Heraklion Archaeological Museum

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Archaeological museum in Crete, Greece

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου

Established| 1883
Location| Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Coordinates| 35°20′21″N 25°8′15″E﻿ / ﻿35.33917°N 25.13750°E﻿ / 35.33917; 25.13750
Type| Archaeological museum
Website| http://heraklionmuseum.gr

The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is a museum located in Heraklion on Crete. It is one of the largest museums in Greece,[1] and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains by far the most important and complete collection of artefacts of the Minoan civilization of Crete. It is normally referred to scholarship in English as "AMH" (for "Archaeological Museum of Heraklion"), a form still sometimes used by the museum in itself.

The bull leaper (c. 1500 BC), an ivory figurine from the palace of Knossos

The museum holds the great majority of the finds from the Minoan palace at Knossos and other Minoan sites in Crete.

## History

[edit]

Phaistos Disc Minoan jewellery

The museum began in 1883 as a simple collection of antiquities; it was about the time when the Minoan civilization was beginning to be rediscovered, and shortly before the first excavations using proper scientific methods. It was also during the period when Crete was a virtually autonomous part of the Ottoman Empire, after the Pact of Halepa of 1878, later followed by the independent Cretan State (1898-1913), protected by a military occupation by the Great Powers. The political situation helped to keep Cretan finds on the island during a crucial period of discoveries.

A dedicated building was constructed from 1904 to 1912 at the instigation of two Cretan archaeologists, Iosif Hatzidakis and Stefanos Xanthoudidis. After three destructive earthquakes in 1926, 1930, and 1935, the museum nearly collapsed. The director of the Heraklion Museum was then Spyridon Marinatos, who made great efforts to find funds and persuade the locals and the central government alike that a new solid building was needed. In 1935, Marinatos succeeded in engaging Patroklos Karantinos to build a sturdy structure that has withstood both natural disasters and the bombing that accompanied the German invasion in 1941. Although the museum was damaged during World War II, the collection survived intact and again became accessible to the public in 1952. A new wing was added in 1964.[2]

The Herakleion Archaeological Museum is one of the largest and most important museums in Greece, and among the most important museums in Europe. It houses representative artifacts from all the periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering a chronological span of over 5,500 years from the Neolithic period to Roman times. The singularly important Minoan collection contains unique examples of Minoan art, many of them true masterpieces. The Heraklion Museum is rightly considered as the museum of Minoan culture par excellence worldwide.

The museum is located in the town centre. It was built between 1937 and 1940 by architect Patroklos Karantinos on a site previously occupied by the Roman Catholic monastery of Saint-Francis which was destroyed by earthquake in 1856. The museum's antiseismic building is an important example of modernist architecture and was awarded a Bauhaus commendation. Karantinos applied the principles of modern architecture to the specific needs of a museum by providing good lighting from the skylights above and along the top of the walls, and facilitating the easy flow of large groups of people. He also anticipated future extensions to the museum. The colours and construction materials, such as the veined polychrome marbles, recall certain Minoan wall-paintings which imitate marble revetment. The two-storeyed building has large exhibition spaces, laboratories, a drawing room, a library, offices and a special department, the so-called Scientific Collection, where numerous finds are stored and studied. The museum shop, run by the Archaeological Receipts Fund, sells museum copies, books, postcards and slides. There is also a café.

Most of the museum was closed for renovation from 2006 and reopened in May 2013.[3]

Four of the museum's exhibits were toppled over and damaged during a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on 22 May 2025.[4]

## Collections

[edit]

Arkalochori Axe

### Room I

[edit]

Covers findings from 6000 BCE to the pre-Palatial period, including:

* Neolithic fertility goddess
* Vasiliki ware
* Stone jars from the island of Mochlos
* Miniature clay sculptures

### Room II

[edit]

Covers findings from 2000 BCE to 1700 BCE in Knossos, Malia and several peak sanctuaries, including:

* Kamares ware pottery
* Glazed plaques of Minoan houses (aka the "Town Mosaic")
* Peak sanctuary figurines

### Room III

[edit]

Kamares style vases from Phaistos and Knossos

* Phaistos Disc
* Kamares ware pottery

### Room IV

[edit]

The Snake Goddess figurine; a goddess or priestess (MM III)

Covers findings from 1700 BCE to 1450 BCE, including:

* Bull's head rhyton from Knossos
* Snake goddess figurines
* Tools and weapons, mostly cast in bronze
* Cups with Linear A inscriptions

### Room V

[edit]

Covers findings from 1450 BCE to 1400 BCE, including:

* Ancient Egyptian trade objects
* Clay model of a house
* Examples of a Linear A and Linear B scripts

### Room VI

[edit]

Covers findings from cemeteries at Knossos, Phaistos and Archanes, including:

* Clay figurines
* Gold jewellery
* Horse burial from a tholos tomb at Archanes

### Room VII

[edit]

Bronze dagger from Malia

Covers findings from 1700 BCE to 1300 BCE from smaller villas and sacred caves, including:

* Bronze double axes
* The Harvester Vase
* Steatite vases from Hagia Triada
* Gold jewelry from Malia

### Room VIII – Zakros

[edit]

Covers findings from 1700 BCE to 1450 BCE from the palace of Zakros, including:

* Rock crystal rhyton
* Bull's head rhyton
* Pottery with floral and marine motifs

### Room IX

[edit]

Covers findings from 1700 BCE to 1450 BCE in eastern Crete, including:

* Terracotta figurines from Pisokephalo peak sanctuary
* Seal stones

### Room X – Mycenaean

[edit]

Covers findings from 1400 BCE to 1100 BCE, including:

* Clay figurines
* Clay sculpture of dancers with a lyre player

### Room XI – Dorian

[edit]

Covers findings from 1100 BCE to 900 BCE during the arrival of the Dorian Greeks, including:

* Weapons and tools, mostly of iron
* Clay fertility figurines
* Votive offerings

### Room XII

[edit]

Covers findings up to 650 BCE, including:

* Pottery decorated with griffins
* Artefacts and figurines from Kato Syme

### Room XIII – Larnakes

[edit]

Minoan larnakes (clay coffins) are on display here.

### Room XIV – Hall of the Frescoes

[edit]

The Hagia Triada sarcophagus

* Frescoes from Knossos and Hagia Triada
* The Hagia Triada sarcophagus

### Room XV & Room XVI

[edit]

* More frescoes, including the famous "La Parisienne"

### Room XX – Classical Greek, Greco-Roman

[edit]

Sculptures from Classical Greek and Greco-Roman periods

## Visitor information

[edit]

The museum is open April–September, Monday 12–8pm Tuesday–Sunday 8am–7pm, October–March daily 8am–5pm.

EU students and senior citizens (65+) can receive a discounted entry.

There is air conditioning within the building.

Some of the collection cannot be photographed due to publication or another reason. There are usually signs posted nearby the restricted items.

## Notable artifacts

[edit]

* Snake Goddess
* Phaistos Disc
* Arkalochori Axe
* Malia Pendant
* Hymn to Dictaean Zeus stele

## Gallery

[edit]

* Minoan rhyton in form of a bull

* Minoan jewelry

* Boar tusk helmet

* Harvester Vase

* Statue of Isis-Persephone holding a sistrum

* A wandering philosopher, commonly associated with Apollonius of Tyana

* Bronze portrait statue of a youth found in Ierapetra

## Frescos

[edit]

* Fresco fragment of a dancing woman (Knossos, 1600-1450 BC)

* Bull leaping fresco(1600-1450 BC) from Knossos palace, acrobats leaping across a bull

* Ladies in Blue fresco

* Lily fresco

* Lily fresco

* Cup bearer fresco

* Procession fresco

* Sacred grove fresco

* Grandstand fresco

* Blue birds fresco

* Blue monkeys fresco

* Dolphin fresco

* Saffron Gatherer fresco

* Saffron Gatherer fresco

* Olive tree fresco

* Olive tree fresco

* Knossos throne room grass fresco

* Figure of eight shields fresco

* Prince of the Lilies

### The Epiphany Cycle

[edit]

* The ring of Minos. Knossos, 1450–1400 BC.

* A boat carrying a seated female figure and a stepped shrine. Mochlos, 1450 BC.

* A male figure embracing a baetyl. Knossos, Sellopoulo, 1400–1375 BC.

* A Sacred Conversation. Poros, 1500–1450 BC.

* A ring with a female figure and a griffin. Archanes, Phourni, 1700–1450 BC.

* A shrine on a hill. Poros, 1500–1450 BC.

* A female figure hovering in front of a tree. Gournia, 1600–1300 BC.

* Tree and baetyl worship. Phaistos, Kalivia, 1500–1450 BC.

* A goddess or a priestess among insects. Archanes, Phourni, 1700–1450 BC.

* Women dancing. Knossos, Isopata, 1500–1450 BC.

* A seated goddess, a worshipper and a monkey. Phaistos, Kalivia, 1500–1450 BC.

## See also

[edit]

* List of museums in Greece
* Minoan pottery

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Heraklion Archaeological Museum". Greek Ministry of Culture. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
2. ^ "History of the Museum". Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
3. ^ "Archaeological Museum". Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
4. ^ "Μικρές αποκολλήσεις σε εκθέματα στο Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Ηρακλείου λόγω του σεισμού των 6,1R". in.gr (in Greek). 22 May 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* The Rough Guide to Crete. ISBN 1-84353-292-1.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

* Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism
* Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs[permanent dead link]
* City of Herakleion
* Heraklion Archaeological Museum - Ebook by Latsis Foundation
* http://ancient-greece.org/museum/muse-iraclion.html
* http://www.interkriti.org/museums/hermus.htm
* http://www.explorecrete.com/archaeology/heraklion-museum.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060317143414/http://www.dilos.com/location/11159
* http://www.heraklion-crete.org/archaeological-museum/
* The highlights from the collection
* Archeological Museum

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Greece
* Sweden
* Israel

Artists|

* ULAN

Other|

* IdRef

* v
* t
* e

Minoan civilization

Topics|

* Minoan art
* Minoan chronology
* Minoan pottery
* Minoan seals
* Minoan palaces
* Minoan religion
* Minoan eruption
* Peak sanctuaries

Sites|

| Palaces|

* Knossos
* Phaistos
* Malia
* Zakros
* Galatas

|

Settlements|

* Hagia Triada
* Kommos
* Palaikastro
* Kydonia
* Gournia
* Troullos
* Trypiti
* Lakkos
* Amnisos
* Petras
* Monastiraki
* Vasiliki
* Vathypetro
* Zominthos

Tombs|

* Armeni
* Apesokari
* Chryssolakkos
* Kamilari
* Koumasa
* Nea Roumata
* Odigitria
* Phourni
* Phylaki
* Stylos
* Yerokambos

Sanctuaries|

* Arkalochori
* Kamares
* Psychro Cave
* Atsipades
* Karfi
* Modi
* Mount Juktas
* Petsofas
* Traostalos
* Vrysinas

Art and Architecture|

* Aegina Treasure
* Akrotiri Boxer Fresco
* Hagia Triada Sarcophagus
* Horns of Consecration
* Snake goddess figurines
* La Parisienne (fresco)
* Lustral basin
* Prince of the Lilies
* Stirrup jar
* Harvester Vase
* Kamares ware
* Kouloura
* Knossos board game
* Minoan Genius
* Minoan frescoes from Tell el-Dab'a
* Malia altar stone
* Malia Pendant
* Minoan Moulds of Palaikastro
* Minoan Bull-leaper
* Papoura Hill Circular Structure
* Vasiliki ware
* Wall Paintings of Thera

Writing|

* Linear A
* Linear B
* Cretan hieroglyphs
* Phaistos disc
* Arkalochori script
* Minoan seals

See also|

* Arthur Evans
* Heraklion Archaeological Museum
* Archaeological Museum of Chania
* Archaeological Museum of Sitia

*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template