ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES A GUIDE TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES The history goes on... MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS • Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES A GUIDE TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS • Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES Introduction Todays’ Archaeological Museum of Thebes is the third building on this particular site to host antiquities. Its history began in 1894, when the old barracks beside the medieval tower were made available to house antiquities, mainly the sculptures and inscriptions that had been collected from all over Boeotia. In 1905, funded by the Archaeological Society at Athens, the barracks were converted into the town’s first archaeological museum, a plain, two-storey stone building of limited size. The exhibition of antiquities was organized by the archaeologist Antonios D. Keramopoullos. He, in cooperation with the British couple, archaeologists P. and A. Ure – who had recently excavated a section of the cemetery of ancient Mycalissos (today’s Ritsona) – created a museum that was pioneering for its time, presenting finds from graves in groups and not according to their artistic value, as had been the practice until then. Many emblematic figures of Greek archaeology served in that first museum, such as Nikolaos Papadakis, Christos Karouzos, Ioannis Threpsiadis and Nikolaos Platon. In 1934, Christos Karouzos wrote the first archaeological guidebook to the museum, and contributed to concealing and safeguarding its antiquities in World War II (1940-1944). After the war ended, it was realized that the old building was no longer adequate; it was demolished much later and in its place, a single-storey building was constructed with an entrance porch. Ioannis Threpsiadis undertook the task of exhibiting the antiquities in this new museum, which was inaugurated on 9 December 1962, a few months after his death. Full renovation followed, as the new museum had just a few, but very large lighted spaces. Its limited area was offset by some unique findings in its collections, such as the cylinder seals of eastern origin and the amphorae with inscriptions in Linear B script from the Mycenaean palace of Thebes, larnakes (sarcophagoi) from the Mycenaean cemetery at Tanagra and the “black” incised stelae of warriors from the classical period. CONTENTS This second building, with minor periodical rearrangements of its exhibition, continued in operation Introduction 03 • The New Archaeological Museum of Thebes 06 • The history of the Archaeological Museum - The for some 45 years, until 2007, when it was incorporated into the present – third in the sequence – Archaeological Museum of Thebes. history of the excavations 10 • Landscapes & Myths of Boeotia 12 • The Stone Age 14 • The Bronze Age 16 • The Mycenaean palace period 20 • Geometric period 24 • Archaic period 26 • Classical period 30 • The Hellenistic period • Roman rule 38 • Early Byzantine period 42 • Μiddle Byzantine period 44 • The period of Western rule 48 • Ottoman period 50 • The intellectual radiance of Boeotia 52 • A piece of the history of Thebes 54 • Courtyard 56 • The medieval Tower 58 ΒΟΡΕΙΟΣ ΕΥΒΟΪΚΟΣ ΚΟΛΠΟΣ ΒΟΙΩΤΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΦΙΣΟΣ ΦΘΙΩΤΙΔΑ NORTH EUBOEAN GULF BOEOTIAN KEPHISOS PHTHIOTIS Αλαί/Θεολόγος EYBOIA ΠΑΡΝΑΣΣΟΣ/PARNASOS Halai/Theologos EUBOEA ΑΚΟΝΤΙΟN AKONTION EΛΛΑΔΑ GREECE Λάρυμνα Larymna Καμπιά Υηττός Δαυλίς/Δαύλεια Kampia Hyettus Davlis/Davleia Πανοπεύς/Άγιος Βλάσιος Panopeus/Αgios Vlasios Ορχομενός Κώπαι/Κάστρο Ανθηδών Orchomenos Kopai/Kastro ΦΩΚΙΔΑ Δελφοί Ιερά ήρωος Πτώου Anthedon Χαιρώνεια & Απόλλωνος PHOCIS Delphi Αράχωβα Chaironeia Γλας Sanctuaries of hero Arachova Gla Ptoos & Apollo Χαλκίς/Χαλκίδα ΠΤΩΟΝ/PTOONΛίμνη Παραλίμνη Lake Paralimni Chalkis/Chalkida Λίμνη Κωπαΐς/Κωπαΐδα Αμβρυσσός/Δίστομο ΕΛΙΚΩΝΑΣ/HELICONΛεβάδεια/Λιβαδειά Aκραιφία/Ακραίφνιο Lake Kopais/Kopaida Amvryssos/Distomo Levadeia/Livadeia Akraiphia/Akraiphnio Αυλίς/Aυλίδα Στείρις/Στείρι Μυκαλησσός/Ριτσώνα Avlis/Avlida Λαφύστι Λίμνη Υλίκη Steiris/Steiri Lafisti Lake Yliki Μykalessos/Rhitsona Φωκικός Μεδεών/Άσπρα Σπίτια Mονή Σαγματά Υρία/Παραλία Μedeon of Phokis/Aspra Spitia Αλαλκομεναί Μεδεών/Καστράκι ΜΕΣΣΑΠΙΟΝ/MESSAPIONSagmata monastery Ύπατον Αυλίδος Μονή Οσίου Λουκά Alalkomenai Αλίαρτος Medeon/Kastraki Λιθαρές Ypaton Yria/Paralia Αντίκυρα Μonastery of Hosios Loukas Aliartos Lithares Avlidos Antikyra Άντρο Λειβηθριδών Τιλφούσιον/Πέτρα Ογχηστός Ελεών/Άρμα Νυμφών/Aγία Τριάδα Tilphousion/Petra Onchestos Eleon/Arma Σχηματάρι Cave of the Leibethrid Κορώνεια Schimatari Nymphs/Αgia Triada Koroneia Δήλιον/Δήλεσι Άσκρα/Άσκρη Θήβαι/Θήβα Τανάγρα Delion/Dilesi Καβίριον Ascra/Ascre Thebes/Τhiva Tanagra Ιερό των Μουσών Kabirion Sanctuary of the Muses Kαλλιθέα Kallithea Θεσπιαί/Θεσπιές Thespiae/Thespies ΑΣΩΠΟΣ / ASOPOS Κλειδί Κορσιαί/Xώστια Θίσβη Εύτρησις Kleidi Korsiai/Chostia Thisbe Ξηρονομή Λεύκτρα Eutresis Leuktra Δόμβραινα Xironome Domvraina ΘΕΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ ΜΝΗΜΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΒΟΙΩΤΙΑΣ Κρεύσις /Λιβαδόστρα Mονή Ζωοδόχου Πηγής Kreusis/Livadostra Ερυθραί/Eρυθρές Zoodochos Pege Monastery Erythrai/Erythres AND OF Πλάταια/Πλαταιές SITES MONUMENTS BOEOTIA Σίφαι/Αλυκή Plataia/Plataies Πάνακτο Αρχαιότητες / Αntiquities Σύγχρονα όρια Βοιωτίας Sifai/Alyke Modern borders of Boeotia Panakto Αρχαίο Ιερό / Ancient Sanctuary Eθνική οδός Αθήνας - Θεσσαλονίκης Σπήλαιο / Cave National Road Athens - Thessalonike ΚΙΘΑΙΡΩΝΑΣ Eκκλησία σε σπήλαιο / Church in cave Εθνική οδός Θήβας - Λιβαδειάς KITHAIRON National Road Thebes- Livadeia ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΑΚΟΣ ΚΟΛΠΟΣ Oχυρωματικά τείχη / Fortification walls ΑΤΤΙΚΗ Θήβαι Αρχαία ονομασία θέσης CORINTHIAN GULF Xριστιανικό μνημείο / Christian monument Thebes Ancient name of site ATTICA Αρχαίο θέατρο / Ancient theatre Θήβα Σύγχρονη ονομασία θέσης Μουσείο ή Συλλογή / Museum or Collection Thiva Modern name of site ΠΕΛΟΠΟΝΝΗΣΟΣ / PELOPONNESE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES The need for a modern museum, worthy of the atrium and head toward the covered archaeological centuries-long history of Boeotia, led to the radical site that has been retained in the foundations of the reconstruction and expansion of the previous building. museum (no. 16), and is visible from the exhibition At the same time, a re-exhibition was planned through the transparent glass floor in the hall of the with an almost total renewal of the exhibits, the Archaic period (no. 7) majority of which were from recent excavations. The The presentation of the archaeological material is new Archaeological Museum of Thebes welcomes supplemented with the use of new technologies, such visitors to a modernized exhibition area of 1,000 m2 as videos and digital interactive applications, drawings that houses a multitude of artefacts representing and three-dimensional representations of monuments millennia of continuous human activity in Boeotia. The and objects, informative pamphlets and educational exhibition follows the different levels of the building, publications. In the atrium (no. 15) is a showcase that the basic features of which have been adapted to the has been designed especially for people with disability slanting natural slopes of Kadmeia hill, with a central of movement or vision. And finally, an especially laid- atrium and an interior Γ - shaped gallery. In addition, out area, beside Section 16, is dedicated to educational the building alludes morphologically to features of programmes. Mycenaean architecture. The tour of the Archaeological Museum of Thebes The exhibition is arranged in a total of eighteen concludes with a stroll around the courtyard area – in sections, eleven of which follow a basic chronological which stone objects are exhibited, such as grave stelae, order, from the Paleolithic period to the creation epigraphs, the stands of statues and funeral lions (no. The new of the Greek state (nos. 3-14). Three additional, 17) – and a visit to the medieval tower (no. 18). more specialized sections present the history of the The exhibition has been designed to cover the Archaeological Museum of Thebes and the early desires of a versatile public, with diverse demands archaeological explorations in the region (reception and perceptions. Visitors have the opportunity to be Archaeological hall, no. 1), the myths related to Thebes (entrance guided through the long history of Boeotia through hall, no. 2) and the intellectual radiance of Boeotia characteristic finds, digital applications, informative from antiquity to the modern era (balcony, no. 15). material, reconstructions, but also by way of the The gallery, apart from being an autonomous section, Museum of Thebes monuments themselves, such as the tower and the can also be used as a short cut for the visitor with architectural works in the building foundations. ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES limited time. From the gallery, one can go into the 06 ΚΛΑΣΙΚΑ CLASSIC ΑΡΧΑΪΚΑ 8 ARCHAIC 16 7 6 ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΙΚΗ ΑΚΤΙΝΟΒΟΛΙΑ 15 CULTURAL RADIATION ΓΕΩΜΕΤΡΙΚΑ GEOMETRIC 11 9 17 ΜYΚΗΝΑΪΚΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΤΙΚΑ HELLENISTIC MYCENAEAN 5 10 12 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΣ ΧΩΡΟΣ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΣ BOEOTIAN MYTHS & DRAMA BOEOTIAN ΡΩΜΑΪΚΑ ROMAN ΒΟΙΩΤΙΚΟΙ ΜΥΘΟΙ & ΔΡΑΜΑ & ΜΥΘΟΙ ΒΟΙΩΤΙΚΟΙ 18 4 BYZANTINA BYZANTINE ΕΠΟΧΗ ΛΙΘΟΥ 3 STONE AGE 13 ΕΠΟΧΗ ΧΑΛΚΟΥ ΕΠΟΧΗ AGE BRONZE 2 ΜΥΘΟΣ MYTH 14 Χώροι Έκθεσης 1 Εxhibition Halls Ψηφιακές Eφαρμογές ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ ENTRANCE Digital Applications Αρχαιολογικός Χώρος Archaeological Site Μεσαιωνικός Πύργος Medieval Tower Εξυπηρέτηση Επισκεπτών Visitors Service ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THEBES Τουαλέτες WC 08 SECTION SHOWCASE 1 The first inventory of antiquities