Archaeological Museum of Nafplion

At one end of Syntagma Square in Old Town Nafplio, there’s an early 18th century building with Venetian arches and tiled roof. It was formerly a military barracks, and now it’s the home of the Archaeological Museum of Nafplion.

It was small as museums go, and its two floors were packed with artifacts from the surrounding area. Most items had been excavated from tombs: clay pottery, stone jewelry, and metal tools and weapons. The most notable collections were those from the Mycenaean civilization, about 1750 to 1050 BCE.

There were hundreds of clay vessels, particularly amphorae (two-handled vases). It was interesting to see how the shapes and decorations had evolved through the ages. One beautifully painted amphora contained the oil won as the prize in the Panathenaic Games held every four years in Athens.

Jar

Mycenaean cemetery at Nafplion, Evalngelistria, on the northeastern slope of Palamidi, 1600-1300 BCE

Amphorae

Epidaurus, 2075-1050 BCE | Tyrna, 850-800 BCE | Nafplion, 730-600 BCE

Leader and horse motif

Krater with male figure and horses, Tiryns, 730-690 BCE

Geometric period pyxis with lid

Tiryns, 730-690 BCE

Panathenaic amphora

By the Mastos Painter, 530-520 BCE

Other tomb artifacts included female figurines made of clay and necklaces made with beads of semi-precious stones. There were a few gold objects - some jewelry, and a “hoard” of gold coins from a nearby sanctuary honoring the godess Artemis.

Female figurines

Nafplion chamber tomb, 1400-1350 BCE

Necklace of glass, carnelian, and amethyst beads

Kazarma tholos tomb, 1500-1450 BCE

String of gold beads

Dendra chamber tomb I, 1500-1350 BCE

Numismatic hoard of 92 golden staters, found inside clay vessel

Epidaurus, Sanctuary of Artemis, 700-600 BCE

The most significant artifact was a rare and remarkably intact suit of bronze armor from the Mycenaean cemetery at Dendra. The accompanying helmet was covered in ivory from boars’ tusks. Just one helmet required tusks from around forty boars! The elite Mycenaean warriors wore bronze armor and drove two-wheeled chariots. It must have been an impressive display of force.

Dendra panoply

Mycenaean cemetery at Dendra, end of 15th century BCE

Boars tusk helmet

Mycenaean cemetery at Dendra, end of 15th century BCE

Near the stairs was a series of photographs of the excavations during the 1950s, taken by noted Greek photographer Nikolaos Tombazis. It was hot, tedious work, and definitely not for me!

The museum’s collection of artifacts was impressive. The sheer number of items displayed and the span of history covered was mind-boggling. I’m thankful that the exhibits were captioned in English as well as Greek. However, I would have liked to learn more about the lives of the people who used (or were buried with) these pots and tools and jewels. I think the museum would benefit from exhibiting fewer artifacts and telling more stories.