The Archaeological Museum of Chora is a museum in Chora,

Messenia Messenia or Messinia ( ; el, Μεσσηνία ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a ...

, in southern

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, whose collections focus on the

Mycenaean civilization Mycenaean Greece (or the Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, spanning the period from approximately 1750 to 1050 BC.. It represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland ...

, particularly from the excavations at the

Palace of Nestor The Palace of Nestor (Modern Greek: Ανάκτορο του Νέστορα) was an important centre in Mycenaean times, and described in Homer's ''Odyssey'' and ''Iliad'' as Nestor's kingdom of "sandy Pylos". The palace featured in the story of ...

and other regions of Messenia. The museum was founded in 1969 by the

Greek Archaeological Service The Greek Archaeological Service ( el, Αρχαιολογική Υπηρεσία) is a state service, under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, responsible for the oversight of all archaeological excavations, museums and the country's ar ...

under the auspices of the Ephorate of Antiquities of

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

. At the time, the latter included in its jurisdiction the larger part of Messenia.

The museum building

The museum was built to shelter and exhibit finds from the excavations of

Carl Blegen Carl William Blegen (January 27, 1887 – August 24, 1971) was an American archaeologist who worked at the site of Pylos in Greece and Troy in modern-day Turkey. He directed the University of Cincinnati excavations of the mound of Hisarlik, the ...

at the Palace of Nestor in Epano Englianos, as well as those of

Spyridon Marinatos Spyridon Nikolaou Marinatos ( el, Σπυρίδων Νικολάου Μαρινάτος; November 4, 1901 – October 1, 1974) was a Greek archaeologist, best known for leading excavations at Akrotiri on Santorini (1967–74), where he died and i ...

in the regions of

Pylia Pylia ( el, Πυλία) was one of the provinces of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Pylos-Nestor (except for the municipal unit Nestoras) and the municipal units Aipeia Aipeia ( el, Α� ...

and

Trifylia Trifylia ( el, Τριφυλία) is a municipality in the Messenia regional unit, Peloponnese, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Kyparissia. The municipality has an area of 616.019 km2. It was named after the ancient Triphylia regi ...

. Because of their contributions to the museum, the busts of both

archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

are positioned at the staircase leading to the museum's entrance. On either side of the entrance stand large burial

pithoi Pithos (, grc-gre, πίθος, plural: ' ) is the Greek name of a large storage container. The term in English is applied to such containers used among the civilizations that bordered the Mediterranean Sea in the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and ...

of the

Middle Helladic period Helladic chronology is a relative dating system used in archaeology and art history. It complements the Minoan chronology scheme devised by Sir Arthur Evans for the categorisation of Bronze Age artefacts from the Minoan civilization within a hi ...

, from the

tumuli A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones buil ...

of Kokorakou, Peristeria, and Agios Ioannis, Papoulia. The building has two stories: the exhibition space is on the elevated ground floor, and the basins are used as storage for the archaeological material and as a study area. The exhibition space is divided into three consecutive galleries as well as a vestibule that is used as a cloakroom, museum shop and ticket office. The galleries hold finds from the excavations of the Palace of Nestor, the tholos tombs of the Englianos area, and other nearby archaeological sites. Most of the finds are grouped according to the location where they were found.

Room 1

The first room of the museum contains items from the excavations in Pylia and Trifyliaare. Cases 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 display finds from the extensive cemetery at Volimidia, dated to the Late

Helladic Helladic chronology is a relative dating system used in archaeology and art history. It complements the Minoan chronology scheme devised by Sir Arthur Evans for the categorisation of Bronze Age artefacts from the Minoan civilization within a his ...

I-IIIB (Mycenaean) period (1550–1200 BC).

Cases 1 and 2

Cases 1 and 2 contain grave goods from the

tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a :wikt:repository, repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be ...

s of the Angelopoulos group and the Vorias-Tsouleas group at Volimidia, excavated by Marinatos in 1952–54. Some of the most important finds are small

stirrup jar A stirrup jar is a type of pot associated with the culture of Mycenaean Greece. They have small squat bodies, a pouring spout, and a second nonfunctioning spout over which the handles connect like a stirrup. During the Late Bronze Age, they were ...

s, jugs,

keftiu Caphtor ( he, ''Kaftōr'') is a locality mentioned in the Bible, in which its people are called Caphtorites or Caphtorim and are named as a division of the ancient Egyptians. Caphtor is also mentioned in ancient inscriptions from Egypt, Mari, a ...

-type cups, composite vessels consisting of two or three

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that includes ...

pieces joined with one single handle, and a small prochous (jug for pouring water) covered on the lid and spout with a sieve.

Case 3

Case 3 contains finds from the Middle and Late Helladic burials at Routsi, Mysinochori, which is only a few kilometers from Englianos and Chora. The chamber and tholos tombs at Routsi were in use from 1680 to 1300 B.C. The first excavations were carried out by Marinatos, and the site was further investigated by G.S. Korres in the 1980s. The Middle helladic tumuli contained burials in pithoid jars. The Late Helladic tholos tombs, although relatively small (average diameter 5 meters) were rich in grave goods, particularly in luxury items. Tholos tomb II, which was found intact, apparently contained members of the local elite, as attested by the finds. They include a

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

sword, three copper daggers with inlay decoration of

niello Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed ...

, pottery, jewelry, gems, and

seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

. Some of the objects were made of gold and precious stones, such as

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...

, and were used for necklaces. In total, the tholos contained five burials in pit graves, one of which was a little "princess". Among the pottery exhibits is an alabaster, with alternating black and off-white slip in a wavy pattern, a bevelled jug with spiral motives, and a pithoid jar decorated with schematic

ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

leaves. All of these items are either directly imported from

Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands, whose earliest beginnings were from 3500BC, with the complex urban civilization beginning around 2000BC, and then declining from 1450B ...

Crete or imitating Minoan models. There is also a pair of small scale discs; scholars believe that scales were symbolically placed in tombs in order to weigh the soul of the deceased in the underworld. The copper pan on display is of particular interest because of its muddy content which were the remains of food, apparently from the last supper on behalf of the deceased.

Case 4

Between cases 3 and 4 stands an enormous burial jar from the tomb (literally a grave circle) of Agios Ioannis, Papoulia. The burial jars were arranged radially around a

horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toen ...

-shaped construction in the middle of the tumulus, possibly serving as a

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

. Next to the jar is a two-eared

hydria The hydria ( el, ὑδρία; plural hydriai) is a form of Greek pottery from between the late Geometric period (7th century BC) and the Hellenistic period (3rd century BC). The etymology of the word hydria was first noted when it was stamped o ...

from the same

tumulus A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones buil ...

, dating from the Early Helladic or Middle Helladic period. Case 4 contains grave goods from the tombs of the Kefalovryso group at Volimidia. Among these items is a pottery type mentioned in

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

as a two-handled cup. It is a composite vessel, consisting of two drinking cups connected on the rim with a small handle and on the belly with a small tube. The case also contains two containers of unknown function. Marinatos suggested that one of them is a dimiteus which is an object that helps divide

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

threads. Case 4 also contains pottery from Tragana-Voroulia, dated to the Late Helladic I period including Keftiu cups. The term ''Keftiu'' is derived from

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

texts, where it denotes a particular nation, which Egyptologists identified as the Minoans from Crete. Most of the pottery vessels on this shelf were discovered in a storage building, where pottery of various periods was stored. Near to case 4 stands an amphora with a depiction of an

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

from Tholos tomb II at Routsi.

Case 9

Case 9 contains the finds from the "gold-bearing" tombs of Peristeria, excavated by Marinatos in 1965. There is a golden

diadem A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. Overview The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', "I ...

and two cups of the keftiu type that are golden with embossed spiral motives, from tholos tomb 3. These items resemble those found in the Royal pit tombs of Mycenae. There are also smaller items, such as golden bees, tassels, discs, lamellae and leaves. At the back side of the case is a representation of the floor of the Throne Room at the Palace of Nestor.

Case 5

Case 5 contains more items from the grave circle of Peristeria, including an early figurine from Messenia representing a female figure in a long dress. Her bosom is naked and she prays in the

Petsofas Petsofas is the archaeological site of a Minoan peak sanctuary in eastern Crete. It overlooks the Minoan town of Palaikastro and was excavated by John Myres in 1903. He discovered a large number of clay figurines, including animal and human figure ...

position of the Middle Minoan period. Case 5 also contains finds from the tholos tombs of Viglitsa, Tragana, dated to the 17th century BC. Among the items from this tomb were three pithoid amphorae with floral decorations consisting of

lilies ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...

and ivy leaves and a squeezed bronze two-eared vessel.

Case 6–8

Cases 6, 7, and 8 contain finds from the extensive Volimidia cemetery. Case 6 displays items from the Kefalovryso and Koroniou tomb groups including a large beaker (or

stamnos A stamnos (plural stamnoi) is a type of Greek pottery Ancient Greek pottery, due to its relative durability, comprises a large part of the archaeological record of ancient Greece, and since there is so much of it (over 100,000 painted vases ar ...

) decorated with double axes, similar to those found in Royal pit I of Mycenae. In case 7, there is a flask with concentric circles, a figurine of a

bovine Bovines (subfamily Bovinae) comprise a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including cattle, bison, African buffalo, water buffalos, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship betwee ...

, a Mycenaean figurine of the Ψ type, and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

items made of

terra sigillata Terra sigillata is a term with at least three distinct meanings: as a description of medieval medicinal earth; in archaeology, as a general term for some of the fine red Ancient Roman pottery with glossy surface slips made in specific areas of t ...

. Case 8 contains exhibits from chamber tombs 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 10 of the Angelopoulos group at Volimidia. Tomb 4 contained items of the Mycenaean period, as well as a large number of pottery and glass artifacts of the Roman period. Tomb 5 contained items of the late Helladic and

Protogeometric The Protogeometric style (or "Proto-Geometric") is a style of Ancient Greek pottery led by Athens produced between roughly 1030 and 900 BCE, in the first period of the Greek Dark Ages. After the collapse of the Mycenaean-Minoan Palace culture ...

periods, including two medium-sized jugs, one decorated with a maeander design, and a copper double axe.

Room 2

The second central room of the Museum is dedicated to the Palace of Nestor and the hill of Englianos.

Case 10

Case 10 contains large stemmed beakers, kylikes,

krater A krater or crater ( grc-gre, , ''kratēr'', literally "mixing vessel") was a large two-handled shape of vase in Ancient Greek pottery and metalwork, mostly used for the mixing of wine with water. Form and function At a Greek symposium, krat ...

s and ladles from pantry 20 of the Palace of Nestor. Case 19 also contains pottery and drinking vessels from pantry 20, as well as some pottery from room 38, including stripes for sealing jars. One krater is mattpainted with wavy decoration, similar to a krater from the excavations at

Vlachopoulo Vlachopoulo is the central village of the municipality of Papaflessas in the center of Messenia, Greece. The village is located 38 km from the capital of the prefecture Kalamata Kalamáta ( el, Καλαμάτα ) is the second most populous ...

that is displayed in the museum of

Pylos Pylos (, ; el, Πύλος), historically also known as Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is th ...

. There is also a stone oil lamp of Minoan origin made of

white marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphosed ...

and decorated with spiral patterns.

Cases 11, 12, 17, and 18: The wallpainting cases

Cases 11, 12, 17 and 18 contain fragments of the palace's wall paintings. On the walls over the cases there are painting recreations of the wall paintings by Piet de Jong. Jong was an architect and designer with the

British School at Athens , image = Image-Bsa athens library.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_upright= , alt= , caption = The library of the BSA , latin_name= , motto= , founder = The Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, called the foundation meeti ...

, who worked on several Mycenaean and Minoan sites.Although the wall paintings of the Palace of Nestor have been thoroughly studied by Lang, M., The Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messenia, v.II, Princeton 1969, they still constitute a huge puzzle, being the focus of study both on the artistic level and on the physicochemical level, thus yielding information about the technological and the artistic level of the kingdom of Pylos. Case 11 contains fragments from the backfilling of the palace vestibule which depict

hunting dog A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...

s. There are also fragments of wall paintings from the room of the Queen, which depict

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

s and

griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

s. In case 12, the fragments depict male figures from the vestibule of the palace of Nestor, a man leading

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

s and another man carrying tripods. There is a frieze with nautilus-shells from corridor number 48 and a façade of a building decorated with consecration horns, a typical cult symbol of the Minoans, from the courtyards south of the vestibule. Case 17 contains more painting fragments including rosettes (from staircase 54), a battle scene over a river (from vestibule 64), and

lyre The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...

player who was probably the last figure on a large wallpainting depicting a procession. The lyre player alludes to

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

and to

Thamyris In Greek mythology, Thamyris (Ancient Greek: Θάμυρις, ''Thámuris'') was a Thracian singer. He is notable in Greek mythology for reportedly being a lover of Hyacinth and thus to have been the first male to have loved another male, but when ...

, a musician from

, who boasted about his musical prowess and therefore was punished by the

muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

s (''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

'', 2 594–600). In case 18 there are a collection of painting fragments showing a female head named “The White Goddess”,

nautilus The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina. It comprises six living species in t ...

shells, blue birds, and a bull-leaper that was found in a pit in the floor of the wine magazine.

Cases 32 and 33

Case 32 contains miniature kylikes, possibly used for ritual purposes, as well as replicas of Linear B tablets. Two golden Venetian coins suggest that the hilltop of Englianos was used as a

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envi ...

for building materials in a later period. In case 33 there are fragments of jewellery and golden lamellae.

Cases 13–15

These cases all contain pottery found in the palace's pantries. Case 13 displays jars from storeroom 32, case 14 contains drinking cups, scoops and bowls from pantry 60, and case 15 has similar items from pantry 18. The items in these cases include cooking pots, stemmed kylikes, scoops and ladles, probably used for cooking, drinking and feasting.

Free-standing displays

Room 2 contains several items that are not in cases. There are two free-standing, large amphorae for storing goods. One is decorated with a

checkerboard A checkerboard (American English) or chequerboard (British English; see spelling differences) is a board of checkered pattern on which checkers (also known as English draughts) is played. Most commonly, it consists of 64 squares (8×8) of altern ...

pattern. The other is a Minoan-style clay table of offerings found next to the

hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...

in the

throne room A throne room or throne hall is the room, often rather a hall, in the official residence of the crown, either a palace or a fortified castle, where the throne of a senior figure (usually a monarch) is set up with elaborate pomp—usually raised, ...

. In the middle of the room is a model of the palace, donated by a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

highschool.

Room 3

The third room contains exhibits from the palace as well as from the broader region of Englianos.

Cases 20–23: The lower town

Case 20 contains finds from Kokkevis' chamber and protogeometric tombs at Chora. These finds include amphoras, a krater with a depiction of a hunting scene, and a stemmed open cup or bowl with a linear white decoration, reminiscent of pottery from Early Modern Greece. There are also grave goods from Tsakalis' chamber tombs and from the tholos tomb 4 of Kanakaris including a copper bowl with long rectangular handles, a feeding bottle, a female figurine, necklaces of gold or

semi-precious stones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, an ...

, and a set for personal care containing a razor and two mirrors. Case 21 is dedicated to finds from the lower town and Tsakalis tombs. A conical

rhyton A rhyton (plural rhytons or, following the Greek plural, rhyta) is a roughly conical container from which fluids were intended to be drunk or to be poured in some ceremony such as libation, or merely at table. A rhyton is typically formed in t ...

decorated with

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

and

nilotic The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun-sp ...

floral motives in a Minoan style. The case also contains a

with an ivy-leaf decoration, a prochous with the same floral pattern and two tall Keftiu cups with a spiral decoration. Case 22 contains pottery from the Palace's pantries and from the dumps of the

acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

including cups, kyathoi, kraters and some beveled jugs. Case 23 contains pottery items which were blackened and deformed by the fire which consumed the Palace, as well as grave goods from the pit grave in room 97. The grave goods include

Carnelian Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker (the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often use ...

amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek αμέθυστος ''amethystos'' from α- ''a-'', "not" and μεθύσκω (Ancient Greek) / μεθώ (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that t ...

, and gold beads, and another golden bead in the form of a

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

's head.

Cases 24, 25: The palace's pantries

Case 24 contains storage vessels from the palace's pantry 68, workshop 55, and wine magazine 105 including a

brazier A brazier () is a container used to burn charcoal or other solid fuel for cooking, heating or cultural rituals. It often takes the form of a metal box or bowl with feet. Its elevation helps circulate air, feeding oxygen to the fire. Braziers h ...

made of clay. Case 25 contains two types of pots, tripod cookpots and clay shovels for charcoal. Some of the items are blackened by fire. In addition to the cases, there is a large ringed jar with a lid that was used for storage of goods, such as oil, and a clay pipe and basin-shaped lid which formed part of the

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

above the hearth in the Queen's apartments.

Case 26: The aromatic oil

Case 26 contains well-preserved stirrup jars which were the most typical vessels for transporting good quality

aromatic oil Fragrance oils, also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil. To allergic or otherw ...

Cases 27 and 28

Case 27 contains mainly drinking vessels, such as stemmed drinking cups, and some deformed and burned items including an askos. Case 28 contains daily use pottery, such as bowls, basins, scoops and sauce-boat, and twists for making Linear B tablets.

Case 29: Burial customs

Case 29 contains finds and grave goods from Vayenas Tholos tomb 5 which is actually a grave circle. The items from this tomb belonged mainly to warriors but a few suggest at least one female burial. The items include Late Helladic pottery, prochoi, a three-eared amphora, a pair of copper scales, a personal care set made of copper and

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...

, sheaths for

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...

s which apparently formed part of a Mycenean warrior's

armour Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...

, and a large number of daggers and swords, some of which are bent. The bent swords allude to the fact that their owners, former warriors, will never again need them.

Cases 30 and 31

Case 30 contains

pottery sherds This page is a glossary of archaeology, the study of the human past from material remains. A B C D E F ...

, small copper daggers and parts of an ivory helmet. In case 31 is a miniature ring prochous as well as a set of pestles.

Free-standing displays

Free-standing exhibits include a pithos and a large copper basin with handles ending in a human hand shape from the Vayenas grave circle, and large consecration horns.

Bibliography

* Blegen, C., Rawson, M., et al., The Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Western Messenia, v. I-III, Princeton 1966-1973 * Davis, J., A Guide to the Palace of Nestor, the Myenaean Sites in its Environs and the Museum of Hora, ASCSA 2001 * Marinatos, Sp., Anaskafai Messenias 1952–1966, ed. Sp. Iakovides, Athens: Archaeological Society at Athens 2014

External links

Ministry of Culture on Archaeological Museum of Chora

References

{{Authority control Chora Buildings and structures in Messenia Museums established in 1969 1969 establishments in Greece