The Heraklion Archaeological Museum

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is one of the most important museums in Greece and in the world.

Located in the heart of town, this museum offers an extraordinary glimpse into Crete’s ancient history and culture. It houses the magnificent artefacts of the Minoan civilization, such as frescoes, pottery, gold jewellery, religious objects, and sculptures.

 

How to get to the museum and useful information

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is located in the centre of the town, just a short walk from the main Eleftherias Square. If you’re staying in Heraklion, it’s easily accessible on foot or by public transport – check the KTEL schedule.

Also, organized tours from other cities of Crete include visiting Knossos Palace, the town, and the museum.
First, we visited Knossos Palace, and then we went to the museum.
👉 You can read more about the stunning Knossos Palace here.

♦ Address: Xanthoudidou 2, Heraklion
◊ Opening Hours:
During the summer, every day is from 8 to 20h, except Wednesdays, when it is from 13 to 20h.
During the winter, every day is from 8.30 to 15.30h, except on Wednesdays from 10 – 17h.
Check the official website for updated information.
♦ Price ticket:
The full ticket costs 12 EUR in the summer season, 6 EUR during the winter period, and 6 EUR is the reduced price. Check out the list of free entrances here.
◊ If you like, rent an audio guide or join a guided tour.
♦ It takes approximately two or three hours to visit the museum because there are so many various items to see 🙂

 

A few words about the history of the museum

The museum was established in 1908, but the present building was constructed between 1935 and 1958 on the site of the Roman Catholic Monastery of Saint Francis. The last restoration work took place from 2001 to 2014.

The collection includes numerous items from the Neolithic times to the Greco-Roman period. But the most important artefacts belong to the Minoan civilisation. I have to say that I was so impressed by the quantity and variety of exhibits, that I could stay there all day…

Maybe it is because of my childish dream to be an archaeologist and to discover lost cities and civilizations 🙂

 

 

What to see in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

So, the exhibition is located in 27 rooms. You can see the Minoan collection and sculptures on the ground floor in twelve rooms. Also, there is a Sculpture section in the rooms XXVI and XXVII. The Minoan frescoes and Greek-Roman collection are on the first floor.

The private collections of S. Giamalakis and N. Th. Metaxas are in separate sections in room XXIII, XIV and XXV, while a lecture hall is in Room XXIV. The remains of the Venetian monastery of St Francis can be seen in the museum garden.

Rooms I and II: Neolithic life

The first two rooms contain exhibits from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages on Crete (6000-1900 BC).

The first settlement was founded on the hill of Knossos, in the Kairatos River Valley. The houses were small with a few rooms and strong walls. The inhabitants were engaged in fishing, hunting, and vegetables, and they exchanged goods for survival.

So, many pottery objects, jewellery, clay figurines, and burial objects from Knossos, Malia, Mesara, Archanes, and Mochlos can be seen there.

 

Gold jewellery from sites of Messara, Mochlos and North Crete looks stunning!
There are various necklaces, gold items, gold ornaments, diadems, myrtle leaves, chains with appendages… One of the highlights is the gold pendant of two bees with a cup of honey, found in the Malia burial complex (1800-1700 BC).

 

Room III: The first or old palaces

In this room, you can see daily life items, as well as objects used in economic and administration services. The exhibits were found at the first Minoan palaces such as Knossos, Phaistos and Malia from the period of 1900 to 1700 BC. By the way, the old palaces probably were destroyed by fire around 1700 BC.

The social status and prestige of the palatial elite were presented in this period due to funds such as the gold-sheathed luxury weapons, and gold jewellery.

 

Pithoi is a Greek name for a large jar used for storage of agricultural products. The pithos in the photo below were made from 1800 to 1650 BC, during the First Palace period, and they were found in Phaistos. They are approximately 50-60 cm high, with monochrome and polychrome decorations.

 

Pottery in Polychrome Kamares Ware style

I was so impressed by this pottery because it looks incredible even today! This style of decorating first appeared during the Middle Minoan period (around 2100 BCE), and lasted until the Late Minoan period, around 1450 BC.

 

The Kamares Ware pottery was used for the royal dinner service in Phaistos. Also, these items were a luxury product of the Minoan export trade and they were found around the Mediterranean.

 

The vases, cups, jugs, vessels, pithos, and kraters are made in various sizes and forms. They are decorated with white, yellow, orange and red motifs on a dark background.

 

Take a look at the beautifully decorated vase – krater, about 45 cm high, with a tall foot and white flowers, from 1750-1700 BC.

 

Linear A script 

One of the Greek mysteries is the Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A script, and until today, they are not fully deciphered.
Linear A is the earliest record found in the First Palace of Phaistos. It consists of “syllabograms”, symbols depicting people, animals or objects and phonetically representing syllables. “Logograms” are special symbols that represent whole words, such as olives, wine, and other goods. Other symbols represent a decimal numerical system and units of measurement, for recording goods.

 

Also, a complex system of Sealings with various symbols was developed to control the trade. Take a look at some of them which date back to the late 18th BC, found in Phaistos.

 

A large wooden model of the Knossos Palace can be seen as well, so visitors can imagine what she looks like. As I have mentioned in the previous post about Knossos Palace, it was a large complex composed of many rooms, corridors and objects.

 

Rooms IV and V: New palaces and Phaistos Disc

The exhibits in these two rooms belong to the period of the new palaces and villas, from 1700-1450 BC, and the development of maritime trade.

The multi-storeyed and beautiful palaces were built in the towns, which represented the ruler and administrative centres. The largest palace was in Knossos, and the famous palaces were built in Phaistos, Malia, Galatas, and Zakras.

 

Also, Minean fleets ruled the Mediterranean Sea. Owing to Cretan traders, the Minoan objects have been found on the Aegean islands, in Egypt, and in the East.
Pottery objects made with Marine motifs can be seen in Room V.

 

Phaistos Disc

One of the museum’s highlights is the Phaistos Disc in Room V.
It was discovered in 1908 by the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernie, in the Phaistos Palace. The disc is a rounded clay about 15 cm in diameter, dating back to 1700 BCE. It has 241 occurrences with 45 mysterious signs, unlike any known writing system. They were inscribed on both sides in a spiral pattern. It looks like it can be a combination of Cretan hieroglyphs, Linear A, Linear B and Anatolian hieroglyphs.

 

Despite many attempts, the disc with the Minoan script is not fully deciphered, until the present time. Some archaeologists think it could be a prayer, a poem, or a religious text.

After more than 30 years of researching Minoan artefacts, Dr Gareth Owens, an archaeologist and coordinator of the Erasmus program of Crete Technological Institute, thinks that it could be a hymn to Astarte, the Minoan goddess of love.
Well, it is still one of the most interesting mysteries of Greek archaeology.

 

By the way, you can see there a preview of the Draughtboard (Greek: Zatrikion), a luxury gaming board (1700-1500 BC), found in Knossos Palace. The dimensions of the board were 96 x 53 cm. It had a wooden base,  and it was decorated with ivory, gold leaves, silver and crystals. Even though it is not known today how it was played, this board was a symbol of the Knossos’ wealth.

 

Room VI: Daily life and sport

The exhibits in Room VI are dedicated to daily private and public life and sports.

Banquets had a significant place in the social Minoan life. Special vessels and jars were used to cook and serve food and drinks for these events. You can see large bronze cauldrons (1500-1450 BC) found in one of the villas in Tylissos, 16 km from Heraklion. The biggest cauldron is about 44 cm high and 1.25 metres in diameter.

Three oversized double axes from 1600-1450 BC were found in Nirou Chani, an archaeological site located 15 km from Heraklion. So, the biggest object is 118 cm long, and two others are 93 cm long. Impressive, isn’t it 🙂

 

Bull-Leaping Fresco

One of the highlights is certainly the reconstructed Bull-leaping Fresco from the Knossos Palace, 1600-1400 BC.
The dimensions of the fresco are 78 x 104 cm, and it represents the ancient Minoan ritual and sport.

On the following photo, you can see two female figures painted in white and one male figure painted in brown. So, one female holds the bull’s horns to reduce its speed. The man, an acrobat is in an upside-down position leaping over the back of a charging bull. And the second woman is back with outstretched arms to catch the leaper when he lands.

It is believed that these leaping-bull games took place in ceremonies before a crowd, in the Central Court of the Knossos Palace. Even though we cannot understand the games completely, many cultures around the world have had bull sports during history, such as the most famous Spanish bullfighting.

 

Room VII and VIII – Minoan religion in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

These two rooms are dedicated to the symbols of the Minoan religion: ritual vessels and sanctuaries, during the Late Bronze Age (1700-1450 BC).

One of the most interesting objects is the stone Bull’s head rhyton (1600-1500). The bull is a religious symbol and it was found in the Little Palace, in Knossos. It is considered the masterpiece of Minoan culture. By the way, the rhyton represents various ornate drinking vessels of ancient times. Usually, it is shaped like an animal’s head.

The “Snake Goddess” figurines (1650-1550 BC) will certainly attract your attention. In 1903, English archaeologist Arthur Evans found them in the Temple of Repositories of the Knossos Palace. Two female faience figurines represent goddesses. Snakes, often symbolizing the renewal of life, are around their bodies and hands.

 

The Golden “Ring of Minos” was discovered in 1928 in a field near the Royal Temple Tomb of Knossos, and it may be the largest ever found in Crete.
The complex epiphany scene is a mix of figures, such as dancing goddesses, a man in a small boat carrying the shrine, and various symbols. It is connected with the Minoan religious belief, which is expressed in the worship of the Great Goddess, protector of nature. In fact, they believe that the cohesion and stability of the natural world are ensured by divine powers.

 

During communal religious ceremonies, a file of men and women were bearing ritual vessels. The most important ceremony was presented on the “Fresco of the Procession”, from the Knossos Palace.

The unusual ritual vessel with eight handles (1500-1450 BC) was found in the Zakros palace. Various conical rhytons are interestingly decorated with spirals and rosettes, or they are made of stone.

 

Rooms IX, X and XI: Cemeteries and Linear B script

Well, Room IX represents the final phase of the Knossos Palace’s use (1450-1300). Actually, after the destruction of the Minoan palatial centres in 1450 BC, only the Knossos palace continued to be used, where the Mycenaean rulers established their rule.

In these rooms, you can see various objects from 1900 to 1300 BC, found in the cemeteries of Phaistos, Knossos, and Archanes.

 

For centuries, jewellery was an important status symbol, and many people were buried with rich grave offerings and gold jewellery. Even today, everything looks fascinating: necklaces of gold and blue-sand, crystals, then rings, earrings, ornaments… In a word, all of them are fantastic masterpieces!

 

On the other side, the warriors were buried with various weapons, swords, spears, and helmets, depending on their social status.

Egyptian amphora

An interesting amphora of alabaster was found in the cemetery of Katsambas, the harbour of Knossos. It is an Egyptian amphora with hieroglyphic inscription including the cartouche of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III.

It is believed that it was a diplomatic gift from Pharaoh Tuthmosis III to the ruler of Knossos. An amphora was produced in a royal workshop during the reign of Tuthmosis III. It is approximately corresponds to the Late Minoan period in Crete.

 

Goddesses with uprising hands – Poppy Goddesses

Room XI houses clay figurines of Goddesses with uprising hands from the Late Bronze Age, 13th century BC.

The figurines were found at the sanctuary at Gazi, a suburb of Heraklion. They are also known as the “Poppy Goddesses” because of the opium poppy seedheads rising from the diadem on their heads. Hmm, we can only wonder today whether the Minoans used opium in ancient times…

 

Linear B script

Many inscribed clay tablets with Greek Linear B script were found in Crete. They represent a complex system of palatial administration and economy. Linear B is considered the oldest known dialect of the Greek language. In Room IX, you can see tablets in various sizes and texts.

 

By the way, we found the Linear B tablets from the Mycenean era in the new Archaeological Museum in Pylos. They were found during the excavations in Messinia, in the Peloponnese. In the museum, they are presented modernly, supported by digital applications.
👉 You can read more about Pylos, the museum and Navarino Bay here.

 

Room XII: The World of the Dead

Room XII is dedicated to the world of the dead and afterlife beliefs.

 

One of the most impressive is the sarcophagus from 1370-1320 BC, found in a funeral building near a villa in Agia Triada. It is 130 cm long, 43 cm, wide and 91 cm high. The stone coffin is decorated in the fresco technique with colourful scenes. It represents a funerary ritual which consists of offerings from a procession of men to a deceased man, bull sacrifice, and priestesses. According to its decoration and size, it was probably used for the burial of an eminent person.

 

This room contains clay sarcophagi – larnakes of various sizes and forms, found in areas of Agia Triada, and Heraklion. All of them are interestingly decorated, as well.

 

Room XIII – The Minoan frescoes in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

The Minoan frescoes are displayed in the long room on the first floor. Their fragments are carefully collected and mounted on the walls to show visitors the world of nature and how life on the court was going.

The Minoan wall painting started during the period of Old Palace, around 1800 BC, but it finished after the final destruction of the Knossos Palace around 1350-1300 BC. The fresco painters used techniques that included applying the pigments onto the fresh plaster.

So, take a look at some famous frescoes from the Knossos Palace.

Fresco Figure with 8 shields

Once, this large fresco decorated the lightwell in the East Wing of Knossos Palace (1450-1400 BC). Dimensions of the restored fresco are 1.6 x 1 metres.

 

The Procession Fresco

This fresco was found in the West wall of the South Propyleam in Knossos Palace (1450-1400 BC). Today we can see the fragments of the large fresco composition.
“The Cup-Bearer” is a part of it, and it represents a young man carrying the rhyton, a cult vessel, after which the fresco got its name. Also, one small fragment of feet can be seen.

 

The Prince of the Lilies, and Lilies frescos

One of the most famous Minoan frescos found in the South Wing of the Knossos Palace is “The Prince of the Lilies”. Probably, it is a part of the large “Procession Fresco”. According to Sir Evans who discovered Knossos, the man represents a Priest-King of Knossos. He has a marvellous crown of lilies and peacock feathers.

Lily fresco was once a part of the large composition in the villa of Amnissos (1600-1500 BC).

 

Women in Minoan Frescoes 

Well, as we can see on reconstructed frescoes, women had an important role in the Minoan era.

“The Ladies in Blue” represents the wealthy ladies in blue with jewellery.
The fragments of two “Seated Women” frescoes were found in a shrine on the islet of Pseira in East Crete (1650-1500 BC). So, they wore richly decorated garments and jewellery, and probably they were goddesses or priestesses.

 

In the restored “La Parisienne” fresco, we can see a profile of a young woman, probably the priestess. She has white skin, red lips, and large black eyes. Because of its elegant look, the fresco got its name after the Parisian ladies from the early 20th century. Well, we all know that Paris is a centre of fashion and beauty 🙂

This fresco is part of the larger fresco known as the “Camp Stood Fresco” or “Libation Fresco” from Knossos Palace (1400-1350 BC). It represents women and men in the ceremonial banquet. Even though it is partly restored, it looks very interesting, isn’t it?

 

 Frescos with Relief Bull and Griffins

One of the famous frescos is the Relief Charging Bull from Knossos Palace (1650-1500 BC). In the museum, we can see fragments of the bull’s head which once was on the West Porch of the Northern Entrance to the Palace.

Nearby there are the Griffins fresco (1700-1450 BC), the Tripartite Shrine Fresco from Knossos (1600-1500 BC), and fragments of various frescoes.

 

Rooms XV, XVI and XVII: Cretan society and sanctuaries

These rooms represent Cretan society during the Early Iron Age, with daily use of artefacts and votive offerings in sanctuaries.

 

A pair of stone birds were found in the sanctuary of Zeus in Amnisos. There are eagle of Zeus and a falcon of Hera, and they belong to the Archaic-Classical period, 525-480 BC. On the right side, there is a relief decorated plaque of terracotta from the 6th BC, found in the temple Palaikastro.

 

Behind it, there are six large pithos from the ancient city of Arkades, made during the early Archaic period, in the 7th BC.
These specific pottery objects are interestingly decorated with geometric patterns, animals, and ritual scenes. For example, on the first pithoi, you can see the “Swastika symbol”. In various religions including Minoan culture, it symbolises well-being, prosperity and good luck, and it means “noble” in Buddhism.
But in modern times is widely known as a German Nazi symbol. Nazis adopted it and got known as an emblem of the Aryan race in the 1930s, and as a symbol of suffering and killing during the Second World War.

 

Bronze shields from the Idaean Cave 

According to mythology, the Idaean Cave was the place where goddess Rhea hid her son Zeus, to protect him from his father Cronus, who was killing his children. It is located about 78 km from Rethymno, and two luxury votive offerings from 670-650 BC are found there.
On the left side of the photo, there are Bronze shields with symbols of animals’ heads. On the right side, it is a Bronze drum with a scene of Zeus and his guardians Curetes.

 

Rooms XVIII-XIX: Geometric & Archaic period 

The Mycenaean era collapsed (1250-1000 BC), and new towns known as “Cretan polis” were founded. Dorians, the Greek tribes came from the Helladic region in Crete. The religious power was still strong, and it was interwoven with political and military structures.

During the Geometric and early Archaic periods (8th to 7th BC), the economy of the island and trade flourished, as well as the art of making pottery.

The clay circular shrine about 18 cm high looks stunning. It belongs to the Geometric period (around 810 BC). In the middle of the shrine, there is a goddess with upraised arms, and on the roof, there are two male figures. Probably it represents the contact between the terrestrial world and the underworld.

 

A wine jug with painted decoration dates back to the 7th century, Archaic period. It is interesting because of the main scene with two lovers. It is supposed that it could be Ariadne (a daughter of King Minos) and Theseus, a hero who killed the Minotaur creature.

 

And the gold jewellery found in the Prinias cemetery from 8th-7th BC looks fascinating!

 

Pithois for daily use are beautifully decorated.

 

Hmm, did I mention that I was fascinated by both the pottery and gold jewellery 🙂

 

Room XX: Cities and Sanctuaries

In this room, there are exhibits from Cretan city-states and their sanctuaries from the Classical to the Roman period, 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD.

There, you can see the largest pithoi in the museum, from the Archaic period, 550-500 BC, found in Arkalochori. The preserved height of this orange-red clay storage jar is 141 cm, and the estimated height was about 191 cm. It has a relief decoration with various patterns and animals. Even though the back, the right handle and the bottom are missing, it looks fascinating.

 

Around it, there are various wine jugs and dishes from the Hellenic period.

 

Roman period

Romans conquered Crete in 67 BC, and Gortyn became the capital city of Crete and Cyrenaica (the eastern region of Lybia). During the Roman period until the 4th AD, trade flourished. Public buildings such as temples, theatres, agoras and aqueducts were built, as well as luxurious private ones. Also, many sculptures were made that can be seen in Rooms XXVI and XXVII.

Two interesting mosaic floors can be seen there, as well.
They are from the period 160-140 AD, found in Roman houses in Hersonissos. On the left side, there is a part of a mosaic with black and white tesserae, about 170×330 cm. On the right side, there is a multicoloured mosaic 330×330 cm, which consists of four octagonal parts with circles and birds, such as doves, roosters, sparrows, and parrots.

 

Room XXI – Coinage in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

In this small room, you can see the evolution of the Cretan coinage used in towns.

 

Also, they had a specific coin-weighting system for measures during the period of the 5th to 1st centuries BC.

 

Room XXII – Cemeteries in the Hellenistic & Roman Period

As we know, there was a custom of burning the dead and placing the bones in funerary urns. It became widespread at the end of the Late Bronze Age. The cult of the dead was very important, and it is a reason why many various votive offerings were found in the graves, not only in Greece but in the whole world. 

Take a look at the stunning gold jewellery found in the cemeteries in Knossos and Hersonissos. Gold earrings with goddess Nika, ornamental bands, necklaces, and earrings, every item is marvellous!

 

Then, you can see the ancient Roman golden wreath of leaves, a craft in the form of a golden head, and various jewellery from the Hellenistic period 3rd century – 1st  century BC.

 

Red-figure pottery objects look completely different from others in the museum. It is a special style of Greek vase painting invented in Athens c. 530 BC. Red and white figures are painted on a black background. These exhibits from 350 BC were found in the tomb in Hersonissos.

 

Room XXVI and XXVII: Sculpture Collection

These two rooms are on the ground floor and there you can see various sculptures from Gortys and the Prinias Temple.

Frieze of Prinias Temple from 650-600 BC (Archaic period) was probably set on the outside of the temple. It consists of reliefs representing a procession of horses and riders.

 

From the same period, you can see an interesting lintel of the main entrance to the Prinias Temple A, with two identical goddesses.

 

Sculptures are mostly from the Roman period.

 

So, you can see statues of mature women, Peplohoros (women worn in peplos), a Nymph, and the goddess Athena.

 

Also, there are statues of Isis-Persephone and Sarapis-Hades, the god Pan, Dionysus Sardanapalus, Relief of Leda and the Swan, a portrait bust of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a headless statue of the emperor, etc.

 

An interesting sarcophagus with relief floral decoration, a small Eros and heads of Medusa, caught our attention. It is 243 cm long and 95 cm wide, made from white marble. It was found under the high altar of a Christian basilica in Malia, built during the Roman period (early 3rd AD).

 

Visit the Heraklion Archaeological Museum

A visit to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum provides a unique time travel experience, taking visitors back to the golden age of the Minoan civilization. Whether you are drawn to the mystery of the Phaistos Disc, amazed by the elegance of the Serpent Goddess figurines, or delighted by the wealth of Kamares Ware pottery and frescoes with vivid scenes, you will find treasures in the museum that tell stories dating back centuries.

By combining a visit to the museum with a tour of the Knossos Palace, you have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the rich history and culture of Crete.

Take a moment to dive into the world of ancient Crete and discover the fascinating details of its past.

 

Source: https://heraklionmuseum.gr/