English Section Greek Section Company Profile Our Philosophy Testimonials Contact Info Email Us Employment Homepage
Gift Registries Greece Guides Cultural Sites
Greek Islands
Greek Destinations
Search Destinations
Find Hotel
Name
Search
Outgoing packages
Athens (Attica) | Attica | Athens City

National Archaeological Museum of Athens - Prehistoric Collection

The New York Times has recently (April 2008) published an article on Athens. In it there is a reference to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens: "In neighboring Exarcheia, the renovated National Archaeological Museum (Patission 44; 30-210-821-7724) has classical sculptures and gold treasures from Mycenae". We think of this reference as being the Understatement of the century!

 Athens National Archaeological Museum:
Exhibit 624. Gold death-mask, known as
the 'mask of Agamemnon'. (Grave V,
Grave Circle A, Mycenae, 16th century BC)

This is because the Greek National Archaeological Museum in Athens is rightfully considered to be not only the most important, yet also one of the richest archaeological museums in the world in terms of containing Ancient Greek Art! Please refer to the relevant Album as proof of how much right we are!

The Greek National Archaeological Museum is housed in a neoclassical building designed by the noted German architect Ernst Ziller in 1889. It houses perhaps the most impressive collection of ancient Greek treasures in the world. The neoclassical design of the exterior tries its best to keep up with the true Greek classic style of the works it houses. This museum includes the golden so-called "Mask of Agamemnon", excavated by Heinrich Schliemann at ancient Mycenae, the bronze "boy jockey" of Artemision that somehow stayed in great condition despite being fished out of the sea, and a range of excellent sculptures, pottery, furniture and jewellery.

Further wonderful inclusions are:

  • Prehistoric items/Ruins
  • Sculpture
  • Pottery and Minor art
  • Bronzes
  • Egyptian Art

Operating Hours are as follows:
Monday 13.00-19.30
Tuesday-Sunday 08.30-15.00

Telephone Contact: 210/821-7717 Address: 44, 28th Oktovriou (Patission) Ave, Athens, Greece


Note: Given the huge number of exhibits, this album on the National Archaeological Museum of Athens is progressing step by step: Please visit this Album from time to time to see it growing!
(Photos: Michael Tziotis)

Select Page of the Album:


Click on any of the pictures to enlarge.

Gallery IV / Mycenaean Civilization / Mycenae / Grave Circle B / Finds from Graves Alpha, Zeta, Eta and Kappa, 17th-16th cent. BC

GRAVE CIRCLE B

Grave Circle B at Mycenae was part of the prehistoric cemetery at Mycenae (end of 17th cent. 16τh cent. BC) together with Grave Circle A, and today is situated outside the fortified citadel. It was excavated by I. Papadimitriou and G. Mylonas in 1952-1954. Surrounded by a Cyclopean dry-stone wall twenty-eight meters in diameter, it comprises fourteen large shaft graves, similar to those of Grave Circle A, for members of the royal family, and twelve smaller, shallow graves, possibly for courtiers. Several graves were marked with vertical stone stelai, five of which were found in situ. Those stelai with relief decoration belonged to male graves, while the undecorated ones marked female graves.

The graves in Circle Grave B, most of which were discovered intact, i.e.not plundered, contained approximately thirty-five inhumations of men, women and children. The men were aged between twenty-three and fifty-five years, and the women between thirty and thirty-seven. Most male remains bore evidence of wounds and healed skull and spinal injuries, which together with indications of great muscular mass, prove that they were often involved in violent conflict.

The grave gifts from Grave Circle B are similar to those from Grave Circle A, although less opulent. They do include, however, some quite important artifacts, such as the death-mask made of electrum (gold and silver alloy) and the amethyst seal stone with a representation of a male figure from Grave Gamma, and the duck-shaped rock-crystal kymbe (elongated shallow vessel) from Grave Omicron. The Grave gifts are both local, that is of Middle Helladic tradition, and imported from the Minoan Crete and the Cyclades. This amalgam of diverse elements characterizes the period of the Mycenae shaft graves and contributed to the formation of the Mycenaean civilization.

FUNERARY ASSEMBLAGES FROM GRAVE CIRCLE B

Grave Gamma, one of the largest graves in Grave Circle B, contained one female and three male inhumations. It was marked by a stone stele with relief decoration depicting an armed man attacking a lion. The skull of one of the inhumations, which belonged to a twenty-eight years old male, had been operated on by trephination, possibly to treat a hematoma. This is one of the earliest known examples of such surgical operation in Europe and one that required medical knowledge, great courage and skill. Among the many grave gifts of Gamma were a death-mask made of electrum (gold and silver alloy), a beautiful amethyst stone seal with an engraved representation of a male head, two gold cups and bronze weapons.
Grave Delta contained three inhumations with grave gifts consisting mostly of armor. One of the most important finds is a long bronze sword with gold revetment, which ends in two opposed lion heads on the hilt. Swords (both long and short), bronze machetes, daggers, spear-heads, and stone arrow-heads furnish the warriors of the Shaft Grave period.
Grave Omicron belonged to a woman whose many grave gifts included gold jewelry, diadems with repoussé decoration and necklaces. This grave is conventionally named 'the Grave of the crystals', owing to its exquisite duck-shaped rock-crystal kymbe and bronze pins with ornate rock-crystal heads. Of particular interest are the semi-precious stone necklaces, as well as one made of amber, precious material imported from north-western Europe.
The architectural type of Grave Rho, which is the latest of these graves (15th cent. BC), seems to reproduce Near Eastern prototypes and is another proof of the contacts between the Mycenaeans and the Eastern Mediterranean civilizations. This grave comprised a built chamber, which was accessed by a covered dromos (entrance passage). Very few grave gifts escaped looting.



Athens National Archaeological Museum, Gallery IV / Grave Circle B / Finds from Graves Alpha, Zeta, Eta and Kappa, Mycenae, 17th-16th cent. BC (General Photo of Window)

Athens National Archaeological Museum, Gallery IV / Grave Circle B / Finds from Graves Alpha, Zeta, Eta and Kappa, Mycenae, 17th-16th cent. BC (General Photo of Window)
8559. Ornate gold plaque of the

8559. Ornate gold plaque of the "knee-band" type, decorated with repoussé spirals. Grave A
8561, 8562. Fragments of gold bands from diadems. Grave Alpha.

8561, 8562. Fragments of gold bands from diadems. Grave Alpha.
9562. Fragment of an ivory plaque with relief scene of men and a bull

9562. Fragment of an ivory plaque with relief scene of men and a bull


It possibly represents a hunt or ceremonial bull-leaping (Tavrokathapsia). Along the lower edge are a 'sacral knot' and a sword, two Minoan religious symbols. Found in the area of graves A, D and R, but not in any specific tomb.
8563. Gold ornament with edges turned inwards to include bronze attachment wire. Grave Alpha.

8563. Gold ornament with edges turned inwards to include bronze attachment wire. Grave Alpha.
8564. Minyan goblet. Grave A

8564. Minyan goblet. Grave A
8565, 8568. Bronze pins, one with a rock-crystal head. Grave A

8565, 8568. Bronze pins, one with a rock-crystal head. Grave A
8566, 8569, 8567. Juglet, Silver jug and Faïence cup. Grave A

8566, 8569, 8567. Juglet, Silver jug and Faïence cup. Grave A
8566. Juglet of red clay with white decoration. Grave A

8566. Juglet of red clay with white decoration. Grave A
8569. Silver jug, originally covered with a piece of cloth. Grave A

8569. Silver jug, originally covered with a piece of cloth. Grave A
8567. Faïence cup with relief vegetal decoration on the interior of the handle. Grave A

8567. Faïence cup with relief vegetal decoration on the interior of the handle. Grave A
8570. Bronze type B sword with spiral decoration on the blade. Grave A

8570. Bronze type B sword with spiral decoration on the blade. Grave A
8570. Bronze type B sword with spiral decoration on the blade. (Close-up) Grave A

8570. Bronze type B sword with spiral decoration on the blade. (Close-up) Grave A
8572. Bronze type A sword with silver nails on the hilt and spiral decoration on the blade. Grave A

8572. Bronze type A sword with silver nails on the hilt and spiral decoration on the blade. Grave A
8579. Pithos with white Minoan-like decoration on a dark background. Grave A

8579. Pithos with white Minoan-like decoration on a dark background. Grave A
8579. Pithos with white Minoan-like decoration on a dark background. Grave A

8579. Pithos with white Minoan-like decoration on a dark background. Grave A
8666. Bronze type A sword. Grave A

8666. Bronze type A sword. Grave A
8667. Clay jug with linear decoration. Grave Z

8667. Clay jug with linear decoration. Grave Z
8669. Clay jug with spiral decoration on shoulder. Grave H

8669. Clay jug with spiral decoration on shoulder. Grave H

Select Page of the Album: