The Archaeological Museum of Pella ( el, Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Πέλλας) is a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make th ...

Pella Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. On site of the ancient cit ...

in the Pella regional unit of

Central Macedonia Central Macedonia ( el, Κεντρική Μακεδονία, Kentrikí Makedonía, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the central part of the geographical and historical region of Macedonia. With a populat ...

. The building was designed by architect Kostas Skroumpellos and is on the site of the ancient city of Pella. It was completed in 2009 with the support of the Greece's Third Community Support Framework. It is situated near the

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

of the

ancient Macedonia Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

n palace. The building has a rectangular

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

, as a reference to the central

peristyle In ancient Greek and Roman architecture, a peristyle (; from Greek ) is a continuous porch formed by a row of columns surrounding the perimeter of a building or a courtyard. Tetrastoön ( grc, τετράστῳον or τετράστοον, lit=f ...

courtyard of ancient houses in Pella. The information section provides texts, photographs, maps, drawings a model of the archaeological site and a short video about Pella. In the entrance there are two important exhibits: A head considered a portrait of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

and a statuette with the characteristic attributes of the god Pan. The daily life of Pella is the first thematic group of the exhibition. The most important exhibits are the mosaic floors from the Houses of

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

, and of the Abduction of Helen from the House of the Wall Plasters. The excavation finds provide much information about daily life in ancient Pella (restoration of furniture and models, cloths, etc.) The second thematic group is about public life in Pella. The finds come from excavations in the Agora and are related to the city's administration (coins, inscriptions, sculpture), the production and commerce (vases for transporting wines terracotta figurines, equipment from pottery). The third thematic group consists of mosaics from Pella’s sanctuaries (the sanctuaries of Darron, the Mother of Gods and

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols incl ...

, the Thesmophorion), and other findings as inscriptions, vases, metal objects. The fourth thematic group is the findings from the city’s cemeteries. There are burials from the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

, Geometric and Archaic periods (9th-6th BC centuries), the

Classical era Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...

(5th-4th BC centuries), and the

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

(3rd, 2nd BC centuries). The findings give information about the language of the residents (

Doric Greek Doric or Dorian ( grc, Δωρισμός, Dōrismós), also known as West Greek, was a group of Ancient Greek dialects; its varieties are divided into the Doric proper and Northwest Doric subgroups. Doric was spoken in a vast area, that includ ...

language), the funeral customs etc. The last grouping is the palace gallery and presents information about the architectural form of the palace, and the life and personality of Alexander the Great.

Gallery

File:Stag hunt mosaic, Pella.jpg, The Stag Hunt Mosaic
(c. 300 BC) File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-169.jpg, Small food bowls from a cupboard in an ancient house (late 4th-early 1st BC century) File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-171.jpg, Cremation mid 5th century. Storage vessel used as an um. Female terracotta figurine File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-172.jpg, Elements of decoration of wooden burial couches and coffers File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-173.jpg, Mould of a Satyr and figure from the mould in the form of an incense burner File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-174.jpg, Rhyton in the form of phallus (drinking and libation vessel) File:Bronze helmet, Portable excavation finds connected with everyday life, the world of men, Archaeological Museum, Pella (6919128998).jpg, Bronze helmet File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-175.jpg, Detail from a mosaic 'Griffin attacking deer' File:Pella Museum -- Mosaic 01.jpg, 'Hunting a lion' mosaic File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-176.jpg, Detail from the mosaic File:Macedonian Museums-40-Arx Pellas-177.jpg, Decoration of the dining room wall in a house known as the house of the plasterworks File:Finds from the rock-cut chamber tomb, Archaeological Museum, Pella (7076059367).jpg, Exhibits File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 08.jpg, Dionysos mosaic File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 02.jpg, Marble head of Alexander the Great (325-300 BC). Chance find from the area of

Giannitsa Giannitsa ( el, Γιαννιτσά , in English also Yannitsa, Yenitsa) is the largest city in the regional unit of Pella and the capital of the Pella municipality, in the region of Central Macedonia in northern Greece. The municipal unit Gian ...

. File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 13.jpg, Poseidon bronze statuette File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 28.jpg, Exhibits File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 35.jpg, Terracotta figurine of Aphrodite removing her sandal. Votive offerings from the Sanctuary of the Mother of Gods and Aphrodite (late 4th-early 1st BC century) File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 18.jpg, Gold mask File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 11.jpg, Gold jewellery File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 43.jpg, Grave goods File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 39.jpg, Pottery File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 29.jpg, Pottery arbor File:+ 2009 wurde das Archäologische Museum in Pella eröffnet. 42.jpg, Weapons

Sources

External links

Official websiteHellenic Ministry of Culture and TourismArchaeological Museum of Pella - Ebook by Latsis Foundation
{{Authority control

Ancient Pella Museums established in 2009 Buildings and structures in Pella (regional unit) 2009 establishments in Greece