Ancient Hellas: Archaeological Museum of Eretria

The Museum of Eretria is one of the most important archaeological museums in the Greek area, which presents findings from various eras. Prominent them hold the sculpture of the temple of Apollo, and especially the cluster of Theseus with the Amazon Antiope. The Museum is located in close proximity to the site, which helps to better understand. The building of the museum belongs to the Greek state and its expansion to a second great hall was funded by the Swiss School of Archaeology. The findings from excavations of the local Inspectorate and foreign archaeological schools (Swiss and British School) in the area of Eretria. Chronologically cover the entire spectrum of the region inhabited by the Bronze Age to the Roman times.

There is a chronological classification of cabinets and objects, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest. The museum exhibited pottery of all periods, and relief sculptures of the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Age, bronze objects such as vases, statuettes, fancy goods from the East, jewelry of gold, silver, copper, faience (buckles, chains, earrings, etc. ) and armature tube. As important exhibits may be considered the sculpture complex of Theseus by Antiope from the west pediment of the temple of Apollo at Eretria, a clay statuette from Lefkandi Centauri, which is the earliest representation of this mythical creature, the bronze horse blinder embossed with a scene from northern Syria and Panathenaic amphorae. In the lobby of the Museum houses sculptures of the 4th century. BC and inscriptions, one of which is writing "boustrophedon." The first main hall of the museum include prehistoric finds of Eretria, as well as three neighboring prehistoric settlements of these Xeropolis of Amarinthos and Magoulas. The Xeropolis located northwest of Eretria and it has an important position and the end of the Helladic and Mycenaean Age. The settlement of Amarinthos discovered on an artificial hill southeast of Eretria and starts from the Early Helladic period (circa 3000 BC). The Magoula located between Eretria and Amarinthos dates chronologically and also EH Age. The most important items, however, come from the PG cemetery bleach and Eretria. In the second room overlooks the west pediment of the temple of Apollo, dating from the late sixth century. BC and is an example of high art.

The windows that frame the sculptures are objects from daily life, private life at home, from the sports life (Panathenaic amphorae), of the devotional life of the dead and life (offerings from Classical, Hellenistic and Roman graves). Finally, in the courtyard of the museum architectural tombstones and resolutions, as well as the important discovery of the ceramic furnace found in the ancient agora of Eretria, dating to the Middle Helladic period (2000 - 1650 BC). The Archaeological Museum of Eretria has a vestibule, two main halls, yard and warehouse. The museum is overseen by the IA Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities based in Chalkis Evia.

The Archaeological Museum of Eretria, as it appears today, is the latest in a series of museums and collections of Evia organized during the years 1983-1991 with the responsibility of the then Registrar, Mr. E. Sapouna Sakellaraki. The first museum building was built in 1961 to house finds from the region, which was concentrated in a small warehouse in the city of Eretria. The main findings from Eretria, the sculptures of the temple of Apollo, were exposed in the Archaeological Museum of Chalkis, and other objects were transferred to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Finally, many important discoveries in the region are in foreign museums. The opening of the Museum of Eretria made in 1991. In the primary phase of the Museum had a small room as an exhibition space, a lobby, a storage room and a courtyard, which was revamped in 1969 to expose the inscriptions there. The organization's first report was of a purely chronological dimension, in display cases were placed various objects. The current organization of the exhibition was funded entirely by the Swiss Archaeological School, which provided similar artistic and scientific personnel, and done in collaboration with the Greek Archaeological Service. It was considered essential in teaching aids, which would give a clear and intelligible as possible a more complete picture of the role of ancient Eretria and the wider region of the island's history. Through the windows, and placed in special rooms informative tables and drawings, and in the center of the room is placed first summarizes the history of Eretria. The needs created by the continued excavation activities in the area of Eretria by K. Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities (Amarinthos) and the Swiss School of Archaeology (Eretria) and the British School (Lefkandi) necessitated the expansion of the museum. Created another great hall, which placed the sculptures of the temple of Apollo, as it was necessary to be exposed in close proximity to the space agencies, but also several other findings. The sculptures of the temple were transferred to the Museum of Eretria in 1990 and now presents the visitor a good overview of Eretria through the area and the findings.

Among the most important exhibits of the museum are:
- Clay alabastron of the late Mycenaean period (1200-1000 BC) from Lefkandi. It bears representation of griffins, roes and deers.

- Fragment with semetic language

- The "Kentaur of Lefkandi" (950-900 BC).

The clay protogeometric figurine was discovered broken in two parts, each deposited in a different grave. It is the earliest representation of the mythical creature composed of part human and part horse.

- Necklace made of faience beads representing Isis and Horos (1050-900 BC).

Important specimen of minor art, the necklace was found at the cemetery of Lekfandi along with other valuable items imported from Cyprus and Phoenicia, finds that confirm the interactions of Lefkandi, located in the wider region of Eretria, with Cyprus and Phoenicia during the early historic times.

- Funerary amphora (800-700 BC).

It contained the cremated bones of a child. In terms of shape and decoration, this pot is a characteristic product of the Euboean pottery workshop.

- Funerary black-figure amphora (560 BC) from the necropolis of Eretria. On the main side it depicts the fight between Herakles and Kentaurs, while on the other side the "Potnia Theron" ("Mistress of the Animals"), the Minoan deity which is considered as a prodromic form of the goddess Artemis.

- The pedimental sculptural complex of Theseus and Antiope from the temple of Apollo Daphnephoros (510-500 BC). One of the most important examples of the Late Archaic period, it represents the abduction of the queen of Amazons Antiope by Theseus, the legendary king and founder of Athens. The narrative scene also included the goddess Athena, which was the central figure, and several fighting Amazons. The decoration of the temple is considered as a work of the Athenian sculptor Antenor, to whom is also attributed one of the most renowned Kore statues of the Acropolis museum, the "Antenor Kore".

- Panathenaic amphora (363-62 BC) found during the excavation of a house in Eretria. These large vessels, full of oil, were given as prizes to the winners of the Panathenaic Games. They bore a typical pictorial decoration, with the armed goddess Athena on the main side, while on the rear side was depicted the sport in which the awarded athlete won - in the case of the Eretria amphora wrestling.

- Terracotta Gorgoneion (380-323 BC), decorative element from the so-called "House of Mosaics" of Eretria. Gorgoneion was the depiction of the head of Medusa Gorgo, the mythical creature whose image was considered in classical antiquity as evil-averting.

- Black-figure epinetron depicting symposium scene (end of the 6th century BC) from Amarynthos. One of the most unusual pottery shapes, the epinetron, was placed over the thigh during the preparation of wool for weaving.