THE COLLECTION OF PREHISTORIC ANTIQUITIES

The Prehistoric Collection is made up of exclusive peices of art that highlight the major civilizations that flourished in the Aegean from the 7th millennium to about 1050 B.C.

This refers to objects from the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, from mainland Greece, the Aegean islands and Troy. Key displays include the riches from the royal tombs at Mycenae, the Linear B tablets, the mysterious Cycladic marble figurines and the finely kept wall-paintings from Thera with their gigantic compositions.

Collection of Neolithic Antiquities (Hall 5)
- Enters to the "Thinker" («O Stoxastis»), the oldest symbol of male nature and thinking.
- Navigate the Neolithic Era typical of the household items such as, crockery and utensils – developed for three millennia in the fertile land of Thessaly and Central Greece. 
- Below are the showcases of the figurines.

Collection of Cycladic Antiquities (Hall 6)
- Includes unique finds from all periods of the Cycladic civilization.
- Exposed chronologically the Protocycladic era, in principle, the period from the cemeteries of Paros, Antiparos, Despotiko, Milos (TCM) with features marble cookware (candles, pallets) marble figurines and engraved ceramics.
- Findings from cemeteries of Naxos, Syros, Sifnos, Amorgos, features marble figurines with folded arms and ceramics with printed spirals and triangles or painting decoration.

Collection of Antiquities of Thera (Hall 48)
- Houses famous murals
- Select works from the Mycenaean Greece, the Palace of Knossos.
- Summarizes the wider Aegean world in which Thera held prominent position before the eruption of the volcano.

Collection of Mycenaean Antiquities (Halls 3 & 4)
- The brilliant Mycenaean civilization is presented in three sections: The Guards, the imposing tombstones that stand at the entrance of the exhibition. The second section of the room reveals the secrets of Mycenaean palaces. Guests watch at thematically organized showcases the religious lives of great centers, the palatial art-paintings, the production of the Royal laboratories, the State files written in Linear b writing, international relations and the overseas trade of major centers of the Peloponnese. The Column and the crater of warriors in the midst of praise.
 

THE COLLECTION OF SCULPTURES

- Vast array of singular pieces showing the evolution of ancient Greek sculpture from 700 B.C. to the 5th c .A.D.
- Center of exhibit created in 1874.
- The gradual acquisition of antiquities yielded by excavations or purchased by the Archaeological Society of Athens (1884-1893), and also by the transfer of the most important sculptures in the provinces of Greece to the National Museum.
- Works derived from sanctuaries, cemeteries and public buildings in Attica, Central Greece, the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands, as well as an important amount of sculptures from Thessaly, West Greece, Macedonia, Thrace and Cyprus.


THE COLLECTION OF METALWORK (Halls 36-39)

- Become acquainted with bronze manufacturing of sculpture creations.
- Highlights the evolution and variety of machinations through sets of findings mainly from temples in mainland Greece and the Islands.
- View the Antikythera wreck and the area of Ampelokipoi in Athens.
- Utensils, tools and instruments enlightening facets of everyday life.
- Arrowheads, spearheads and Javelin from the site of the battle of Thermopylae and chariot fittings.


THE COLLECTION OF VASES AND MINOR ARTS

The Stathatou Collection

The Vlastos-Serpieris Collection
- The exhibition of the Vlastos-Serpieris Collection includes 452 items dating from prehistoric times down to the 4th century B.C.
- Hall 60 contains artifacts dating from the prehistoric period (3200-1200 B.C.) found in Egypt, Crete the Cyclades and Mycenean Greece (case 1). As well as representative examples of pottery produced by the Corinthian (case 2), Boeotian (case 3) and Attic (cases 5-8) work-shops from the 8th to the 5th century B.C. Case 4 has clay and bronze items from various periods and workshops. At the centre of the room (case 9) is a display of part of the Vlastos archive, related to his per-sonality and the forming of his Collection.
- In Hall 61 the chronological presentation of the Attic workshop continues (cases 10-17), with material from the 5th to the 4th century B.C. Finally, there is a display of the artefacts from Taras (cases 18-19) representing the pottery and goldsmith’s workshops of this major Spartan colony in Magna Graecia.

The Terracotta Figurines Collection
- The 550 terracotta figurines of the National Archaeological Museum are exhibited in 2 rooms according to their chronological development from the Geometric to the Roman period. They represent the main production workshops of the Greek world (Attic, Boeotian, Ionian, Euboean, Cretan), as well as the most important of those in the Peloponnese and Asia Minor.
- In Room 58 one follows the coroplastic types of the Boeotian workshop, from the flat female figurines with birdlike faces and tall crowns of the 6th c. BC, to the peplophoroi of the 5th and 4th c. BC, and from these to the well-known "Tanagras" with fine garments and elegant hats. Boeotian figurines of youths follow a similar course, those of the 5th c. B.C., who usually hold a cockerel in their left hand, gradually developing by the 4th c. B.C. into the mid-Hellenistic period. The Attic workshop progresses from the handmade bell- shaped figurines of the Geometric period to the types of the enthroned goddess (possibly Athena herself) and the standing female holding a flower or fruit to her breast of the 6th and 5th c. B.C.
- The terracotta figurines from Myrina in Asia Minor.

The Jewellry Collection
- Items made of precious and semi-precious materials served the need for the extravagance and personal display of their owners.
- Includes pieces like exquisite diadems, necklaces, valuable earrings and belts, bracelets, and gold rings were decorated with themes from nature and mythology. Everyday items belonging to the rulers and upper classes, like those for the symposium, were of gold, silver, and bronze.

The Collection of Glass Vases
- Used to show off wealth and sophistication.
- Includes vases compete with and displace clay ones, simply black-glazed or decorated with vegetal or geometric themes, and occasionally gilded. Characteristic types of the latter are lagynoi, oinochoae, unguentaria, relief skyphoi, and cinerary urns of the Hadra type.
 

THE COLLECTION OF EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES

The ancient Egyptian civilization is the only other great Mediterranean civilization, besides the Greek, to be represented in the National Archaeological Museum since 1890.

The new display comprises objects of the previous exhibition (1994-2002) and a large number of new artifacts, shown here for the first time. The exhibits (statues, figurines, sarcophagi, mummy cases, animal mummies, vases, funeral caskets, jewellery, etc.) cover all aspects of Egyptian civilization. The purpose of the new display is to acquaint the visitor with daily life in ancient Egypt. The exhibits are arranged on the basis of their function with funerary practices and ancient Egyptian religion having a special place. The close relationship between the ancient Greek and Egyptian civilizations is also highlighted.

- The display is arranged chronologically with each chronological component divided into thematic units (authority, worship and rituals, funerary customs and beliefs, daily life, magic, etc.). Diachronic thematic units include music, scarabs, script, and Egyptian deities.


THE COLLECTION OF CYPRIOTIC ANTIQUITIES

Cyprus is the furthest east Mediterranean island and the third largest, closely following Sicily and Sardinia. Where this island is found and it copper sediments made it an important trading center between the Aegean and the Near East.

Seen here, are nearly 180 of the museum’s Cypriot Collection’s artifacts, highlighting the eras of Cypriot art from the Early Bronze Age (c. 2500 B.C.) to the Roman period (4th c. A.D.). The display attempts to illustrate many aspects of ancient life in Cyprus, such as religion, art and commerce, while distinguishing the disposition of the Cypriot civilization and its ties with Greek culture.
- Among the exhibits are beautifully decorated prehistoric and archaic vases, unique clay figurines of votive character, characteristic sculptures with evident Greek influence, as well as representative copper artifacts, five of which were lent by the Republic of Cyprus especially for the exhibition.