 by Prime Minister of Greece Charilaos Trikoupis. In 1887 the prominent archaeologist Valerios Stais becomes the museum's curator.
During the World War II the museum was closed and the antiquities were sealed in special protective boxes and buried, in order to avoid their destruction and looting. In 1945 exhibits were again displayed under the direction of Christos Karouzos.
The south wing of the museum houses the Epigraphic Museum with the richest collection of inscriptions in the world. The inscriptions museum expanded between 1953–1960 with the architectural designs of Patroklos Karantinos.
The building
The museum has an imposing
neo-classical design which was very popular in
Europe at the time and is in full accordance with the
classical style artifacts that it houses. The initial plan was conceived by the architect
Ludwig Lange and it was later modified by
Panages Kalkos who was the main architect,
Harmodios Vlachos and
Ernst Ziller. At the front of the museum there is a large
neo-classic design garden which is decorated with sculptures. On May 2008 the Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis inaugurated the much anticipated collection of Egyptian antiquities and the collection of Eleni and Antonis Stathatos.. Today, there is a renewed discussion regarding the need to further expand the museum to adjacent areas. A new plan has been put forward for a subterranean expansion at the front of the museum.
Collections
bust, (National Archaeological Museum of Athens)]]
The museum's collections are organised in sections:
*Prehistoric collection (Neolithic, Cycladic, Mycenaean)
Sculptures collection
Vase and Minor Objects Collection
Santorini findings
Metallurgy Collection
Stathatos Collection
Vlastos Collection
Egyptian Art collection
Near Eastern Antiquities Collection
Prehistoric collection
The prehistoric collection displays objects from the
Neolithic era (6800-3000 BC), Early and Mid-
Bronze age (3000-2000 BC and 2000 to 1700 BC respectively), objects classified as
Cycladic and
Mycenaean art.
Neolithic era and early and mid-Bronze age collection
There are ceramic finds from various important Neolithic sites such as
Dimini and
Sesclo from middle
Helladic ceramics from
Boeotia,
Attica and
Phthiotis. Some objects from
Heinrich Schliemann excavations in
Troy are also on display.
Cycladic art collection
Cycladic collection features the famous marble figurines from the
Aegean islands of
Delos and
Keros including the
Lutist. These mysterious human representations that resemble so much modern art and inspired many artists like
Henry Moore came from the 3rd millennium BC old cemeteries of Aegean islands along with bronze tools and containers.
, one of the best known pieces shown in the museum.]]
Mycenean art collection
Mycenean civilization is represented by stone, bronze and ceramic pots, figurines, ivory, glass and faience objects, golden
seals and rings from the vaulted tombs in Mycenae and other locations in the Peloponnese (
Tiryns and
Dendra in
Argolis,
Pylos in
Messinia and
Vaphio in
Lakonia). Of great interest are the two golden cups from Vafeio showiung a scene of the capture of a bull.
Heinrich Schliemann finds
Mycenean collection includes also the magnificent 19th century finds of
Heinrich Schliemann in
Mycenae from the circle A graves and the much earlier circle B graves. Most notable are the golden funerary masks covering the faces of
the deceased Mycenean leaders. Among them, the most famous is the one that was named erroneously as the
mask of Agamemnon.
There are also finds from the citadel of
Mycenae including relief stelae, golden containers, glass, alabaster and amber tools and jewels. Other highlights are a group in ivory showing two goddesses with a child, a painted limestone head of a goddess and the famous warrior's vase dating from the 12th century.
Egyptian Art collection
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The
Egyptian collection dates back to the last twenty years of the 19th century, while it is worthy to note the donation of the Egyptian government which in 1893 offered nine mummies of the era of the
Pharaohs. However, the Egyptian collection is mainly by two donors, Ioannis Dimitriou (in 1880) and of Alexandros Rostovic (in 1904). In total the collection includes more than 6000 artefacts. However today only 1100 of them are available for the public. The collection is considered to be one of the best collections of
Egyptian art in the world.
The exhibition features rare statues, tools, jewels, mummies, a wooden body tag for a mummy, a stunning bronze statue of a princess, intact bird eggs and a 3000-year-old loaf of bread with a bite-sized chunk missing. The exhibition centrepiece is a bronze statue of the princess-priestess
Takushit, dating to around 670 BC. Standing 70 cm high and wearing a gown covered in hieroglyphs, the statue was found south of
Alexandria in 1880.
Stathatos collection
Stathatos collection took its name by the donors and major Greek benefactors Antonis and Eleni Stathatos. The collection features about 1000 objects mainly jewels as well as metal objects, vases and pottery from the Middle
Bronze Age to post-
Byzantine era. Its highlights are the
Hellenistic period golden jewels from
Karpenissi and
Thessaly.
Artists and artefacts
(main fragment).]]
Some of the ancient artists whose work is presented in the museum are Myron, Scopas, Euthymides, Lydos, Agoracritus, Agasias, Pan Painter, Wedding Painter, Meleager Painter, Cimon of Cleonae, Nessos Painter, Damophon, Aison (vase painter), Analatos Painter, Polygnotos (vase painter), Hermonax.
Collections include sculpture work, Loutrophoros, amphora, Hydria, Skyphos, Krater, Pelike, and lekythos vessels, Stele, frescoes, jewellery, weapons, tools, coins, toys and other ancient items.
Artefacts derive from archaeological excavations in Santorini, Mycenae, Tiryns, Dodona, Vaphio, Rhamnous, Lycosura, Aegean islands, Delos, the Temple of Aphaea in Aegina, the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta, Pylos, Thebes, Athens, Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept, the Antikythera wreck and from various other places across Greece.
One year earlier, the Los Angeles foundation agreed to return a 4th century BC tombstone from near Thebes and a 6th century BC votive relief from the island of Thassos.
Museum highlights
Antikythera mechanism
Nestor's Cup
Mask of Agamemnon
Dipylon inscription
Poseidon of Cape Artemision
Antikythera Ephebe
Diadumenos
Marathon Boy
Lemnos stela
Kroisos Kouros
Sounion Kouros
Aphrodite of Cnidus
Pitsa panels
Collection of Kouros and Kore (sculpture)
Daidala
Ninnion Tablet
Theseus Ring
Pitsa panels
Wall frescoes from Tiryns and Santorini
The Lutist from Keros
Capitoline Venus
Aphrodite and Pan from Delos
Poseidon of Milos
The Harp Player from Keros
Rhyton in the shape of a bull head
Statue of a Nereid
Jockey of Artemision
Varvakeios Athena
Mycenean Warrior Vase
Library of archaeology
The museum houses a 118 year old library of archeology with rare ancient art, science and philosophy books and publications. The library holds some 20,000 volumes, including rare editions dating to the 17th century. The bibliography covers
Archaeology,
History,
Arts,
ancient religions and
ancient Greek philosophy, as well as Ancient Greek and Latin literature. Of particular value are the diaries of various excavations including those of
Heinrich Schliemann. The collection of archaeology books is the richest of its kind in
Greece. The Library has been recently renovated with funds from the
Alexander S. Onassis Foundation. Its renovation was completed in 26 May 2008 and is now named after
Alexander Onassis.
Museum Activities
Conservation laboratories
Photographic archive and chemistry laboratories
Organises temporary exhibitions in the museum and abroad
Hosts a large number of archaeology related lectures in its lecture-hall annually.
Visitors information
The museum is accessible with the
Athens metro. The nearest stations are
Viktoria station and
Omonia station. The museum houses a gift shop with artifact replicas and a café in the sculpture garden. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. There are also facilities and guides for hearing impaired visitors.
Gallery
See also
Ancient Greek sculpture
Ancient Greek technology and innovation
Art in Ancient Greece
Gorgon
Greek Terracotta Figurines
Kouros
List of museums in Greece
List of museums with major collections of Greek and Roman antiquities
Pottery of ancient Greece
Typology of Greek Vase Shapes
Valerios Stais
References
External links
National Archaeological Museum of Athens Official website
Artifacts in the National Museum of Archaeology Photographs of Richard Speaker Greece, 2000
Photo album
Category:1866 architecture
Category:Museums established in 1829
Category:Archaeological museums in Greece
Category:Ancient Greek culture
Category:Museums in Athens
Category:National museums of Greece
Category:Mycenaean Greece
Category:Museums of Ancient Greece
