Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum
*Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης*

Established	1912
Location	Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece
Type	Archaeological
Director	Polyxeni Adam-Veleni
Website	http://www.amth.gr

The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is a museum in Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece. It holds and interprets artifacts from the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, mostly from the city of Thessaloniki but also from the region of Macedonia in general.

The building and the exhibitions

The museum is housed in a building designed by architect Patroklos Karantinos and is an example of the modern architectural trends of Greece. Built in 1962, the museum had a new wing added to it in 1980, in which the findings from Vergina were displayed, up until 1997. In 2001 and 2004, in the run-up to the 2004 Athens Olympics, the museum was extensively renovated and its permanent exhibits reorganized.

The statue of Harpocrates.

The central rooms hold exhibits from the archaeological excavations conducted in Thessaloniki and the broader area of Macedonia. The new wing hosts two exhibitions: The Gold of Macedon, with artefacts from the cemeteries of Sindos, Agia Paraskevi, Nea Filadelfia, Makrygialos, Derveni, Lete, Serres, and Evropos; and The Thessaloniki Area in Prehistory, with material from prehistoric settlements, dating from the Neolithic to the Early and Late Bronze Age.

At present, the collection of Archaic to Late Roman sculptures from Thessaloniki and Macedonia in general is displayed in the central section of the museum. They illustrate the history of Thessaloniki from prehistoric times to Late Antiquity. These rooms display architectural members from an Ionic temple of the 6th century BC, sculptures of all periods from Macedonia, exhibits from the excavations in the palace complex built by Galerius in the Thessaloniki city centre, a reconstruction of the façade of the Macedonian tomb in Agia Paraskevi, with genuine architectural members, and finds (mainly gold artefacts) of the Archaic and Classical periods from the Sindos cemetery. In all these rooms, certain important exhibits have been singled out and further information about them is given to help visitors appreciate the importance of each exhibit and of the area and the period from which it comes.

Apart from its permanent displays, the Archaeological Museum also hosts major temporary and thematic exhibitions. In the Manolis Andronikos Room, for instance, there is an exhibition titled The Coins of Macedonia from the 6th Century to 148 BC, with examples of coins that were circulating in Macedonia in that period. A showcase in the lobby of the museum displays some finds from the excavation of the Neolithic settlement at Makrygialos in Pieria, accompanied by information about the progress of the excavation.

In the new wing, the The Gold of Macedon exhibition includes finds from numerous excavations in Central Macedonia. Taking the history of gold as its central theme, it presents the culture of Macedonia from the 6th century BC to 148 BC, discussing the use of gold (jewellery, sartorial decoration, gilding of objects and vessels, coins), the technology of the manufacture of gold jewellery, and the techniques of gold mining. There are also numerous finds from cemeteries, and their role in burial customs is described.

The Thessaloniki in Prehistory exhibition aims to recreate a picture of the Thermaic Gulf littoral before the city of Thessaloniki was built. It presents the first excavations, which were carried out during the First World War by British and French troops, and finds from the most important prehistoric settlements in the area (Thermi, Vassilika, Stavroupoli, Oraiokastro, Assiros, Toumba, and Kastana) divided into three chronological groups (Neolithic, and Early and Late Bronze Age).^[1]

Notable exhibits

Fragments of a marble sarcophagus depicting the Caledonian boar-hunt.

Derveni krater
The statue of Harpocrates (end of 2nd century BC)
The Head of Serapis (2nd century BC)
Bronze helmet and gold mask (cemetery of Sindos, end of 6th century BC)
Marble door (Macedonia tomb of Agia Paraskevi)
Copy of "Unveiling" Aphrodite (421/420 BC)
Gold medals (250–225 BC)
Inlaid floors (mosaic)
Gold diadems, gold disks and gold Medusa heads (350-325 BC)
Derveni Papyrus (end of 5th century BC)

Gallery

Inscription reading "To Queen Thessalonike, (Daughter) of Philip"
Restored parts from the Temple of Aphrodite located in Thessaloniki almost completely buried
Marble statue of Dionysus
Sarcophagus depicting the Trojan War
Head of the Graeco-Egyptian god Serapis
Head of Asclepius
Head thought to be a portrait of Alexander The Great (175-200 AD)
Gold diadem consisting of 8 lyre-shaped sections, decorated with acanthus leaves, tendrills and palmettes (320-300 BC)
The Derveni krater (vase for mixing wine and water)
Ancient Macedonian Coins
Exhibition of the gold of Macedon
Golden shield
Ancient helmet
Bronze calyx krater
Inscription by Philip V of Macedon
Marble statue of Augustus
Epona, patroness of horses. Celtic goddess, may have been introduced in Thessaloniki by Galerius
Dionysiac composition (200-250 A.D.)
A large mosaic in the museum

References

↑ Museums of Macedonia web site

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.

Coordinates: 40°37′30″N 22°57′14″E / 40.6251°N 22.9538°E / 40.6251; 22.9538

Museums in Thessaloniki

Archaeological	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Museum of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Instruments Museum of Plaster Casts Prehistoric Antiquities Museum of Thessaloniki

Byzantine and ecclesiastic	Crypt of Saint Demetrius Museum of Byzantine Culture White Tower of Thessaloniki

Ethnological/historical	Atatürk Museum Goulandris Natural History Museum of Thessaloniki Balkan Wars Museum Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Macedonian Historical Museum Museum for the Macedonian Struggle Natural History Museum War Museum of Thessaloniki

Folklore	Folk Art and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia and Thrace

Art museums/galleries	Art Gallery of the Society of Macedonian Studies Cinema Museum of Thessaloniki National Bank of Greece Cultural Center Design Museum of Thessaloniki Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art Municipal Art Gallery (Thessaloniki) Museum of the Macedonian Art Society Museum of Photography Thessaloniki Music Museum of Macedonia State Museum of Contemporary Art

Industry/technology	Broadcasting Museum of Thessaloniki Railway Museum of Thessaloniki Science Center and Technology Museum "Noesis" Water Supply Museum

Education/sports	Museum of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Museum of the Cultural Foundation of the Greek Diaspora Museum of the National Center of Maps & Cartographic Heritage Plaster Casts Museum of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Olympic Museum

List of museums in Greece

Landmarks of Thessaloniki

Roman period	Arch of Galerius Navarinou Square Roman Forum

Paleochristian and Byzantine	Agias Sofias Square Byzantine Bath Church of the Acheiropoietos Church of the Holy Apostles Church of Hosios David Church of Panagia Chalkeon Church of Saint Catherine Church of Saint Nicholas Orphanos Church of Saint Panteleimon Church of Prophet Elijah Hagios Demetrios Hagia Sophia Rotunda Walls of Thessaloniki

Ottoman period	Alaca Imaret Mosque Upper Town Bey Hamam Fountain Square Karipeion Melathron Konak New Mosque White Tower of Thessaloniki

Modern period	Alexandreio Melathron Aristotelous Square Gregory Palamas Metropolis Ladadika Modiano Market National Theatre of Northern Greece OTE Tower Port of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Concert Hall

Streets	Egnatia Street Nikis Avenue Tsimiski Street Vasilissis Olgas Street

Villas	Villa Allatini Villa Bianca Villa A.Kapanci Villa Modiano Villa Mordoch Gategno-Florentin mansion Palataki

Museums	Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki Atatürk Museum Balkan Wars Museum Museum of Byzantine Culture Cinema Museum Museum of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Instruments Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki Museum for the Macedonian Struggle NOESIS Museum of Photography Railway Museum State Museum of Contemporary Art War Museum

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