National Archaeological Museum

If someone interested in ancient Greek civilization were to visit only one museum in Athens besides the Acropolis, the destination could be the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. NAM is the largest museum in Greece and one of the most significant museums in the world dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean and antiquity.
 

Archaeological Museum, March 2022. Photo OI

 The museum was founded in 1886, and the building was inaugurated in 1889. Designed by the German architect Ernst Ziller, the structure follows the tradition of Berlin’s Altes Museum and the grand neoclassical museums built thereafter, as well as the neoclassical architecture of Athens created by the Hansen brothers. Ziller (1837–1923) was a major figure in late 19th-century Greek architecture, with over 500 buildings to his name. He also designed an elegant private residence for Heinrich Schliemann, which now houses the Numismatic Museum.

Photo from the museum brochure

The Archaeological Museum displays 11,000 objects, primarily from the period between 7000 BCE and 500 CE.

Most of the collection originates from the region of ancient Greece. Photo from the museum exhibition

Museums of this scale are too vast in their collections to fully explore in a single visit. It is advisable to make a selection, and if time is limited, at least the remarkable bronze shipwreck finds are worth a closer look. The monumental sculptures, with their lifelike eyes, add depth to the neoclassical ideal of pure white marble, as envisioned by art historian Johann Winckelmann and his contemporaries.

Particularly impressive is the Poseidon (or Zeus) in Hall 29. Other striking works include The Marathon Youth (30), The Antikythera Youth (31), The Antikythera Philosopher (32), The Artemision Jockey (33), and Octavian’s Equestrian Statue (34).

Among the bronzes is an important find in the history of science: the Antikythera Mechanism (dated between 150–100 BCE), an astronomical device for modeling the movements of the solar system.

Museum Layout: Entrance – Museum Foyer, Rooms 1–2
Mycenaean Collection – Rooms 3–4
Neolithic, Early, and Middle Bronze Age, Antiquity – Room 5
Cycladic Antiquities – Room 6
Sculpture Collection – Rooms 7–34
Metal Collection – Rooms 36–39
Egyptian Collection – Rooms 40–41
Stathatos Collection – Room 42
Temporary Exhibitions – Rooms 43–45
Lecture Hall – Halls 46–47
Akrotiri of Thera – Room 48
Vase Collection – Rooms 49–57
Terracotta Figurines – Rooms 58–59
Vlastos-Serpieri Collection – Rooms 60–61
Gold Jewelry and Silverwork – Room 62
Glass Vessels – Room 63
Cypriot Antiquities Collection – Room 64
Peda – Room 65
Photo from the museum brochure

One of the most striking works in the museum’s collection is the statue of Zeus or Poseidon from 460 BCE. The museum suggests that Zeus is the more likely identity. The god held either a thunderbolt or a trident in his right hand. The statue was discovered in the sea near Euboea and is one of the few surviving classical-period sculptures. Photo from the exhibition, OI

The Marathon Youth from Attica and the Antikythera Philosopher – both statues retrieved from the sea. Photos from the exhibition, OI

The left hand of a larger-than-life young boxer’s statue. The arm was cast separately from the rest of the sculpture. The athlete wears so-called sharp thongs—leather straps wrapped around the wrist to protect the back of the hand. Late 2nd century BCE. Photo from the exhibition, OI

The Artemision Jockey. Photo from the exhibition, OI

The Antikythera Mechanism included at least 30 gears, dials, scales, axes, and indicators. Greek inscriptions and the surface of many fragments suggest it was used for astronomical and calendar calculations, as well as containing operating instructions. It was housed in a wooden casing, likely with a frame. Photo from the exhibition, OI

The museum recounts the discovery of the Antikythera wreck. On Easter 1900, near the island of Antikythera, sponge divers accidentally discovered an ancient shipwreck of great importance. They were on their way back from a trip to the northern coast of Africa and attempted to anchor off the island’s eastern coast. The wreck lay only 25 meters from the shore, at a depth of about 50 meters. The recovery efforts began later that year under challenging conditions and lasted for several months. The objects retrieved from the wreck originated from various locations. The cargo likely came from Delos or a city on the coast of Asia Minor, heading for Italy, when it was forced off course by extreme weather and sank. The finds included bronze and marble sculptures, clay vases, furniture fragments, and among the bronzes, the Antikythera Mechanism. Photo from the exhibition, OI

The collection also features smaller works in bronze, lead, and iron, everyday and public life objects such as miniature figurines, vases, mirrors, and weapons. Many of these items were used in major Greek sanctuaries, including the Acropolis.

A particularly significant section highlights Mycenaean culture and Heinrich Schliemann’s discoveries in Troy. The exhibition presents the era’s cultural history not only through gold artifacts but also models and displays detailing burial customs, religious beliefs, social structures, daily life, and trade networks. However, the most famous items remain the golden Mycenaean funeral masks. The collection also includes objects related to Linear B script.

These exhibits are located on the ground floor, near the museum’s entrance. The culture flourished in mainland Greece between 7000–1050 BCE.

Golden death masks from Mycenae, circa 1500 BCE. The label states that the bearded man’s mask is traditionally known as Agamemnon’s death mask. The golden masks were typical burial decorations for Mycenaean men. Small holes near the ears indicate that the mask was secured to the deceased with a fastening cord. Photos from the exhibition, OI

The museum explains that Linear B writing is the earliest known form of Greek script. In 1952, British architect Michael Ventris, assisted by philologist John Chadwick, demonstrated that the tablets were written in an early form of Greek, predating Homer’s epics. Linear B is a syllabary, meaning each symbol represents a specific syllable. It consists of about 90 syllabic characters, ideograms (where each symbol represents a concept), and numerical signs. The palace administration used these inscribed clay tablets for record-keeping, inventories, and tax documentation. These documents provide valuable insights into the palace hierarchy, professions, social classes, trade, and the production of goods. Photos from the museum exhibition, OI

The Egyptian antiquities collection (ground floor, rooms 40–41) is also significant. The exhibits are arranged chronologically, covering the entire span of Egyptian civilization from the early predynastic period (5000 BCE) to late antiquity (395 CE).

From the Archaeological Museum's Egypt exhibition. Photo from March 2022, OI.

Statue of Horwedja, prince of Heliopolis, governor, and high priest. Possibly from Thebes. Gray granite. 26th Dynasty, circa 664–610 BCE. Photo from exhibition, OI.

Mummy of Nespakasut, priest of Min, the god of fertility. Dating from Egypt’s golden age, the Middle Kingdom, 2055–1650 BCE. Exhibition photo, OI.

The statue of the princess (priestess Takushit) was discovered near Alexandria in 1880. This magnificent sculpture is made of a copper alloy with a precious metal coating. The statue dates to the late 25th Dynasty, around 670 BCE. According to the museum’s information, the woman’s name means "Ethiopian" and may refer to her connection or marriage to an Ethiopian. Her father was Akanosh II, chief of the Ma-tribe in Libya. The figure’s garment is decorated using the inlay technique, where precious metal wire is embedded into the carved design. The motifs include hieroglyphs and deities from Takushit’s homeland in the northeastern Nile Delta region. Exhibition photos, OI.

The museum’s sculpture collection includes over 1,000 works. So there is far more than just the renowned bronze sculptures. The collection of archaic-period (from 750 BCE) Kouros statues (also called Kouroi) and Kore statues (draped female figures) is impressively displayed.

Exhibition photo, Kouros statues. Photo OI.

The museum café is located in a charming atrium/courtyard. Photo from March 2022, OI