Power of Mycenaean civilization showcased in Kalamata exhibition
The Archaeological Museum of Messinia in Kalamata in the southwestern Peloponnese is launching an exhibition featuring artifacts from the Mycenaean civilization in southwestern Greece, including the remarkable findings from the remarkable Griffin Warrior Tomb.
The exhibition will run from Friday, February 14, through April 27.
Titled “Princes of Pylos: Treasures of the Bronze Age from Messinia,” the exhibition highlights the evolution of the Mycenaean from the end of the Middle Helladic period to the beginning of the Late Helladic era, demonstrating its peak in the late 13th century BC, when the Kingdom of Pylos, centered at the Palace of Nestor, controlled much of Messinia.
Among the exhibition’s key pieces are the artifacts from the Griffin Warrior Tomb, discovered in 2015. These include the skeleton of a male warrior and hundreds of objects buried alongside him. More recent discoveries are also included, such as artifacts from tholos tombs VI and VII in Englianos, the tholos tomb in Psari, the finely decorated crown from Myrsinochori and other significant objects from older excavations.
Speaking about the exhibition at a press conference on Wednesday, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni underscored the invaluable historical insights it offers into the Mycenaean era.
Mendoni also praised the systematic efforts of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia in promoting key Mycenaean sites, such as the so-called Palace of Nestor, the tholos tombs and the archaeological site of Peristeria. She noted the recent restoration and expansion of the Archaeological Museum in Chora as part of these initiatives and spoke of the Cultural Walk project, titled “Monumental Works of Cyclopes and Humans During the Mycenaean Period (2nd Millennium BCE),” funded by the Recovery Fund. This initiative aims to connect important Mycenaean sites across 17 regional units, spanning from central Greece to the Peloponnese and Kefalonia.
Heading to the Getty
The exhibition has been organised in cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia and archaeologists from the Archaeological Museum of Messinia. Additionally, archaeologists Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker, who discovered the Griffin Warrior Tomb during their excavations at the Palace of Nestor in Ano Englianos, contributed to the project. Their research was conducted under the aegis of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens and supervised by the Greek Ministry of Culture through the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia.
Following its run in Kalamata, the exhibition will travel to the Getty Villa Museum in California, where it will be inaugurated on June 25 and remain on display until January 2026. Upon its return to Greece, it will be showcased at the National Archaeological Museum before becoming a permanent exhibit at the Archaeological Museum of Messinia.
The Archaeological Museum of Messinia is located at Benaki & 3 Aghiou Ioanni, Kalamata 24100. Winter operating hours (until March 31) are from 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., except Tuesdays and holidays when the museum is closed. For further details on the excavations at Ano Englianos, please visit https://griffinwarrior.org.
