The Archaeological Museum of Polygyros was founded in 1971, according to the plans of the outstanding architect Dimitris Fatouros. It was a small space, but it satisfied the needs of that time.
With the passage of time and the revelation of many important – often unique – findings, its expansion was necessary.
In July, the Minister of Antiquities Lina Mendoni inaugurated the reopening of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros and Halkidiki, which thanks to the exemplary work of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos was attributed to the local community and the thousands of visitors to the area.
The exhibition of the new Museum is developed in 4 thematic sections:
Place and History, Prehistoric Societies, Historical Times, Collections and Donations.
Findings from the most important prehistoric settlements and cemeteries of Halkidiki, Agios Mama, Olynthos and Toroni, Kriaritsi and Nea Skioni are presented, while selected exhibits from Roman times, funerary statues and columns, prepare the visitor before the completion of the section Historical Times.
In the room where the Collections are exhibited, the remarkable Lambropoulos Collection occupies a dominant position.
The exhibition is enriched with multimedia applications, such as an interactive map-chronology that runs through the history of Halkidiki and places of archaeological interest, interactive screens concerning the History of Research with the presentation of the most important stations and researchers in the region, in the Written Sources that refer to events that they took place in Halkidiki, as well as in the personality of Aristotle, the great Stagerite philosopher.
Also, through 3D projection mapping (3D Projection Mapping), the excavation activity is presented in a comprehensible and demonstrative manner, in order to understand the process and the result of an excavation that results in the conservation, study and presentation of the finds in the Museum.
In addition, screens with landscapes and antiquities, enriched with images of timeless activities in the area, as well as videos from the periodic exhibition of the Lambropoulos Collection presented at the Museum in 2019 complete the multi-layered information for the public. (Text from the page of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos, from the relevant Facebook page).
OLDER ARTICLES
The opening of the periodical exhibition “A collector and an archaeologist from the past talk in the future” (Archaeological Collection of Ioannis Lambropoulos) was held by the Antiquities Tax Office of Halkidiki and Mount Athos and the Society of Friends of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 12 noon .
The exhibition presents the archaeological collection of Ioannis Lambropoulou. The collection includes a number of ceramic vessels such as lekyths, oenochoes, skyphos, goblets, cauldrons, plates, plemochoes, jewelry such as earrings, periaptas, diadems, jellies, necklaces, figurines, coins, glass and copper vessels, weapons and helmets.
The items from the Lambropoulos collection have been placed in the periodical exhibition hall of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros. The construction and installation of the museum display cases was done at the initiative of the Society of Friends of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros. The Company managed to gather the necessary amount of money from donations and sponsorships and in consultation and cooperation with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki, the hall was prepared and opened to the public on March 24, 2019.
The Archaeological Museum of Polygyros, which is located on a pine-covered plot in the center of the capital of Halkidiki, began construction in 1965 and was inaugurated in May 1971. Its exhibition spaces initially included a hall, in which archaeological findings from the excavations at Olynthos were exhibited, the ancient Akantho in Ierissos, the sanctuary of Ammon Zeus in Kallithea and other important archaeological sites of Halkidiki.
The increase and the importance of the archaeological finds, in the years that followed, forced the expansion of the Museum’s exhibition in areas of another function and led the competent Ephorate of Antiquities to submit a request for the expansion of the Museum. In June 2005, the KAS approved the final study of the project “Extension of the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros”, which was included in the Operational Program “Macedonia – Thrace” of the NSRF 2007-2013.
The Museum’s new building, which was handed over in October 2016, includes exhibition spaces of 582 square meters, a room for periodical exhibitions, a room for educational programs, areas for maintenance workshops and offices, an increase in storage spaces and a refreshment room.
The re-exhibition of the archaeological material will be a project of the NSRF 2014-2020. Until the start of the re-exhibition works, the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros will host periodical exhibitions and other activities of high prestige, interest and aesthetics.
In February 2017, the “Masks” exhibition was presented with material from the excellent collection of the “Giorgis Melikis” Exhibition Center – Mask Research Center.
At the same time, there was an exhibition of the Polygyros Association of Visual Arts Artists on the subject of the conflict between Apollonius and the Dionysian element.
For the Spring of 2017, the start of a periodical exhibition (May) as well as experiential educational activities are planned, which will last at least until the end of this year.
Dr. Georgia Stratoulis,
archaeologist – head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Archaeological Sites, Monuments, Archaeological Research and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos
360° virtual tour for those who did not manage to see the “MASKS” exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros, 18-26/2/2017.
Contributors of the exhibition: General coordination Ioannis Kanonidis, head of EFA Halkidiki and Mount Athos. Editing of the report by Dr. Georgia Stratouli, head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Archaeological Sites, Monuments, Archaeological Research and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos, Terpsichoris Xanthopoulos visual artist, Thodoris Lalos conservator of antiquities – visual artist.
Virtual 360° tour for those who did not manage to see the parallel exhibition of SKETP at the Archaeological Museum of Polygyros, 18-26/2/2017.
Special thanks to:
- Ioannis Kanonidis, head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos
- Dr. Georgia Stratouli, archaeologist – head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Archaeological Sites, Monuments, Archaeological Research and Museums of the Ephorate of
- Antiquities of Halkidiki and Mount Athos
- Giorgis Melikis, Ethnographic Center Giorgis Melikis – Mask Research Center
- Association of Visual Arts Artists of Polygyros
- Georgios Goliaras www.go360.gr