National Archaeological Museum. 150 years – 1866-2016.

2016 National Archaeological Museum 150 years 1866 - 2016 Ins t e ad o f a Fo rewo rd ‘For this is just what time is, the calculable measure with respect to before and afterness … more succinctly, time is not a number, but of the number that is numbered’ Aristotle, Physics 219b.1-219b.2 With the advent of 2016 the Association of the Friends of the National Archaeological Museum enters upon its eighty-second year of existence continuing with the aims it always had and the goals it has always pursued. This calendar includes articles written by the people of the Museum who unravel its rich collections to the new Friends. The Board of Trustees of the Association would like to warmly thank all those who collaborated in producing this publication and hopes that 2016 is a year of peace, good health and joy. The President of the Association of the Friends of the National Archaeological Museum Euthalia Barbati-Vartsou National Archaeological Museum 150 years 1866 - 2016 Fo rewo rd M ost of us feel excitement and wonder every time our personal paths come upon evidence of our cultural heritage, the movable and immovable monuments we run into in every corner of this country. This special relation had begun long before the Greek State was formally established. We all know that our people had always nurtured a deep feeling of respect for the ancient monuments. ‘These are what we fought for’ General Makriyannis (1796-1864) proclaims as he attests to the angst of a time period in which the protection of the relics of our ancestors called for struggle and sacrifice. Nowadays the cultural management of the archaeological monuments is the responsibility of the Greek Archaeological Service and their promotion is achieved mainly through the 246 organized archaeological sites and the 202 public archaeological museums and collections. The contribution of the National Archaeological Museum to the safeguarding, conservation, study and furtherance of the archaeological assets has always been decisive. The largest public archaeological Museum in the country was founded at the end of the 19th century and the progress of its building infrastructures as well as the way its collections were pulled together and evolved concur with the most important events that sealed the history of modern Greece. Perhaps this may be the main reason that in our collective consciousness the National Archaeological Museum is identified as “our very own museum”. Today, in its exhibition space, that occupies 9.500 sq. m., antiquities coming from all over Greece are displayed in a wide range of categories and covering a time span that begins from the 7th millennium BC and ends in the 5th century AD. This fact as well as the presence of significant antiquities from Cyprus, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Sicily, Southern Italy (Magna Graecia) and Etruria enable the multifaceted interpretation of the archaeological history in most parts where the Hellenic culture spread and place the collections of the prime Museum of the country amongst the most valuable in the world. Visitors who wish to succumb to the charm of the collections of the National Archaeological Museum will stumble upon exhilarating journeys through time, unprecedented emotions, unique experiences and personal redefinition. National Archaeological Museum 150 years 1866 - 2016 In the Prehistoric Collection we feel as if we draw together the threads of human presence in Greece as we wander about the unique Neolithic groups of artefacts from Sesklo and Dimini in Thessaly. In the Room of the Cycladic Antiquities we familiarize ourselves with the first seafarers of the Aegean and we enjoy the greatest and rarest collection of Cycladic figurines in the world. In the Room of the Antiquities of Thera we experience moments of utmost aesthetic pleasure as we stand in front of the Spring Fresco. We admire the precious gold and feel awe before the weapons of the Mycenaeans, whereas we discover a whole world as we take a closer look to the clay tablets of Linear B from Pylos. One thousand exceptional works from the early archaic period through to late antiquity await us in the Sculpture Collection that occupies thirty rooms. It is known to the scholars of ancient Greek art that the collection of archaic sculpture of the National Archaeological Museum is the largest in the world. Yet, the Sculpture Collection is also frequented by those who wish to approach the essence and the meaning of exquisite works that are associated directly or indirectly with the high creation of leading artists, such as Pheidias, Agoracritus, Polykleitos, Praxiteles and Scopas. The Collection of Metalwork consists of 1.670 ancient statues and minor objects made primarily of bronze. The Poseidon of Artemision, the Marathon Boy and the Youth of Antikythera attract the admiration of all visitors day by day, whereas the Antikythera Mechanism, which is the oldest astronomical and calendrical analogue computer in the world, inspires an immeasurable respect for the human ingenuity. The Vase and Minor Objects Collection, one of the most comprehensive and significant collections in the world, is noted for its educational character. Five and a half thousand exhibits arranged in accordance with the time period and the workshops give us insights into the evolution of ceramic art and vase painting. The same collection offers a stimulating exploration of major Greek sanctuaries and a compelling experience of original works of painting of the 6th century BC from the Pitsa Cave in the Prefecture of Corinthos. The Terracotta Figurines Collection that dazzles with its rich subjects is also one of the most complete in the world. Smaller, yet of no less importance, is the Collection of Gold Jewellery that comes from various regions of Greece, whereas in the colourful Collection of Glass Vases we grasp the evolution of glass making from the Geometric through to the Late Byzantine period. In the Collection of Cypriot Antiquities with the aid of representative works of pottery, sculpture and figurine making we trace the history of the island from the Early Bronze Age through to the Roman times, while in the Collection of Egyptian Antiquities we are given the opportunity to travel to the land of the Nile aided by 8.300 antiquities which are marked by their quality and rarity. Finally, the National Archaeological Museum is in possession, by donation, of some remarkable ancient works, amongst others, of two large private collections, that of Eleni Stathatou and of Michael Vlastos. After this short description, you should not deem that the collections of the National Archaeological Museum come to an end within the 9.500 sq. m. of gallery space. A second, invisible museum lies beneath the glorious galleries that you together with the 450.000 annual visitors walk around unknowingly. The entire storeroom capacity of the museum occupies 3.500 sq. m. in area. Over 200.000 ancient artefacts are kept there, arranged in accordance with their type, material and origin, providing scholars from around the world with valuable evidence of primary knowledge and archaeological documentation. After all, it is not a coincidence that within just the last six years the museum has supported 388 research programmes as well as 40 temporary exhibitions in museums across Europe, America and Asia with the loan of 1.250 ancient works. The input of the National Archaeological Museum to society is similar. Devoted guards, conservators, archaeologists, museologists, sculptors, craftsmen, engineers, workmen, administrators and many other specialities work daily for transmitting the value of the Greek civilization throughout society. Temporary exhibitions, innovative thematic actions and educational programmes intended for schools, adults and special groups are implemented by the professionals of the Museum, often in collaboration with placement students. The Museum quite frequently serves as a venue also for staging artistic exhibitions, theatrical and musical performances by contemporary artists whose creations are inspired by its unique collections. 2016 is a particularly significant year for the National Archaeological Museum. The 3rd of October will be a time of celebration for the 150 years that have passed since the foundations of this glorious building were laid which were to house the most important antiquities from all over Greece. The calendar you are holding is offered in memory of all those who envisioned, pioneered, fought and worked hard for the foundation, enrichment and growth of its collections. The Director of the National Archaeological Museum Dr. Maria Lagogianni-Georgakarakos The History of the National Archaeological Museum T he National Archaeological Museum is the greatest and most significant archaeological museum in the country. Its Collections have been classified amongst the richest of the world with finds that date from the 7th millennium BC through to the 5th c. AD. It was established at the end of the 19th century with the intention to contain and safeguard antiquities coming from all over Greece placing emphasis on their historical, spiritual and artistic impact worldwide. The edifice that houses the museum, one of the most brilliant examples of Athenian classicism, was founded on the 3rd of October 1866 on land donated by Eleni Tositsa situated on Patission Street. Its construction was based on the design of the architects L. Lange and P. Kalkos, whereas the form of the facade was finalized by the architect E. Ziller. The necessary funding for the building of the Museum was provided by the Greek State, the Archaeological Society and Nikolaos Vernardakis. In 1874, after the completion of the west wing, incidental finds but also antiquities that had been temporarily stored in archaeological sites, churches and institutions of Athens began to be transferred to the Museum. At the same time completion work was underway. In the following years with the gradual consummation of the rest of the building’s wings the most significant ancient finds coming from the Greek regions were assembled in the Museum. The structure was completed in 1889 with the building of the central section and its facade. During the years 1903-1906 one extra wing was added to the east, based on the plans of the architect A. Metaxas. The building of a two-storey edifice also on the east side was realized between 1932 and 1939 based on the design of G. Nomikos. The progressive handing over of all the antiquities of the Archaeological Society (1884-1893) has greatly affected the enrichment of the museum. Equally significant for the comprehensiveness of its Collections have been the great donations of relics on behalf of individuals, such as the Egyptian Collection of Ioannis Dimitriou that was housed in the central gallery aptly decorated by the architect G. Kawerau. In 1893 the Collections of the Museum are classified by decree as follows: Sculpture (Glyptotheque), Vases, Clay and Bronze Figurines and other Ancient Antiquities made of various materials, Inscriptions (Epigraphic Museum), Pre-Hellenic (the Mycenaean Collection) and Egyptian. The collections were equipped with conservation laboratories and a museum of casts. As the decree explicitly asserts, ‘the purpose of the establishment of the museum is the study and teaching of the science of archaeology, the propagation of archaeological knowledge and the cultivation of a love for the Fine Arts’. The National Archaeological Museum in the original designs by E. Ziller. The concealment of the Antikethyra Youth during World War II. View of the Museum’s displays today. During the 20th century collections of particular richness, such as those of Constantine Karapanos (1902), Alexander Rostovich (1904), Gregorios Empedokles (19050), Eleni Stathatou (1957) etc. were bequeathed to the museum. The Eleni Stathatos Collection that was recently re-displayed includes, apart from ancient artefacts, works of the byzantine and post-byzantine period. During World War II the exhibition of the Museum was de-installed and the antiquities were stored in protected spaces of the Museum, the Bank of Greece and in natural hideaways of Athens. They remained there until the end of the foreign occupation when the equally painstaking endeavour of recovering and re-displaying them, under the direction of Christos Karouzos (19421964), was launched. During the same time period the numerous basement storage facilities were also created. Today, according to the recent decree of 2014, the Collections of the Museum have been subsumed under Departments in the following arrangement: The Department of the Sculpture Collection that presents the evolution of ancient Greek sculpture from the 8th c. BC through to the 5th c. AD. The Department of the Vase and Minor Objects Collection and Metalwork that covers the entire development of Greek pottery from the 11th c. BC up until the Roman times. It also includes terracotta figurines, jewellery, seals, artefacts made of ivory or bone of historic times, glass vessels as well as objects of metalwork made of bronze, iron and lead. The original large bronze statues, such as the Poseidon of Artemision and the Boy of Antikethyra of the former Bronze Collection, as well as the Stathatos Collection, which is comprised of works that date from the 6th millennium BC through to the post-byzantine period, have also been incorporated in this department. The Department of Prehistoric, Egyptian, Cypriot and Near Eastern Antiquities contains exquisite works of art regardless of the material involved that represent the great civilizations which flourished in the Aegean and the Eastern basin of the Mediterranean from the 7th millennium through to 1050 BC. The former Egyptian Collection, which consists of artefacts dated at the Pre-dynastic period (5000 BC) and goes as far as the Roman conquest, has also been integrated into this department. Aside from the donations of antiquities, the Museum has received other bequests also, such as the invaluable library of eastern archaeology of S. Magiassis which is comprised of 3.400 volumes and was donated in 1966 together with furniture of Egyptian style and a small number of antiquities. The Museum’s Library that was renovated at the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation’s expense contains some rare publications and it is constantly renewed so as to best serve the needs of the scientific staff. The drawing archives are of particular significance also as they contain a large number of original artworks made by the Museum’s painters, such as A. Kontopoulos, P. Sarafianos and others, as well as paintings by N. Lytras, E. Gilliéron etc. Furthermore, the National Archaeological Museum has a Photographic Laboratory and a rich Photographic Archive. From 1980 onwards the Science Laboratory is in operation that specialises in archaeological science analysis and has proceeded with establishing collaborations with other Archaeometry centres and now forms part of the Department of Conservation, Chemical and Physical Research and Archaeometry being also responsible for the proper functioning of the conservation divisions of the Museum. Today the National Archaeological Museum is a vibrant hub with exhibition space of 9.500 sq. m. in total area and 450.000 visitors annually. Apart from the preservation and valorisation of the antiquities which are either on display or in storage the Museum also receives ancient artefacts from regional services for specialised conservation treatment, accommodates and organizes temporary exhibitions and participates in exhibitions in Greece as well as abroad by lending its works. The Museum’s undertakings involve the facilitation of academics, the preparation of special educational programmes, the participation in European Union internet programmes, guided tours for people with disabilities as well as the planning of archaeological lectures in collaboration with the “Association of Friends of the National Archaeological Museum”. The Museum’s publications include scientific catalogues and guides of the individual Exhibitions and Collections and also the scientific journal “The Museum”. The primary aim of the National Archaeological Museum consists in the furtherance of its educational-cultural role and the increase of its visitor numbers. The qualifications and work of the scientific staff and their continuous concern over the Greek antiquities guarantee the Museum’s international reputation. Dr. Maria Salta Marble figurine of harpist. Found at Keros. Early Cycladic period, 2800-2300 BC (Inv. No Π 3908) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 J A N U A RY The Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities Neolithic and Early Bronze Age T he Museum displays in Hall 5 the Neolithic finds of the early excavations that were conducted from the end of the 19th through to the first half of the 20th c. The most significant collections of artefacts were unearthed in systematic excavations carried out in Thessaly by Christos Tsountas, the first Greek archaeologist and a pioneer in Prehistoric Archaeology. The term “Neolithic Civilization” (just like the terms “Cycladic” and “Mycenaean”) is attributed to him, who also served as the first Ephor of Prehistoric Antiquities of the National Archaeological Museum from 1895 onwards. The Neolithic Age can be described as the beginning of human dominance over nature. In around 7000 BC the humans that lived in the Greek peninsula decided to abandon nomadic life and settled permanently in one place — and from being hunter-gatherers they became farmers and stock breeders. The Neolithic Age lasts nearly four millennia (6800-3200 BC). The Neolithic man settled in places that provided physical protection and secured water and land suitable for cereal cultivation and foraging. With his new tool, the polished stone axe, he cut trees so as to create his farmland, built his dwellings and got warmed, whereas with the sharp blades made of obsidian from the island of Milos he made sickles for harvesting and knives for cutting soft materials. By creating settlements, villages, communication roads and defensive enclosures, he intervened in the landscape. These collective works attest to a well-structured society with a leader, whereas the obsidian from Milos is a vivid manifestation of the communication and trade between the inhabitants of mainland Greece and those in the Cyclades. Objects that served the daily needs of our Neolithic ancestors and others that related to their metaphysical concerns are amongst the finds that were yielded from the excavations carried out by Tsountas at Sesklo and Dimini near Volos. The first category includes hand-made earthenware vases and vessels or tools made of stone. Nevertheless, clay and stone female figurines mainly denote the need for artistic or/and religious expression. The jewels made of clay, stone or bone as well as the clay or stone seals reflect an inherent tendency for personal adornment, but also for an individual’s distinction within the community. During the last period of the Neolithic Age, the Final Neolithic, jewellery made of gold, possibly the first metal man ever used, and also very few artefacts made of bronze make their first appearance. Clay vase with polychrome decoration. Found at Dimini. Late Neolithic I period, 5300-4800 BC (Inv. No Π 5922) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M Gold ring-shaped amulet, the largest found in Greece so far, 80.6 gr. It depicts schematically January 2016 Clay frying-pan vessel with depiction of a boat and spiral decoration that imitates sea waves. Found a female with indication of at Chalandriani on Syros. Early breast. Unknown provenance. Cycladic period, 2800-2300 BC Final Neolithic period, (Inv. No Π 4974) 4500-3300 BC (Inv. No Π 16640) The use of metals was the last accomplishment of our resourceful Neolithic ancestor and metal processing inaugurates the Bronze Age around 3000 BC. In mainland Greece the Early Bronze Age, the so-called Early Helladic period (3000-1900 BC), does not differ considerably from the preceding Neolithic. People live in settlements (Askitario, Rafina, Hagios Kosmas, Orchomenos in Boeotia), they occupy themselves with agriculture and stock farming and use hand-made clay vessels and tools made of stone. Scarce bronze artefacts include mainly tweezers and hooks. The settlements of the North-eastern Aegean present a differentiation. Here and on the Asia Minor coast across the sea the first European urban civilization emerges during the Early Bronze period (3rd millennium BC), also called North-eastern Aegean Civilization or Trojan Civilization. The excavations conducted at Poliochni in Lemnos (1920) and at Troy by Schliemann (1875) yielded similar finds, earthenware vessels and bronze tools that attest to their common artistic basis and the communication with each other. The gold jewellery that comes from these sites is also exquisite. The small yet representative group of artefacts recovered at Schliemann’s excavation in Troy, on display in Hall 5, was donated to the Museum by his Greek wife Sophia. The Early Bronze Age in the Cyclades is distinct. Here, in the heart of the Aegean between Europe and Asia, the inhabitants who lived in a mild climate, in a place with rich subsoil and in direct contact with the sea created a distinctive civilization that was spontaneous and unspoiled. This civilization is called Early Cycladic. The Early Cycladic period (3200-2000 BC) is contemporaneous with the Early Helladic period and the civilization encountered in Troy and Poliochni. It is marked by the development of metallurgy and sea trade and it is known mainly for its organised cemeteries. The inhabitants of the Cyclades laid their deceased with abundant care offering them all sorts of objects of different materials: marble and clay vessels, tools made of stone and bronze, marble figurines. These artefacts comprise the main body of exhibits in Hall 6 of the Museum. The National Archaeological Museum has the largest and most rare collection of Cycladic figurines in the world. Its significance is accentuated also due to its scientific value, since nearly all works originate in excavations that provide evidence for the dating, the customs, the ideology, the trade, the economy and the society of that time period. Dr. Alexandra Christopoulou T W T M W 4 25 26 23 2 27 S T 3 31 1 2 30 S 4 S F S 29 M F 2 8 S 5 T F S T 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 F S S M W 22 T 01 13 1 6 17 18 19 1 15 20 S M S 4 1 T F 2 W T N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M January Friday 01 Friday 08 Saturday 02 Saturday 09 Sunday 03 Sunday 10 Monday 04 Monday 11 Tuesday 05 Tuesday 12 Wednesday 06 Wednesday 13 Thursday 07 Thursday 14 2016 Friday 15 Friday 22 Saturday 16 Saturday 23 Sunday 17 Sunday 24 Monday 18 Monday 25 Tuesday 19 Tuesday 26 Wednesday 20 Wednesday 27 Thursday 21 Thursday 28 N AT I O N A L Friday 29 Saturday 30 Sunday 31 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M January 2016 The Mycenaean Lady fresco. From the Religious Centre of Mycenae, 13th c. BC (Inv. No 11670) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 F E B R U A RY A krotir i on T he r a T he first systematic excavation at Akrotiri on Thera was launched by Spyridon Marinatos in 1967 and constitutes the final achievement of this great archaeologist. In 1974 he lost his life as he fell off a low wall during excavation. He did manage, though, already in 1972, to inaugurate one hall with Theran antiquities (Hall 48) in the National Archaeological Museum as he believed that the prime Museum of the country should not leave out this invaluable entity for prehistoric Greece. The excavations at Akrotiri are continued by Christos Doumas, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology. The Cycladic settlement at Akrotiri on Thera has been named “Pompeii of the Aegean” and offers three-dimensional knowledge about the civilization of the Aegean of the 2nd millennium BC. Throughout the 35 years of excavation building complexes with two and three storeys came to light that had painted walls and spaces full of vases, vessels and tools made of clay, bronze, lead and stone. Samples of these works are on display. A complex urban planning system was revealed with labyrinthine stone-paved streets that run sideways and form small squares at intervals. A perfect drainage system was evidenced beneath the foundations and the streets. These individual elements enable us to draw the full picture of life in Thera during the 16th c. BC; a well-structured urban society with free people who loved colours. The inhabitants of Thera were cultivated and peaceful and lived in complexes of dwellings or in autonomous houses with door openings and windows. The wall paintings constitute irrefutable evidence of the high cultural, economic and social standard of life. The painters of Thera adhere to the main principles of Minoan painting, yet the naturalistic representations, the luminosity of the depictions, the deference to white background and the intense chromatic contrasts are pure local elements. Dr. Alexandra Christopoulou N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M February 2016 Detail from the Spring fresco. From Akrotiri on Thera. Around 1600 BC (Inv. No BE 1974.29) The death-mask of Agamemnon. Found at Grave Circle A. 16th c. BC (Inv. No Π 624) The Mycenaean Collection O n the 16th of November 1876 Heinrich Schliemann, in a telegram addressed to King George I of Greece, announced in excitement the discovery of five royal tombs in Mycenae that were surrounded by a monumental circular enclosure. Bedazzled by the treasures that accompanied just 19 bodies, Schliemann believed that the tombs belonged to Agamemnon, Cassandra and their companions. Of course we know today that these first Mycenaean rulers that had been buried with such luxury lived at least three hundred years before the Trojan War, which dates back to the 12th c. BC. The telegram concluded with a predictive phrase ‘... these treasures alone suffice to fill in a great museum, which will become the most famous in the world and will attract millions of visitors in Greece coming from every country’. The precious artefacts of Grave Circle A of Mycenae coming from the excavations of Schliemann, gold and silver cups, luxurious sacrificial vessels, bronze weapons with impressive decoration, jewels made of gold, amber and semi-precious stones, but also the unique in Greece death-masks, constitute since then the core of the Mycenaean Collection of the National Archaeological Museum, the richest of its kind in the whole world. In the next wing wall paintings, vases and religious symbols coming from the citadels of Mycenae and Tiryns unravel before the spectator’s eyes various aspects of life in the Mycenaean palace. The celebrated “Mycenaean Lady Fresco” from the Religious Centre of Mycenae, the goddess that admires with a complacent smile the necklace she has been offered, epitomizes the Mycenaean femininity: red fleshy lips, big almond eyes with toned outline, spectacular hair style, jewellery and the typical tight bodice that highlights her ample bosom. Tools and artefacts from the palace workshops of Mycenae attest to the craft production that was controlled by the anax, whereas imported products from Egypt, the Mesopotamia, Cyprus, the Italian peninsula and the Baltic Sea confirm the fervour for commerce the Mycenaeans were marked by, who in exchange traded wine and scented oils in stirrup jars, woollen fabrics and luxurious pottery across the Mediterranean. War and commerce were the motivations that turned the Mycenaeans into a force to be reckoned with and enabled them to spread in the largest part of mainland Greece, in Crete and progressively throughout the Aegean. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M February 2016 Clay tablet inscribed with Linear B. Found at the Palace of Ano Englianos at Pylos. End of 13th c. BC (Inv. No Fr 1184) The central palace system, that formed the core of the Mycenaean society, was supported by the keeping of records in Linear B script, in which the movable and immovable property of the palace, the tax revenue, the estates of dignitaries, the tradable products and other statistical data were registered. From Mycenae a small but representative collection of tablets and sealed clay lids of amphorae that bear the name of the recipient or their content is notable. Yet, the largest archive of clay tablets with Linear B comes from the palace of Ano Englianos at Pylos. Even though it was excavated in 1939 and despite the fact that it has been preceded by the unearthing of the archive at the Knossos palace, the decipherment of Linear B was only achieved in 1953 by the architect Michael Ventris and the Professor of linguistics John Chadwick. It was then made clear that the records of Mycenaeans were written in the Greek language, in an earlier form compared to that of the Homeric epics. Finally, the gold signet rings and the seals made of semi-precious stones, the miracle of Mycenaean minor art, symbols of wealth and power of the ruling class, are displayed in a prominent showcase. Right in front of them the “golden gate” signals the end of the Mycenaean exhibition, flanked by stone half-columns and architectural reliefs that come from the monumental facade of the “Treasury of Atreus”, the most magnificent beehive tomb of Mycenae. Dr. Eleni Konstantinidi-Syvridi 27 F S 24 25 26 T S S T 23 W F S 1 2 3 4 M T 29 T W M 2 8 5 F M T 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 W M T S 22 S 02 13 1 6 1 7 1 8 19 1 15 20 W T T 4 F 1 M 2 S S N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M February Monday 01 Monday 08 Tuesday 02 Tuesday 09 Wednesday 03 Wednesday 10 Thursday 04 Thursday 11 Friday 05 Friday 12 Saturday 06 Saturday 13 Sunday 07 Sunday 14 2016 Monday 15 Monday 22 Tuesday 16 Tuesday 23 Wednesday 17 Wednesday 24 Thursday 18 Thursday 25 Friday 19 Friday 26 Saturday 20 Saturday 27 Sunday 21 Sunday 28 N AT I O N A L Monday 29 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M February 2016 Funerary statue of Kroisos. Found at Anavyssos, Attica. Around 530 BC (Inv. No Γ 3851) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 MARCH Head of a statue of Hera. School of Polykleitos Th e Sc u lpt u re C o lle c t ion From Heraion of Argos. Around 420 BC T (Inv. No Γ 1571) he Sculpture Collection of the National Archaeological Museum, with its rich and unique exhibits, presents the advancement of ancient Greek sculpture from 700 BC though to 5th c. AD. The main body of the Collection was assembled in 1874 when sculptures from temporary archaeological collections of Athens were moved to the Archaeological Museum that was under construction. Most of the incidental finds were also housed in the imposing neoclassical edifice whose construction was completed in 1889. The progressive handover of antiquities coming from excavations and purchases of the Archaeological Society (18841893) and also the decision to relocate the most important sculptures from the provinces to the National Archaeological Museum have contributed significantly to the enrichment of the Collection. Today, the Exhibition of the Sculpture Collection spreads over thirty rooms of the ground floor and at the Museum’s atrium. One thousand works of ancient Greek sculpture are exhibited in chronological order from the early archaic period (Room 7) through to late antiquity (Room 33). The storerooms of the collection contain 16.000 extra sculptures which can be accessed by specialist scholars. Many of them are used periodically for the temporary exhibitions of the Museum or are loaned for exhibitions in Greece and abroad. The National Archaeological Museum contains the largest collection of archaic sculptures in the world whose complete scientific catalogue was recently published. The collection of funerary and votive reliefs of various time periods from Attica is unique and unequalled indeed worldwide. Exquisite sculptural creations are associated with eminent Greek sculptors of antiquity, such as Aristion of Paros, Archermos of Chios, Myron, Pheidias, Agoracritus, Polykleitos, Cephisodotus, Timotheus, Praxiteles, Scopas, Damophon and others, sculptures of gods, portraits of philosophers, overlords and individuals, architectural complexes and sculptures from the sanctuary of Athena in Mycenae, the temple of Aphaea in Aegina, the Heraion of Argos, the temples of Asclepius and Artemis in Epidaurus, the temple of Athena Alea at Tegea as well as the magnificent group of cult statues of the Arcadian Lykosoura are but a few of the works one can admire in the Museum’s galleries where the natural daylight puts every hour a different touch. During the last years the Sculpture Collection has carried out a series of redisplays placing particular emphasis on the latest Olympic Games held in Athens. The exhibits were mounted in accordance with the kind, the use and the place of origin of the sculptures so as for the individual types to be comprehensible in the context of each time period. The works originate from sanctuaries, necropolises and public buildings of Attica, the Eastern Sterea Ellada, the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands. A significant number of sculptures also come from Thessaly, Western Greece, Macedonia and Thrace, the coast of Asia Minor and Cyprus. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M March 2016 Statue of a Nereid or Aura on horseback. Work by the sculptor Timotheus. Portrait head of a kosmetes (magistrate). From the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus. Found at the Gymnasium of Diogenes, Athens. Around 380 BC Reign of Emperor Gallienus (Inv. No Γ 157) AD 253-268 (Inv. No Γ 403) Bronze masterpieces of ancient sculpture are displayed next to their marble counterparts and also unique vases of various time periods in an attempt to highlight the spirit of the art of each era through the different materials and diverse expression. The works in all galleries are accompanied by detailed informational material adjusted to visitors’ needs. The knowledge of the rich material of the Museum, the largest museum of the Ancient Greek Civilization in the world, the wide-ranging scientific background, the compliance with international research, the cultivation of aesthetic acuity in conjunction with the setting of the necessary criterion by which the works are appreciated and the spirit in which every time period is approached constitute the preconditions for the mission of the archaeologist in this domain. Archaeologists who have graced the Greek Archaeological Service with their personality and multifarious oeuvre have been included in the staff of the Sculpture Collection and the Museum in general. As the archaeologist Semni Karouzou, Ephor of the Vase and Minor Objects Collection who, together with her husband and Director of the Museum (1942-1964) Christos Karouzos, has made a profound contribution to the shaping of the Museum in the post-war years, acutely argues, to all the aforementioned qualifications and capacities of the archaeologist one should add the respect for the very ancient Greek works and the aspiration to approach and interpret their deepest meaning. It is the only way of transmitting their true message intact from the generous source of the National Archaeological Museum to present day. Dr. Maria Salta S M S 24 25 26 F S 23 T S 27 M F T T 28 30 31 1 2 3 4 T T W W 29 5 S S 22 T W 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 T W T F 13 M 1 M 03 6 17 18 1 9 1 15 20 T F W 4 S 1 T 2 S N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M March Tuesday 01 Tuesday 08 Wednesday 02 Wednesday 09 Thursday 03 Thursday 10 Friday 04 Friday 11 Saturday 05 Saturday 12 Sunday 06 Sunday 13 Monday 07 Monday 14 2016 Tuesday 15 Tuesday 22 Wednesday 16 Wednesday 23 Thursday 17 Thursday 24 Friday 18 Friday 25 Saturday 19 Saturday 26 Sunday 20 Sunday 27 Monday 21 Monday 28 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL Tuesday 29 Wednesday 30 Thursday 31 M U SEU M March 2016 Statue of Poseidon or Zeus. Work possibly by the bronze sculptor Kalamis. Found at the bottom of the sea near Cape Artemision on Euboea. Around 460 BC (Inv. No Χ 15161) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 APRIL Figurine of Zeus Keraunios. From the Sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona. 470-460 BC (Inv. No Χ 16546) T he C o l l e c t i o n of Me t a lwo r k T he Collection of Metalwork of the National Archaeological Museum constitutes one of the richest and most important collections of ancient metal works of art of the Greek civilization in the world. The Collection was delineated by the Royal Decree of the 31st of July 1893 as the “Collection of clay and bronze statuettes and other antiquities of various materials”. Nevertheless, it began to be created in 1858 when the metal artworks formed part of the Archaeological Society at Athens, which was then housed in the University of Athens. The majority of the artefacts that comprise the Collection were unearthed during systematic excavation that was conducted in the last decades of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th c. in Greece by the Archaeological Society at Athens and the Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Greece. Excavation brought to light Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries and local places of worship, cemeteries and various installations that relate to public and private life, as well as a multitude of objects that attest to human activity at these sites. Simultaneously, remarkable works that were brought about from confiscations, donations, handovers and purchases, acts that even nowadays continue to take place increasing the number of acquisitions, enriched the Collection. A characteristic example is the donation of the landholder and lover of antiquity politician C. Karapanos (1840-1911) in 1902, which includes a large amount of artefacts that comes mainly from the sanctuary of Zeus Naian at Dodona and also the rich collection of medical tools possessed by the doctor C. Lampros, which entered the Collection in 1899. The enrichment of the collection was made possible as a result of the Royal Decree of 1910 according to which the finds from the excavations in Attica and the most important ones that came from the provinces, as well as the antiquities acquired through donations and purchases would belong to the National Archaeological Museum. Today the Collection amounts to about 35.000 accessioned antiquities, large-scale statues and minor art objects made of bronze mainly and of its alloys, of iron and lead. Approximately 1.670 works are displayed in Rooms 36-39 of the permanent exhibition of the Collection that occupies about 547.50 sq. m. in area while some others adorn the galleries of the permanent exhibition of the Sculpture Collection and the Vase and Minor Objects Collection. The bronze statues that embellish the central galleries of the Museum are works of unparalleled artistic and archaeological value. Amongst others the Zeus or Poseidon and the Jockey of Artemision, the Marathon Boy, the Youth of Antikethyra and Augustus on horseback were found off the marine area of Lemnos on the seabed as they were part of the load carried by Roman ships that were wrecked during the transport of these invaluable treasures from Greece to the Roman territories. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M April 2016 Fragments A, B and C of the Antikethyra Mechanism. The Antikethyra Youth. Attributed possibly to Cleon. Found at the bottom of the sea near Antikethyra. 150-100 BC (Inv. No X 15087) Found at the bottom of the sea near Antikethyra. 340-330 BC (Inv No X 13396) Two of the most recent acquisitions of the Collection, the bronze statue of a young male that was confiscated in Saabrücken in Germany in 1998 and was repatriated in 2002 and the bronze krater that was repatriated in 2008 from the USA (Sh. White and L. Levy Collection) have been mounted at the entrance of the permanent exhibition of the Collection. The fine works of minor art, votives presented in sanctuaries across Greece or grave goods exhibited in Rooms 36-39, recount the evolution of metalwork and art from the early Geometric times through to the Roman period casting light over the multiple facets of the public and private life of the ancient Greeks. Figurines and statuettes of gods, heroes, commoners and animals, figures of daemonic creatures, vases and vessels, furniture, lamp stands, fragments of doors, various tools and implements, inscribed plates (oracular plates, various inscriptions of decrees), judicial votes and tablets, weapons, musical instruments, artefacts of personal adornment, jewels, mirrors, toys and many more help visitors get insights into the form of society, the institutions and the daily life, the religious and cult practices, the mores and the customs, the beliefs, their struggle for domination and freedom. Special reference should be made to the renowned Mechanism of Antikethyra which was found in the homonymous shipwreck in 1901. It is the earliest known astronomical and calendrical analogue calculator of antiquity, the most significant scientific instrument that attests to the flourishing of science and the accomplishments of ancient Greek technology at the time of its making (150-100 BC). The exhibition displays works of other civilizations, which are contemporaneous with the ancient Greek culture, such as the bronzes from Luristan, a region in north-western Iran, the phoenician phiale that was located in the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, Etruscan works and finds from the Greek islands, e.g. from Idaion Andron Cave in Crete, from Euboea and Samos, which are revealing of the commercial activity and the contacts with other peoples through sea trade routes and, as a result, of the interaction between civilizations. The Collection of Metalwork with its richness places emphasis on all aspects of the ancient Greek culture and the impact it had on the then known world. Nomiki Palaiokrassa T 27 W W 24 25 26 M T 23 S T 30 1 2 3 4 S F 29 M 8 S S F 2 5 T F S T 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 S F S M W 22 T 04 13 1 6 17 1 8 19 1 15 20 S M S 4 1 T F 2 W T N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M April Friday 01 Friday 08 Saturday 02 Saturday 09 Sunday 03 Sunday 10 Monday 04 Monday 11 Tuesday 05 Tuesday 12 Wednesday 06 Wednesday 13 Thursday 07 Thursday 14 2016 Friday 15 Friday 22 Saturday 16 Saturday 23 Sunday 17 Sunday 24 Monday 18 Monday 25 Tuesday 19 Tuesday 26 Wednesday 20 Wednesday 27 Thursday 21 Thursday 28 N AT I O N A L Friday 29 Saturday 30 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M April 2016 Statue of the princess-priestess Takushit, made of copper alloy with precious metal inlays. Found in the region of Lake Mariut near Alexandria. Around 670 BC (Inv. No Αιγ. 110) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 M AY Statue of a hippopotamus made of black granite with white spots. Possibly from a sanctuary of Abydos. Around 3000 BC (Inv. No Αιγ. 13) Wooden statue of a maid grinding cereals. Found in the tomb Th e Egy pt i a n Collection T of the official Ti at Saqqara. Old Kingdom 2427-2420 (Inv. No Αιγ. 910) he Collection of Egyptian Antiquities of the National Archaeological Museum with its 8.300 artefacts, is regarded the prime Collection of Egyptian Antiquities in the Balkans. Even though it is not as rich in terms of the number of the antiquities it contains as the rest of the collections in Museums across Europe and America, still it holds a remarkable and enviable position internationally, which is mainly due to the quality and the rarity of its objects. The core of the Collection consists of two munificent donations of two expatriate art lovers from Egypt, of Ioannis Dimitriou from Lemnos who lived in Alexandria and of Alexander Rostovich who lived in Cairo. They belonged to the elite of collectors who were much favoured by art dealers, but also by the Museum of Cairo itself during the auctions it organised. The two collectors donated their collections to the National Archaeological Museum in 1880 and 1904 respectively. Furthermore the Collection is comprised of: - The donation of 578 antiquities of the Archaeological Society that took place in 1894. The Collection of the Society consisted of the donation of the Collection of the University, of antiquities previously donated to it and also of a few purchases of artefacts. - The donation of the Egyptian State in 1894 that consisted in an assemblage of coffins of the 21st Dynasty (1070-945 BC) excavated from Western Thebes in 1891 by the Egyptologist Daressy at the site of Deir el-Bahari in the so-called Bab El-Casus tomb. - A small number of works of Egyptian art that were yielded from excavations in the 19th c. and incidental finds in Greece. - Smaller individual donations by Greeks and Greeks from Egypt. The ancient civilization of Egypt is the only one of the great civilizations of the Mediterranean, apart from the Greek, which possesses prominent position in the National Archaeological Museum already since its first years of operation. The first exhibition of Egyptian Antiquities at the Museum took place in 1892 in a gallery specially decorated with Egyptian motifs by the architect of the General Ephorate G. Kawerau. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M May 2016 Wooden sarcophagus and mummy of Hapi. The death-mask is gilt. Found at the necropolis of Akhmim (Panopolis). Ptolemaic period, around mid-2nd c. BC (Inv. No Αιγ. 3340) On the occasion of the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 re-exhibition work of the Collection was launched in Rooms 40 and 41 of the ground floor. The new enriched exhibition opened its gates to the public in 2008 and includes 1.225 ancient artefacts, namely three times more displays compared to the previous exhibition (1994-2002). The chronological entities the exhibition is arranged in are divided into smaller thematic unities concerning issues, such as authority, worship-rituals, funerary practices and beliefs, everyday life, magic etc. Moreover, other unities are centered on music, scarab beetles, the script and the gods. The exhibits (statues, figurines, stelae, sarcophagi, mummy cases, mummies of animals, vessels, funerary caskets, Fayum portraits, jewels etc.) represent all time periods of art in ancient Egypt and cover all aspects of the rich world of living in the Nile Valley. The first room covers the history of the Egyptian civilization from the Pre-dynastic period (4000 BC) through to the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC), a time period in which Egypt, by conquering Libya, Nubia, but also Syro-palestine, is transformed into the first empire in the Mediterranean. This room introduces the world of Egypt to visitors, giving insights into the main aspects of daily life, such as worship, magic, art, religion and burial practices. The second room covers the history of the Egyptian civilization from the Third Intermediate period (1070 BC) through to the Roman times (30 BC – AD 311). The one of its kind statue of the princess-priestess Takushit at the entrance of the room welcomes and at the same time introduces visitors to the new era of civilization. This is a particularly significant time in Egypt during which burial practices change, metalwork flourishes, art is revived, whereas the coexistence with the Greek element enhances the represented subject matters. Visitors are given the opportunity to admire the sarcophagi and the grave goods, familiarize themselves with the numerous gods of ancient Egypt and, furthermore, through the objects of Egyptian art that have incorporated Greek elements, they identify the close relations between the two civilizations. Eleni Tourna 05 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 S M T 5 T T F T M W 20 29 F S 31 0 3 T T 16 17 1 8 19 M S M S 1 2 T 15 S 3 W 14 4 13 W S F S 1 S S 22 8 2 F M 23 T W 2 T 24 25 26 27 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M May Sunday 01 Sunday 08 Monday 02 Monday 09 Tuesday 03 Tuesday 10 Wednesday 04 Wednesday 11 Thursday 05 Thursday 12 Friday 06 Friday 13 Saturday 07 Saturday 14 2016 Sunday 15 Sunday 22 Monday 16 Monday 23 Tuesday 17 Tuesday 24 Wednesday 18 Wednesday 25 Thursday 19 Thursday 26 Friday 20 Friday 27 Saturday 21 Saturday 28 N AT I O N A L Sunday 29 Monday 30 Tuesday 31 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M May 2016 Red-figure epinetron. On one side the bride Alcestis is depicted with her friends on the day of the Epaulia (the day after the wedding). On the other side the bride Harmonia is flanked by the patron goddesses of matrimony. On the front of the vessel there is a depiction of the wrestling between Peleus and Thetis and the bust of the goddess Aphrodite. By the Eretria Painter. From Eretria 430-420 BC (Inv. No A 1629) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 JUNE Funerary amphora from Attica. It depicts a prothesis scene. Attributed to the Dipylon Painter. From Athens, Kerameikos. Late Geometric period, 760-750 BC (Inv. No A 804) The Vase and Minor Objects Collection ifteen rooms, approximately 2.000 sq. m. of gallery space, over than 250 showcases and pedestals with 5.500 exhibits distinguish the Vase and Minor Objects Collection as one of the greatest of its kind. Still, the diversity and the quality of the exhibits turn the collection into one of the most comprehensive and significant collections in the world for the study and understanding of ancient Greek pottery and minor art. Its storerooms house jewels and vessels made of clay, gold and silver, seals, paintings, architectural members, glass vases and minor objects made of ivory and bone. Their time span covers approximately 23 centuries, from the sub-Mycenaean vases of the 11th-10th c. BC through to the post-byzantine silver vessels of the 17th and the 18th c. of the Stathatos Collection. They were excavated from graves and sanctuaries (the Athenian Acropolis, Sounion, Perachora, Sparta, Thermos, the sanctuaries of the Cabeiri in Boeotia and in Lemnos, etc.). Other artefacts come from great collections and donations (e.g. the Empedocles Collection, the Stathatos Collection, the Vlastos-Serpieris Collection and the Misthos Collection), but also from confiscations. And all these have reached the Museum from every single corner of the Greek World. Of course, most of them originate from mainland Greece and the Greek islands, yet there are many artefacts from Asia Minor, Macedonia, the Aegean islands, Cyprus, Syria and Palestine, Egypt and Cyrenaica, Magna Graecia and Etruria. Hence, they cover most part of the overseas expansion of the Greek culture. F The earliest objects of the Collection were rescued during the truly heroic era of Greek archaeology of the 19th c. and come from the Collections of the Archaeological Society and from the prodromal forms of the National Archaeological Museum, mainly from the Collection of the Orphanage of Aegina and of Theseion. All these objects were handed over in stages to the newly built National Archaeological Museum between 1880 and 1890. The establishment of the Vase and Minor Objects Collection is concurrent with the inauguration of the National Archaeological Museum in 1885 in its modern-day premises, with Vasileios Leonardos (1885-1895), and Valerios Stais (1895-1921) serving as the first Ephors. They were succeeded by Semni Papaspyridi-Karouzou (1923-1968) who maintained and valorised the Collection in the post-war years. After World War II (1950) the Collection was repositioned to its present location on the Museum’s floor. It has been successively curated by the Ephors Barbara Filippaki (1968-1978), Olga Alexandri (1980-1982), Eos Zervoudaki (19821999) and Betty Stasinopoulou (1999-2009). The new display of the Vase and Minor Objects Collection was completed in two stages. The first part was inaugurated in 2005 and included the main vase collection (Rooms 49-56, approximately 1.500 sq. m.). The second part, in 2009, which occupies the space (circa 500 sq. m.) where until then the Numismatic Museum used to be, was enriched with the Hellenistic vessels, the terracotta figurines, the Vlastos-Serpieris Collection, the gold jewellery, silver vessels and objects made of other precious materials, as well as the glass vases (Rooms 57-63). Finally, in 2006 on the ground floor (Room 42) the Stathatos Collection was re-displayed anew. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M Wooden panel painting. It depicts a sacrificial procession. From Pitsa Cave, Corinthia. 540-530 BC (Inv. No A 16464) June 2016 White-ground lekythos. Departure of a warrior. By the Achilles Painter. From Eretria. 450-440 BC (Inv. No A 1818) The Vase Collection In the main Vase exhibition 2.430 artefacts are on display. The exhibition programme intends to offer visitors a panorama of ancient Greek pottery making and decoration from the sub-Mycenaean through to the late Classical period. The key element of the Vase and Minor Objects Collection is its educational character. The richness, the quality and the categorization of the exhibits in accordance with their time period and production workshops, help those visitors who are interested in more than just a simple tour, but also pupils and students of classical studies grasp the evolution of pottery making and decoration through the comparison of the attic workshop with its counterparts in other regions. Furthermore, the rooms that contain finds from the great Greek sanctuaries, such as the Heraion of Argos and of Perachora, the Sanctuary of Thermos in Aetolia and of Artemis Orthia in Laconia, delineate the nature of the early Greek sanctuaries. The same occurs with all the votive wooden paintings from Pitsa Cave in Corinthia, a few of the rare samples of original painting of the 6th c. BC have survived to our days. The exhibition (Rooms 49-57) includes three thematic sections, which are very useful to the presentation of the educational programmes of the Museum to students. The first one concerns the world of the Athenian women (Room 55) and the other two examines childhood and the sports (Room 56). As you move from the main exhibition to the galleries of the new collections (Room 57) two showcases display representative types of Hellenistic vessels (cremation Hadra hydriae, lagynoi as well as black-glazed vessels with polychrome and relief decoration). Dr. Georgios Kavvadias 27 S M S 24 25 26 S T S 23 F M T 30 1 2 3 4 T W T 29 S 28 W F 5 S W T 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 W T F M 22 T 06 13 1 6 17 18 19 1 15 20 F S T 4 S 1 W 2 M T N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M June Wednesday 01 Wednesday 08 Thursday 02 Thursday 09 Friday 03 Friday 10 Saturday 04 Saturday 11 Sunday 05 Sunday 12 Monday 06 Monday 13 Tuesday 07 Tuesday 14 2016 Wednesday 15 Wednesday 22 Thursday 16 Thursday 23 Friday 17 Friday 24 Saturday 18 Saturday 25 Sunday 19 Sunday 26 Monday 20 Monday 27 Tuesday 21 Tuesday 28 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL Wednesday 29 Thursday 30 M U SEU M June 2016 Model of a war chariot from a Boeotian workshop. Unknown provenance. Around 550 BC (Inv. No A 4082) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 J U LY Female bust from a Boeotian workshop. From Tanagra. 450-400 BC (Inv. No A 4762) Terracotta figurines T he Collection of terracotta figurines of the National Archaeological Museum, one of the most complete collections in the world, was formed at the end of the 19th c. It consists of coroplastic creations that date from the Geometric period through to the Roman times and amaze with the wealth of their subjects, the variety of their types and the vibrancy of their colours, while simultaneously casting light over the manifold facets of ancient life. They were found in graves or sanctuaries, whereas a large number comes from purchases and, mainly, donations. The miniature world of coroplastic art is unravelled to the general public in Rooms 58 and 59 of the Museum’s upper floor. Approximately six hundred figurines of various workshops are presented in chronological order and in accordance with their production workshops, with those of Boeotia, Attica, Corinth and Myrina in Asia Minor being predominant. Individual showcases are dedicated to thematic entities, such as everyday life, the world of childhood, dance and music as well as theatre. In the first room (Room 58) one can witness the evolution of coroplastic types and workshops in Attica from the handmade bell-shaped figurines of the Geometric period to the types of the enthroned goddess and of the standing female figure that holds a flower to her chest of the 6th and 5th c. BC. At the same time, numerous examples from the Boeotian workshop illustrate the progress from the plank-shaped female figurines of the 6th c. BC to the peplophoros type with the intricate hair style of the 5th and the 4th c. BC and from these to the Tanagra figurines with the lavish garments, wide-brimmed hats and fans. Next to these the exhibition displays representative works of the Ionic, the Euboean and the Cretan workshop, as well as the most important production centres of the Peloponnese. In this room three key freestanding showcases, which disclose to visitors a selection of coroplastic works from various workshops and time periods, are notable. The model of a war chariot from a Boeotian workshop dated to the mid-6th c. BC with two riders, a typical example of archaic polychromy, and the Boeotian busts of the 5th and 4th c. BC as well as figurines that either copy or transform types of sculpture are amongst the most prominent exhibits. The latter impress us not only with their large scale, but also with their vivid polychrome decoration. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M July Group of a female figure and Nike playing the game of ephedrismos. From Myrina, Asia Minor. 2nd c. BC (Inv. No A 5083) The second room (Room 59) is dedicated almost exclusively to terracotta figurines from Myrina and other locations in Asia Minor, which were donated to the National Archaeological Museum by Ioannis Misthos in 1884. This is the most impressive section of the exhibition, with figurines that date from the mid-3rd c. BC through to the beginning of the 2nd c. AD. Flying Erotes holding torches and phialai, Nikai with seashells, incense burners and book rolls, goddesses and mortals, musicians and dancers constitute exquisite samples of the exceptional art of a city whose history is barely known. It should be noted that many of these figurines bear on their back sides names or monograms, incised or in relief. These are the signatures of the coroplasts or the owners of the workshops that produced them. The central showcases present two masterpieces from Myrina whose large-scale dimensions are more reminiscent of works of sculpture than of terracottas. The first is an ephedrismos group dated to the 2nd c. BC and the second one is a statuette of Eros bound dated to the end of the 2nd/beginning of the 1st c. BC. The last two showcases of this room are dedicated to the theatre by presenting characteristic types of the Old, Middle and New Comedy, masks as well as caricatures and “grotesques”. Dr. Christina Avronidaki 2016 T he Cy pr io t C o l l e c t i o n R oom 64 on the Museum’s upper floor displays selected vases, figurines and sculptures of the Collection of Cypriot Antiquities of the National Archaeological Museum. These are artefacts that came into the possession of the Museum mainly through private donations, purchases and confiscations. The 180 works on display cover the time span from the Early Bronze Age (circa 2500 BC) through to the Roman period (4th c. AD) and recount the turbulent history of the island. As Cyprus is situated at the crossroads of sea routes between the East and the West it has assimilated cultural elements and trends from the civilizations of the region, yet at the same time retains a special and distinctive character. Early on the geographical location and the rich copper reserves turned the island into a transit trade post. Religion, art and commerce constitute thematic unities highlighted with the aid of the exhibits. The most notable displays include the vases with the bright colours and the rich geometric or figurative decoration that consists of flowers, birds or fish, the terracotta figurines of horsemen, worshippers and gods and the sculptures that portray children and deities, with Aphrodite, the patron goddess of the island, being predominant. Eleni Zosi N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL Amphora with linear and lotus flower decoration. Unknown provenance. Cypro-archaic I period, 750-600 BC (Inv. No A 29682) M U SEU M July 2016 07 5 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 F S S M T W T W 3 M 14 4 13 T S F F S S S M T 20 8 T 2 1 F 22 29 W F 31 0 3 S T 16 17 1 8 19 1 2 S 15 T S 23 W S M 2 T 24 25 26 27 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M July Friday 01 Friday 08 Saturday 02 Saturday 09 Sunday 03 Sunday 10 Monday 04 Monday 11 Tuesday 05 Tuesday 12 Wednesday 06 Wednesday 13 Thursday 07 Thursday 14 2016 Friday 15 Friday 22 Saturday 16 Saturday 23 Sunday 17 Sunday 24 Monday 18 Monday 25 Tuesday 19 Tuesday 26 Wednesday 20 Wednesday 27 Thursday 21 Thursday 28 N AT I O N A L Friday 29 Saturday 30 Sunday 31 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M July 2016 Gold ring. The insert cornelian stone is engraved with a Muse or a Maenad holding a mask and a thyrsus. From Gavalou, Aetolia. 2nd c. BC (Inv. No Χρ. 801) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 AUGUST G old j ewe l s a nd silve r ve sse l s T he exhibition of gold jewellery that opened its gates to the public in February 2009 is presented in Room 62 on the upper floor of the National Archaeological Museum. It is the first ever display of objects made of precious materials, which were kept in the Museum’s treasury. Along with the gold and silver jewellery, silver vessels, seals and works of minor art made of ivory are also on show. The Collection of gold jewels of the National Archaeological Museum is one of the most significant in the world due to the quality and uniqueness of the artefacts it consists of, but also due to the certified origin of many of these. Superb creations of goldsmithing coming from different regions of mainland Greece and the Greek islands are displayed in 24 showcases. They have been made either by hammering or casting, whereas in terms of their decoration these are embossed, incised or granulated or they might be filigree and, in late times they may have inlays of precious and semi-precious stones. Their time span covers the period from the Geometric through to the Roman times. The exhibition is arranged in chronological order and whenever possible, because of the certified origin, they are presented in conjunction with the excavation or the location they come from. Amongst the most impressive displays are the exquisite gold necklace that was recovered from a grave at Spata with crescent-shaped and rhomboid depressions intended for the inlay of some precious material dated at around 750 BC, the fine rosettes from Milos (650-600 BC), the gold earrings from Eretria that depict the abduction of Thetis (475-450 BC), the wreath with ivy leaves from Kastellorizo (mid-4th c. BC), the gold necklace with spear-head motifs from Corinth (330-320 BC) and the “Hoard of Palaiokastro” (1st c. BC). Also, the silver vessels from Gavalou and Goritsa as well as the ensemble of panels of ivory in relief that come from the decoration of the deathbed of the “Tomb of the Palmettes” (end of 4th/beginning of 3rd c. BC) which is situated at Lefkadia in Imathia constitute particularly interesting ensembles. Eleni Zosi N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M Gold wreath with ivy leaves. From Kastellorizo. Mid-4th c. BC (Inv. No Χρ. 1058) August 2016 Gla ss vess e l s T he age-long history of glass-making is fully reflected in the rich collection of glass vessels of the National Archaeological Museum. These artefacts that date from the Geometric through to the Late Byzantine period and originate from various regions of the Greek mainland and the islands illustrate the evolution of the art of glass, which, with its clarity, colourfulness and often complicated processing, constituted a material in high demand and indeed precious throughout the centuries. A small, yet fine selection of glass vases and vessels are on display in Room 63 on the Museum’s upper floor. In 17 showcases 210 glass vases are exhibited in chronological order, either arranged in excavation assemblages or according to their type and shape, from the greenish skyphos of the 8th c. BC that has been cast in a mould to the perfume bottles of the 14th c. AD with the spectacular painted decoration. The various exhibits in combination with the wall texts elucidate visitors as regards the primary techniques of making and decorating glass vessels, such as core-forming, casting, mould-pressing, slumping, and blowing. Amongst the most impressive exhibits are two pointed vases made of glass that imitates agate, which were found in a tomb at Palaiokastro, Thessaly, and are dated to the second half of the 2nd/beginning of 1st c. BC, the colourless cup of the end of the 1st c. BC/beginning of 1st c. AD from Sifnos that depicts two Erotes mounted on a sea-griffin and a seahorse, as well as a large cinerary urn with lid of the 1st/2nd c. AD. Notable exhibits are the glass finds from the Antikythera shipwreck, which are in excellent condition, exquisite examples of monochrome and polychrome vases dated to the second quarter of the 1st c. BC. Of particular rarity and beauty are the large golden brown lobed bowl, the blue-green skyphos with a representation of olive branches that spring out of a stylized vase and also the unique group of vases that have been shaped with the mosaic technique (mosaic and network mosaic bowls as well as one striped mosaic bowl). Dr. Cristina Avronidaki N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M August 2016 Glass mosaic bowl. From the Antikythera shipwreck. 2nd quarter of the 1st c. BC (Inv. No A 23719) Vessel made of glass that imitates agate. From Palaiokastro, Thessaly. 2nd/1st c. BC (Inv. No A 14262) 08 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 T W M 5 S F F S S 3 T 14 4 13 T S T M T W T T 20 29 S M 31 0 3 W F 16 1 7 1 8 19 1 2 W 15 M S 1 S M 22 8 2 S T 23 W T 2 F 24 25 26 27 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M August Monday 01 Monday 08 Tuesday 02 Tuesday 09 Wednesday 03 Wednesday 10 Thursday 04 Thursday 11 Friday 05 Friday 12 Saturday 06 Saturday 13 Sunday 07 Sunday 14 2016 Monday 15 Monday 22 Tuesday 16 Tuesday 23 Wednesday 17 Wednesday 24 Thursday 18 Thursday 25 Friday 19 Friday 26 Saturday 20 Sunday 21 Saturday 27 Sunday 28 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL Monday 29 Tuesday 30 Wednesday 31 M U SEU M August 2016 Gold belt with leaves, flowers, fruits, insects and birds, embellished with coloured enamel, inlaid semi-precious stones and glass. From the “Karpenissi Treasure”. 2nd c. BC (Inv. No Στ. 362) N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 SEPTEMBER Th e Sta t ha t o s C o l l e c t i o n T he Stathatos Collection, donated by Eleni Stathatou to the National Archaeological Museum in 1957, is displayed in Room 42 on the ground floor and reflects the passion of the collector for rescuing the treasures of our ancient and modern cultural heritage and also her greatest achievement: the correlation and gathering of finds that have the same origin. Without losing the ambience of a private collection, the 971 exhibits that cover a time span from the 6th millennium BC through to the Post-Byzantine period, are displayed in chronological order, isolated or in groups. Neolithic finds from Chalcidice, Early Cycladic stone vases, Minoan double-axes and Mycenaean jewellery, bronze Geometric pendants, Archaic gold jewels and bronze statuettes, silver vessels of the 5th c. BC, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine jewels as well as Post-Byzantine silver vessels reflect the periods of their creation. Standing out among them is the so-called “Karpenissi Treasure”, which is displayed in two showcases, comprising artefacts associated with female adornment (maybe three or four ensembles) that date from the end of the 4th through to the early 2nd c. BC. Most impressive are the three gold hairnets decorated with busts of Aphrodite and Artemis, the diadem with the Herakles knot in the centre inlaid with whitish glass paste, and the exquisite gold belt with leaves, flowers and fruits, insects and birds embellished with coloured enamel, inlaid semi-precious stones and glass. A small gold naiskos from the same group, depicting in relief a Satyr and Dionysos with a panther, was probably of funerary use. Finally, amongst the distinguished works of minor art of the Stathatos Collection is the red-figure “oon” (egg) by the so-called Washing Painter, a miniature clay masterpiece with a depiction of rhabdomancy. Dr. Christina Avronidaki N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M September 2016 Gold naiskos decorated with drunken Dionysos supported by a Satyr. From the “Karpenissi Treasure”. 2nd c. BC (Inv. No Στ. 379) T he Vlas to s-Se r p i e r i s Co lle c t ion M ichael P. Vlastos (Athens 1874-1936) was a Greek of the Diaspora. He lived in the United States, Great Britain and mostly in Marseille, the great port of the Mediterranean where there was a flourishing Greek community. There, at the beginning of the 20th c. he undertook the management of the branch of the international trading house of the Rallis Brothers. We should take into account that Vlastos was not a magnate with immense financial standing, just like other great collectors of the time period were. He was simply a well-off bourgeois with broad education and infused with the instinct of the collector. He envisioned the foundation of the Association of Friends of the National Archaeological Museum (1834) and served as its first president until his death. He also participated actively in the Board of the Archaeological Society. The first systematic archaeological research of Vlastos is based in Marseille where he lived and Tarentum, the most significant Spartan colony of Magna Graecia. In a few years Vlastos created a large collection of coins from Tarentum, exquisite indeed in terms of the diversity and the quality of the coinage. Concurrently, he donated coins, already since 1900, to the Numismatic Museum of Athens. He continued to maintain contacts with eminent numismatists of his time, such as Oscar Ravel who published the catalogue of his numismatic collection in 1947. Afterwards this unique collection was sold. In Marseille Vlastos was not circumscribed to the collection of coins. He formed there the initial core of his collection of antiquities, by purchasing at auctions and from other private collections, objects that came from Italy, mainly from Tarentum, but also antiquities that reached him from Greece. When he finally settled in Athens in 1933, Vlastos brought with him all the Greek and Tarantine antiquities he possessed and he turned immediately to the domestic market. His antiquities were rapidly multiplied and as a result his collection amounted at the time of his death to approximately 760 artefacts. Of these, 451 objects were put on display for the first time in 2009 in two galleries (Rooms 60-61) arranged chronologically from the Prehistoric through to the Hellenistic period. The majority of these come from Greece, primarily from Attica, Boeotia and Corinthia. The collection of antiquities from Tarentum of Magna Graecia is particularly significant and indeed unique for Greek museums. In 1988, according to Vlastos’ will, the National Archaeological Museum received, together with his collection, his archive. This is revealing of not just the personality of the collector and his fervour for the maintenance, the scientific classification and study of his collection, but also of the plentiful information concerning the purchase and origin of the objects he owed. Equally significant is his correspondence with eminent archaeologists through which the study and trading of antiquities during the Interwar period is vividly illustrated. Dr. Georgios Kavvadias N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M September Fragment of a black-figure funerary plaque. Bearded men depicted in a farewell scene. Attributed to Lydos. From Attica (Spata). 550-540 BC (Inv. No ΒΣ 512) Red-figure oenochoe from Attica. Preparation of a Dionysian feast. By the Eretria Painter. From Anavyssos, Attica. 425-420 BC (Inv. No ΒΣ 318) 2016 09 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 T F S S 5 13 W T M T F T 1 2 S 15 W 3 S 14 4 M T S F T 30 S 16 1 7 18 1 9 F M W 2 1 W T 22 T F S S M 4 25 26 23 2 27 8 20 29 T 2 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M September Thursday 01 Thursday 08 Friday 02 Friday 09 Saturday 03 Saturday 10 Sunday 04 Sunday 11 Monday 05 Monday 12 Tuesday 06 Tuesday 13 Wednesday 07 Wednesday 14 2016 Thursday 15 Thursday 22 Friday 16 Friday 23 Saturday 17 Saturday 24 Sunday 18 Sunday 25 Monday 19 Monday 26 Tuesday 20 Tuesday 27 Wednesday 21 Wednesday 28 N AT I O N A L Thursday 29 Friday 30 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M September 2016 “a dream among splendid ruins …” Strolling through Athens of the Travelers. 17th-19th century. Partial reconstruction of the interior of the Central Public Museum that was housed in 1834 in Theseion. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 OCTOBER Strolling through Athens of the Travelers. 17th-19th century “a dream among splendid ruins ...” T he new temporary exhibition of the National Archaeological Museum has been designed with the intention to offer an imaginary stroll around the monuments of Athens of the 17th through to the 19th century. Our companions are the European travelers who embark on the “Grand Tour” to the capital city of Hellenism and, inspired by the movement of Classicism, portray the “splendid ruins” of its historical past. Twenty-two illustrated travel publications and fourteen original works of art, oil paintings, water-colours and engravings from the collections of the Library of the Hellenic Parliament offer landscapes, images, monuments and moments in time in Athens of the travelers, they feed our imagination and set the framework for our personal interpretations. Thirty-five marble sculptures of the National Archaeological Museum, many of which are displayed for the first time, converse with the works of the travelers complementing their enchanting narrative on the topography of the city’s monuments. The museum experience is supplemented with the music from the homelands of the travelers, but also with Greek music like the one which the French composer and music theorist L.A. Bourgault-Ducoudray recorded upon his visit to Athens in 1874-1875. The cultural environment that nurtured European travelling relates directly to the intensification of the study of classical antiquity and the systemization of archaeological research. Integrated into the same context is the formation of the first private archaeological collections and archaeological museums across Europe, but also the dark side of traveling, the “mania” for antiquities and their looting, phenomena that sensitized the nascent Greek State, and led to the formulation of a national policy for the protection of antiquities and the establishment of archaeological museums. From this perspective, the new temporary exhibition could be considered as a forerunner of the upcoming landmark anniversary. In 2016 the National Archaeological Museum celebrates 150 years since its foundation. The long account of the establishment, the character, the history and the activities of the Museum, which has been so closely bound with the modern history of the country, will be unravelled in a series of upcoming events. Nevertheless, we believe that the understanding of the generating cultural environment to which the museum owes its foundation is achieved with the imaginary stroll, the images and the enticing narratives that this exhibition offers, but also with the scientific contributions included in the accompanying catalogue. Dr. Maria Lagogianni-Georgakarakos “a dream among splendid ruins …” Reintroducing Athens to Europe. Strolling through Athens of the Travelers. 17th-19th century. Publications of the 17th, the 18th and the 19th century Partial view of the first room of the exhibition “a dream among splendid ruins …” Strolling through Athens of the Travelers. 17th-19th century. Reconstruction of the natural landscape of the Sanctuaries by the Ilissos river 27 W F W 24 25 26 T T T 23 M T F T S 28 31 S 3 M 1 2 30 4 M S S 29 5 W T 22 S 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 S M S 13 F 1 S 10 6 17 18 1 9 1 15 20 M T S 4 W 1 S 2 T F 3 October 1866 Official foundation ceremony of the National Archaeological Museum October on land donated for this purpose by Eleni Tositsa Saturday 01 Saturday 08 Sunday 02 Sunday 09 Monday 03 Monday 10 Tuesday 04 Tuesday 11 Wednesday 05 Wednesday 12 Thursday 06 Thursday 13 Friday 07 Friday 14 2016 Saturday 15 Saturday 22 Sunday 16 Sunday 23 Monday 17 Monday 24 Tuesday 18 Tuesday 25 Wednesday 19 Wednesday 26 Thursday 20 Thursday 27 Friday 21 Friday 28 N AT I O N A L Saturday 29 Sunday 30 Monday 31 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M October 2016 Partial view of the vase conservation laboratory during work N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 NOVEMBER Conservation and Archaeometry at the National Archaeological Museum A s established by the Venice Charter in 1964 and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 1980, Conservation embraces all those measures and actions applied to antiquities, works of art and monuments or to their environment and aim at the preservation of their physical character but also of the information they contain. The information which antiquities convey as regards their technique, their construction technology, the materials they are made up of or their origin constitute the objective of Archaeometry, which is also considered conservation science, when the readings obtained intend to diagnose the deterioration processes and study conservation materials and methods. Ever since it was established, the National Archaeological Museum has been a breeding ground for the application, but also for the development of new techniques and methods of the conservation of antiquities. Already since the beginning of the 20th c. the Museum appointed a chemist for the conservation of the finds of the shipwreck of Antikethyra, the Mycenaean and the Egyptian collections. The same chemist carried out Archaeometry research at the science laboratory of the Athens Commercial and Industrial Academy. In the 1950s the first permanently postedchemist is employed at the Museum and is succeeded through to this day by younger chemistry scientists. In 1980 with funds provided by the Volkswagen Foundation the Science Laboratory is supplied with state-of-the-art analytical equipment and operates as an Archaeometry and conservation science laboratory. The laboratory collaborates with other research centres in Greece and abroad. Throughout the 20th c. eminent figures, craftsmen and artists who undertook the conservation treatment of antiquities have served the Museum. In 1965, by Royal Decree, the conservation laboratories of the National Archaeological Museum are institutionalised as Centre of Conservation and Restoration (CCR) which regulates conservation in museums across the country, such as at Delphi, Vergina, Olympia, etc. Even today, because of the high technical expertise of the conservation staff of the National Archaeological Museum, many Regional Services of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture send antiquities for conservation, support or analytical research. Aside from conservation, part of the responsibilities of the staff is the design and construction of mounts, the installation of temporary exhibitions and the couriering of antiquities in travelling exhibitions abroad. Since the 1990s the first conservators of antiquities and works of art who graduated from the now Higher Technological Educational Institute of Athens and other universities abroad are employed. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M Today, the Department of Conservation, Chemical and Physical Research and Archaeometry of the National Archaeological Museum consists of the conservation laboratories of vases, metals, sculptures, casts, organic November 2016 Partial view of the metal conservation laboratory during work materials, paper and photographic negatives and also of the laboratory of physical and chemical research and Archaeometry. It employs twenty-five people of various specializations: ten conservators of antiquities and works of art, eleven conservation technicians, one chemist, one assistant chemist and two sculptors. Five staff members hold post-graduate qualification, four Masters Degrees and one PhD . Their work is presented in conferences and seminars, whereas it is published in proceedings and peer reviewed journals. Dr. Georgianna Moraitou Partial view of the sculpture conservation laboratory during work Partial view of the science laboratory during work S S S M F 24 25 26 T S 27 F 3 4 W T 1 2 30 T T 28 W 5 F 23 W S 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 W T T S 22 T 29 13 M 1 M 11 6 17 18 1 9 1 15 20 T F W 4 S 1 T 2 S M N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M November Tuesday 01 Tuesday 08 Wednesday 02 Wednesday 09 Thursday 03 Thursday 10 Friday 04 Friday 11 Saturday 05 Saturday 12 Sunday 06 Sunday 13 Monday 07 Monday 14 2016 Tuesday 15 Tuesday 22 Wednesday 16 Wednesday 23 Thursday 17 Thursday 24 Friday 18 Friday 25 Saturday 19 Saturday 26 Sunday 20 Sunday 27 Monday 21 Monday 28 N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL Tuesday 29 Wednesday 30 M U SEU M November 2016 Detail of a water-colour by Loizos Lantzas (1885). The arrangement of outdoor sculptures in the Museum’s courtyard is clearly visible. N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M 2016 DECEMBER T he Mu se u m be nea t h the M u se u m The storerooms of antiquities of the greatest Museum of the countr y T he true magnitude and significance of a great Museum are not circumscribed within the gallery and visitor space and they are not judged exclusively by its exhibits and their presentation. The genuinely great Museum is that which houses in its depths the invisible Museums it is comprised of, namely the numerous storerooms of its treasures. The lack of an organised way of storing and exhibiting the hundreds of thousands of movable finds, which were brought to light ever since the Greek State was established, was the main reason that called for the founding of the National Archaeological Museum. ‘Gentlemen, we do not need any more antiquities’, Athanassios Rousopoulos, Professor of archaeology of the University of Athens, argued in 1861, ‘but we must store and sort the ones that exist, which lie scattered in every corner of the city and in crumbling churches, in roofless vaults, secreted in damp basements and across the countryside, affected by the atmosphere and incidental events. They deteriorate, perish, get stolen ... ‘. With the completion of the first west wing of the National Archaeological Museum in 1874 the transfer of thousands of antiquities, which were dispersed until then in the collections of the Theseion, the Stoa of Hadrian, the Horologion of Kyrristos (Tower of the Wings) and also scattered across the archaeological sites of Athens, was instigated. These included the great collections, which the General Ephorate of Antiquities possessed, such as the Collection of the Palace and the most significant antiquities recovered from the great excavations conducted across the country. In 1877 the relocation of the stone antiquities of the Acropolis was launched, whereas in 1884 the antiquities that used to be in the Royal Garden and, a little later (1890-1893), the relics that were kept in the basements of the Varvakeio Gymnasium and at the “Mycenaean Museum” which operated since 1877 at the National Technical University, were added. The storage of the innumerable antiquities that were accumulated in the early years of the Museum’s operation was an exceptional predicament, since the subterranean barrel-vaulted spaces that had been created in the south wing were totally insufficient. Hence, most stone artefacts were left exposed in the garden, whereas the smaller objects were piled up in makeshift constructions in the two atria of the Museum. With the generous funding that was disbursed in the mid-1930s the new, as it continues to be called, wing was erected on Bouboulinas Street, which added thousands of square metres intended for laboratories, gallery and office space and semi-underground storerooms. Nevertheless, its completion, just one year prior to the outbreak of the War, changed its use into a shelter for thousands of the Museum’s exhibits that were N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M December 2016 View of the semi-underground storerooms on Bouboulinas Street during the Concealment of the antiquities (November 1940 – April 1941) Organising the new subterranean storage packed in wooden crates in the days of the Concealment and stayed there for many facilities on Vas. Herakleiou Street years. The reconstruction of the building that suffered several damages during the (1951-1957) December 1944 Events involved the creation of new underground storerooms at the northern side of the building on Vas. Herakleiou Street. With the consummation of these facilities in 1951 the first organised arrangement of the sculptures and the vases was underway, which went on in the following three decades with the arduous efforts of the Museum’s archaeologists, conservators and technicians. The basements as well as some of the floors of the new wing were used together with the new storerooms for the meticulous categorization of the sculptures, the vases, the bronze works, the prehistoric and Egyptian antiquities as well as the minor art objects on dexion metal shelves and special cabinets which today accommodate nearly 200.000 artefacts, which continue to be sorted incessantly. Today, the entire storage facilities of the National Archaeological Museum occupy approximately 3.500 sq. m. In the labyrinthine and invisible by the general public chambers countless treasures, which would suffice to furnish a lot more museums, are safely arranged in accordance with their type, material and origin. The antiquities of the storerooms enrich on every occasion the permanent Collections and the temporary exhibitions mounted in the Museum, they are sent as loans to exhibitions across the world and have been the centre of attention of international archaeological research for the past 133 years since they are studied and published unremittingly by experts who are issued with a permit for that purpose. The forests of antiquities beneath the buzzing galleries constitute the real foundations of the greatest Museum of the country and they do not stand idle in the dark, but breathe offering countless volumes of knowledge and future furtherance of an inconceivable treasure. Dr. Constantine Paschalidis View of the storeroom universe M T M W S S 4 25 26 23 2 27 S T W T 31 1 2 30 F T S 3 4 8 F 29 S 2 S 5 M T F 9 10 1 1 1 7 8 2 6 S T F T 22 W 12 13 1 6 1 7 18 1 9 1 15 20 S S F 4 M 1 T 2 T W N AT I O N A L AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M December Thursday 01 Thursday 08 Friday 02 Friday 09 Saturday 03 Saturday 10 Sunday 04 Sunday 11 Monday 05 Monday 12 Tuesday 06 Tuesday 13 Wednesday 07 Wednesday 14 2016 Thursday 15 Thursday 22 Friday 16 Friday 23 Saturday 17 Saturday 24 Sunday 18 Sunday 25 Monday 19 Monday 26 Tuesday 20 Tuesday 27 Wednesday 21 Wednesday 28 N AT I O N A L Thursday 29 Friday 30 Saturday 31 AR C H A EO LO G ICAL M U SEU M December 2016 Mu s e u m Ed u c a t i o n T he National Archaeological Museum due to excellent scientific display of its collections has always been a school of the arts and culture. In the past decade it systematised the provision of organised educational services in order to honour the families and the swarming crowds of students that visit the Museum each year and thus satisfy in the best possible way those who are the focus of the museum essence: people. The educational programmes and activities of the museum are addressed to a wide range of groups: pupils from nursery to high school, families, adults and special groups (people with disabilities and special educational needs, intercultural groups, people in rehabilitation for substance abuse, imprisoned, chronically and mentally ill). They aim to bridge the past with the present offering participants manifold active experiences that stimulate curiosity, emotions, imagination and critical thinking and support them in their endeavour to approach the ancient Greek world and enunciate their own interpretation on how much important it is today to each and every one of us. Since 1998 already, the National Archaeological Museum pioneered the planning and provision of educational programmes and guided tours for people with hearing impairment. Ever since the Department of Public Relations and Educational Programmes was established and staffed in 2005 forty new educational programmes have been developed whereas educational publications and leaflets have been issued in order to support families and educators in the autonomous, yet focused museum visit. The online educational application “The mysteries of the Antikythera Mechanism” is one more service that takes advantage of new technologies for a diversified pedagogical approach and for accessing culture, regardless of the place of residence. Moreover, training workshops and seminars designated for educators and students of various specializations are also organised. So far more than 34.000 people have participated in the museum’s educational actions. The educational programmes are designed and implemented by specialized staff. A number of volunteers and placement students steadily reinforce the educational actions of the museum, whereas selected external collaborators offer visitors from time to time a different experience employing narration, music, dance, puppet or shadow theatre. Finally, we should bear in mind that the National Archaeological Museum kindly offers its spaces to serve as venues for project presentations, exhibitions, theatrical performances, etc., staged by schools mainly as well as other institutions, being inspired by the collections and the participation in the educational programmes. Dr. Despina Kalessopoulou Educational programme for families “Revel in drink, or simply cheers”. Painting workshop Educational programme for schools “...Music, an invention of the gods...”. Research in the exhibition space The National Archaeological Museum as a centre of research, education and culture Collaborating with other museums – Reinforcing research T he action, the impact and the contribution of the Museum are not circumscribed within its very own limits or its exhibition spaces. Its history, symbolism, wealth and stature enable and simultaneously impose the communication with society, the scientific community and other countries abroad. The inexhaustible collections, the emblematic ancient artefacts and the broad spectrum they cover in space and time turn the participation of the Museum in any exhibition that relates to the ancient Greek culture undeniably enticing and at the same time essential. Major museums abroad and also some Greek institutions have recourse to the National Archaeological Museum and request antiquities on temporary loan aiming at completeness. The scientific staff of the Museum contributes to authoring the accompanying catalogues, but also to the selection, documentation, safe transport and installation of the antiquities in the hosting museum. From 2009 until 2015 the Museum co-organised 6 temporary exhibitions in the USA, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Spain and Japan with antiquities coming from various Greek museums, whereas it participated in 40 temporary exhibitions of major European, American, but also Greek museums by temporarily “loaning” about 1.250 ancient artefacts. Sometimes, the antiquities that crossed the borders were a few dozens, whereas for 2016 the participation of the Museum in new exhibitions has already been arranged. The triptych of aims and responsibilities of the Museum which involves the protection of our cultural heritage and at the same time the dissemination of knowledge to society is complemented with the commitment to advance scientific research. In this context, the National Archaeological Museum allows, organises, facilitates, hosts and coordinates the study of its antiquities. Every year, apart from the scientific staff of the Museum, dozens of acclaimed or enthusiastic young researchers from Greece, but also from across the globe, are given the opportunity to study its antiquities, thus designating the museum as an international research centre. As a case in point, over the past six years 388 research programmes of individual academics, but also of groups from Greece and abroad have been implemented. Katerina Kostanti Installation of antiquities on loan for the exhibition “Classicità ed Europa” held at the Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome, March 2014 Researchers at work, Collection of Prehistoric Antiquities Editor Dr. M. Lagogianni-Georgakarakos Text edit Dr. Ch. Avronidaki Authors Dr. Ch. Avronidaki, archaeologist E. Zosi, archaeologist Dr. G. Kavvadias, archaeologist Dr. D. Kalessopoulou, archaeologist-museologist Dr. E. Konstantinidi-Syvridi, archaeologist K. Kostanti, archaeologist Dr. M. Lagogianni-Georgakarakos, archaeologist Dr. G. Moraitou, conservator of antiquities and works of art N. Palaiokrassa, archaeologist Dr. C. Paschalidis, archaeologist Dr. M. Salta, archaeologist E. Tourna, archaeologist Dr. A. Christopoulou, archaeologist Translation and proofreading Dimitrios Doumas Administrative support Calliope Spyrou Photographers E.A. Galanopoulos, H.R. Goette, E. Miari, C. Xenikakis, I. Patrikianos, S. Stournaras, G. Fafalis Art direction Athena Iakovidou Cover Vasilis Kanoulas Graphic Design Panagiota Avgeri Printed by ACCESS S.A. The art direction and production of photographs was funded by the Association of Friends of the National Archaeological Museum HELLENIC MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS © 2015 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECEIPTS FUND PUBLICATIONS DEPARTMENT 57, Panepistimiou Street, 105 64 Athens www.tap.gr Cover illustration: The Mycenaean Lady fresco From the Religious Centre of Mycenae ISBN 978-960-386-270-3 13th c. BC (Inv. No Π 11670)