HELLENIC MINISTRY OF CULTURE XXXVIII EPHORATE OF PREHISTORIC & CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES ze- EPHORATE OF BYZANTINE ANTIQUITIES

1'11(lII'I"I.i"'UI,\ITl!..II(l\ IIILU'" ~I"""\'''''~'' ""'

The museum building is located at the heart of the historic centre of Kalamata, where the Municipal Market of the city used to be, a place that was bustling with merchants and shoppers every day.

Following the disastrous earthquake in 1986, the Market building was demolished, as it had been severely damaged. The building which replaced the old Market was given by the Municipality of Kalamata to the Ministry of Culture in order to become an Archaeological Museum.

The exhibition aims to display the antiquities of Messenia from the Prehistoric times until the Byzantine era in the most complete way possible, so that the visitor may form a well rounded view of the cultural development of each region through the ages by visiting each exhibition section.

Reflecting the old geographical division of the prefecture into four provinces, Kalamata, Messene, Pylia and Trifylia, the exhibition unfolds in corresponding large geographical sections, which comprise the most important archaeological sites and representative antiquities, either from excavations or surface surveys, or occasionally from citizens.

In order to "enter" into the geographical sections, the visitor follows a main road map, which snakes among the displays and the exhibits in a way reminiscent of the Pamissos River, which runs through a large part of Messenia and pours into the Messenian Gulf.

Secondary roads branch out from the main one, leading to the four sections, one for each province. Each section is a self-contained unit, and the visitor may opt to see part of the exhibition without following out the complete itinerary of the main road.

Moreover, in order to provide a complete historical overview of both the political and cultural entity of certain areas of Messenia in antiquity, ten thematic units are identified by signposts. In these units, history is interpreted according to the area in which each event took place.

These units are the following: "The House of Villehardouins and Messenia", "Mani and the Despotate of Morea", "Thouria, a City Inhabited by Perioikoi", "The 'Outer' Mani at the Border of Messenia-Laconia", "St. Nikon Metanoeite (the Repenter) and Messenia", "The Capital of the Independent State of Messene at the Foot of Mt. Ithome", "Pylia Under Venetian Rule (1206-1500)", "A Mycenaean Center in the Gulf of Messenia", "The 'Kingdom' of the Palace of Nestor", "The Myceneans of Trifylia".

·$li

• •

•••• •

·iili

• •

•••• •

activities room

Q multimedia

[TT,] Educational activities

In the Museum's Activities Room, families can a so-entertain their kids: two construction kits wait there for them,

ready to get assembled and offer inspiteful moments.

Kalamata Province Antiquity and Byzantium

in the shadow of Mount Tayghetos

The antiquities from Thalames, Lefktro or Kardamyli mostly come from small rescue excavations or random collections, while the bronze votive offerings from the Sanctuary of Artemis Limnatis at Volymnos in Artemisia which were entrusted to the Ephorate by antiquity lovers who collected them are very important and representative.

The few exhibits from the Messenian Mani, Kastania, Langada, Thalames, Nomitsi, contrast with the great number of Byzantine churches in the mentioned settlements and in many others of the area.

Not many antiquities come from the Kalamata area, where the ancient Fares are located. On the other hand an extremely interesting unit is that of A kovitika , where excavations brought to light the archaic and classical sanctuary of Poseidon and the imposing remains of the two Proto-Helladic megara.

The Byzantine and Frankish past of Kalamata is represented by exhibits found in the churches and the Fortress of the city.

The northern area of the province is devoted to ancient

Thouria, the early capital city of Messenia, before the ancient Messene was founded. Besides the majestic walls and the remains of public buildings dating from the Classical times, the excavations brought to light two impressive Middle-Helladic burial tumuli at Kastroulia, an extensive burial site with Mycenaean chamber tombs at Ellinika and a royal Mycenaean tholos tomb at Antheia with a wealth of rare and valuable antiquities, many of which are on display in the room.

Messene Province

The fertile hinterland of Messenia and the capital of the Messenian state

The supreme archaeological site of the Messene province is the ancient Messene, the capital city of the free Messenian state, founded by Epaminondas in 396 BC. In the exhibition a few indicative antiquities are on display, such as the inscriptional herm of Armonikos and mainly a group of characteristic coins from a huge number of coins found during the excavation of the ancient city. The totality of the excavated

antiquities is preserved at the Messene Archaeological Museum.

The Early Christian and Byzantine exhibits from ancient Messene document the continuity of life in the city - where the bishopric was placed from the 4th century until at least the 7th century - , while the city experienced a new period of flourishing in the 10th century, even if it had shrunk in size.

The antiquities come from the excavation of a cist grave discovered in Arsinoi, where one of the ancient Messene cemeteries was located. A random finding from nearby Ellinoeklissia, a headless marble trunk of male youth, complements this section. The site is well known for the church of the Zoodochos Pigi, one of the most prominent Middle-Byzantine monuments in the Peloponnese.

The tholos tombs at Diodia and Madena and the chamber tomb of Aristomenis identify the limited Mycenaean presence in the area.

The extremely important inscription concerning the mystery rituals found enwalled in the Konstantinoi church comes from the ancient Andania area; a copy is on display.

Sections of the remarkable mosaic which adorned the floor of a Roman villa at Desyllas are on display at the museum; the small bronze animal-form idols were votive offerings to an unknown sanctuary at Milas.

Pylia Province Tholos tombs and great castles in a unique landscape

Antiquities from ancient Koroni are displayed in this section, i.e. today's Petalidi, from the sanctuary of Apollo Kory(n)thos at Aghios Andreas, Logga, and from the Mycenaean tholos tombs at Platanovrysi, Chandrinos, Koukounara, Kremmydia and Soulinari. The impressive late Roman mosaic floor from Charakopio in Koroni occupies a prominent place among them. The Early Christian items (sculptures, vases, coins) from Koroni, Methoni, Petalidi, Achladochori, Logga, complement and corroborate the testimonies provided by the remains of

the basilicas, as well as the rock-hewn cemetery of Saint Onouphrios, near Methoni, concerning the existence of prosperous communities in the area.

A Latin inscription from Koroni and a coin hoard invoke

the Frankish past of Pylia, while a limited number of exhibits, most notably a coin thesaurus from Sphakteria, document the Venetian rule in Pylia, with Methoni and Koroni as the most important centres.

The section of Nichoria, an important area, which belonged to the domain of Nestor during the peak of the Palace develops to the North. The section of Nichoria comprises three units. The first is dedicated to the rich offerings of the royal

Mycenaean tholos tomb, the second to the settlement with the characteristic antiquities from the everyday life, while the third presents antiquities from the Rizomylo-Karpofora grave clusters, dating from the Mycenaean, Geometric and Classical times. Finally, coins and small artefacts from the early Christian and particularly from the Byzantine period are also featured in this section.

The western part of Pylia, with the gorgeous long beach and the

turbulent historical past, is represented by the prehistoric antiquities of the Voidokoilia Bay and the offerings from the Mycenaean graves at Tragana and Pyla. The continuity of life in the area is revealed by the antiquities in the large Hellenistic cemetery at Divari in Ghialova, as well as the graves

of athletes, from the same period, which were discovered in the burial tumulus at Tsopani Rachi.

Trifylia Province

The centre of the homeric kingdom of Nestor

Of great interest in the section dedicated to the Trifylia province is the unit related to Nestor's Palace. Here few characteristic antiquities can be seen selected from the great number of ceramic and small-scale finds which were, until recently, displayed at the Chora Archaeological Museum.

The exhibition also features representative antiquities from the Mycenean chamber tombs,

which were organised in clusters and formed part of the cemeteries unearthed at Kato

-.;._"""!!...,....~ Rouga in Chora and at Volimidia. These cemeteries belonged to settlements under the influence of Nestor's Palace. From the rich Mycenaean tho los tombs at Routsis in Myrsinochori and Ambelophyto come the antiquities that are on display

in the same section, while a single clay vessel comes from the half-destroyed Middle-Helladic tumulus which was excavated at Pyrgos Trifylias.

c~~~c1

In mainland Trifylia the earliest traces of habitation were identified dating from the

Final Neolithic period in Messenia, in the Koufiero Cave, from which characteristic fragmentary pottery from the period is exhibited.

From the great port of Kyparissia, which connected Messenia with the West

in the Hellenistic and Roman times, are presented certain antiquities that come from limited rescue excavations. Among them there are coins from the ancient city. There is a restricted number of Early Christian and Byzantine exhibits from Kyparissia, in spite of the importance of the city during the early

Christian centuries, and later, when it was transferred to the area of the Castle and was renamed Arkadia, due to the fact that many Arcadians moved there.

The extremely important archaeological site of Peristeria is within a small distance

from Kyparissia. The monumental, gold-laden Mycenaean tholos tombs convey the

existence of a powerful dynasty, which ruled in the region even before the peak of Nestor's Palace. The golden cup from Peristeria on display was one of the luxurious offerings in the royal tholos tombs. The medieval settlement of Christianoupolisflourished in the same area. There are impressive architectural sculptures from the church of the Metamorphosi Sotiros at Christianoi, a supreme example of a Byzantine church, one of the largest in Greece.

In Kopanaki, in the wide Soulima valley, which occupies the north-western part of Trifylia, the only known up to the present organized archaic farmhouse

complex in Messenia, was unearthed. The remains of a walled citadel and a settlement of the Middle-Helladic period were discovered on top of the Malthi Hill, which overlooks the valley. The later construction of a megaron-like building at the centre of the citadel, as well as the foundation

of two royal tholes tombs at its 'western foot, indicate that the settlement flourished during the Mycenaean era. Besides the wealth of utility pottery,

unearthed in the excavations by the great Swedish archaeologist M.N.Valmin, a great number of stone and bone tools has also been found in Malthi; these are related to the daily life and activities of the prehistoric inhabitants of the citadel.

The Mycenean tholos tombs discovered on the northernmost end of the valley at Psari and Chalkias suggest that other

settlements flourished in the area during the same period.

Dr. XeniArapogianni

, .

Dimitrios Saltabassis

Benaki & Agiou Ioannou St., 241 00 Kalamata tel.: +3027210 26209, e-mail: lhepka@culture.gr www.archmusmes.gr

The Archaeological Museum of Messenia and the first publication were co-funded 80% by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and 20% by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

HELLENIC MINISTRY OF CULTURE

XXXVIII EPHORATE OF PREHISTORIC & CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES 26th EPHORATE OF BYZANTINE ANTIQUITIES

OFFICE FOR

THE CULTURE OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME

COMMUNITY SUPPORT FRAMEWORK III

2nd edition 2009

© HELLENIC MINISTRY OF CULTURE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECEIPTS FUND