National Museum

Experiencing the National Archeological Museum was the most intellectually fulfilling of all the museums we visited. Off the bat, this museum housed some of the most historically valuable pieces, including but not limited to the Mask of Agamemnon. The mask is controversial in that when Heinrich Schliemann discovered it in the 1870's, he announced it to be the actual face imprint of Agamemnon, although the chances of it being so are quite slim. Seeing these very ancient and historically important pieces under one roof was quite an experience. Another notable feature of the National Archeological Museum was the layout of the building and location of artifacts. If there was a main room, there would be smaller rooms branching off to the side in which one could get a feel for the chronological order in which events occurred, including understanding how one era/culture produced the artifacts being viewed (with the time, conditions, and relationship with other cultures playing roles in this) and subsequently see the transition and development of that culture. By stepping into the very old bronze age room and seeing what kind of tools, art, pottery, etc. they used helps us to get a feel of how life was like for them, to some extent. Going then to the Mycenaean artifacts and later seeing the Minoan ones demonstrates how influential one culture was to the other. All in all, putting the things we are seeing in chronological context gives a much better understanding of the how and why of that culture/era and shows how it was a predecessor to the next wave of culture. Chronologically walking down long corridors of Classical 5th century Greek sculpture, then making the transition to Roman sculpture made more sense than if they had been grouped differently. This way, it is understandable why all of a sudden the sculpture changes from ideal to realistic. So, in conclusion the layout was excellent, the artifacts were many and good, including some really famous ones, including the Mask of Agamemnon and some Minoan frescoes. I also felt there was a well rounded collection at this museum. For instance, in one particular culture or era one could count on seeing many different types of artifacts, such as functional pieces like tools but also art (which could also be functional.) This well rounded presentation is good because it also allows the onlooker to get a good sense of the entire culture, not just a single aspect of it. Here we could find 3-d art, such as Cycladic statues and pottery, even 3-d phalluses.  There were also maps and mini-recreations of sites in 3-d so we could better understand what the original site must have looked like. The National Museum offered the chance to see some amazing artifacts in a well laid out manner, suited for the best possible way to see all these things.

Chronology of Artifacts

Cycladic

3200-1100 BC

Island

Votive

Kourous

6th Century BC

Memorial or offering to donor or Gods

5th Century BC Classical

Style invoked by

-Democracy

-Success against Persians

-Realization of Man's limits/relationship with Gods

Minoan/Mycenaean

1600-1100 BC

Mycenaean civilization resided on mainland Greece and the Minoans originated in the island of Crete and moved outward. Subsequently, there is a strong ocean influence reflected in much of Minoan art, including wall and vase painting. They were influential to the Mycenaean. These civilizations were precursors to who we now know as Greeks.