The
Archaeological
Museum of Lamia is housed in the first floor of a renovated, two - storied building within the archaeological site of the
Castle of Lamia. It was erected in 1830 by the first king of Greece Otto, after the War of Independence. It served as barracks until World War II. In 1973 the Ministry for Defence conceded its rights over both the castle and the ruined barracks to the Ministry of Culture.
The Museum was inaugurated in September 1994.
The museum includes the following collections:
•
Neolithic (7th-4th millenium BC)
•
Early Helladic (ca. 3200 - 2000 BC)
• Middle Helladic (ca. 2000 - 1600 BC
•
Late Helladic (Mycenaean - Submycenaean): 1600 -11th century BC
•
Early Iron Age (Geometric): 10th - 8th century BC
•
Archaic (Sanctuaries): 7th - early 5th century BC
•
Classical - Hellenistic (Pottery - Figurines - Glass): 5th-2nd century BC
• Classical - Hellenistic (Metal objects - tomb types - child toys): 5th
- 2nd century BC
• Hellenistic (Domestic architecture - Pottery): 3rd - 2nd century BC
• Hellenistic (Gold Jewelry): 3rd - 2nd century BC
• Economy (Coins - weights- premonetarian means of exchange):
•
Sculpture: 4th century BC - 2nd century AD
The most important items of the museum are:
-
Gold
mycenaen diadem found in a tomb at Stavros of Lamia (14th- 13th century BC).
-
Reconstructed helmet with wild boar teeth from the Mycenaean chamber tomb at
Elateia (14th - 13th century
BC).
-
Sherd of a Mycenaean krater representing a ship with its warriors. This is the first definite depiction of a warship in the history of mainland Greece (12th century BC).
-
Lekythos in the form of a male head from
Megaplatanos. The vase is a fine example of the 5th century red-figure style and it is attributed to an Attic workshop (5th century BC).
-
Attic black-glazed amphora with floral red-figured decoration on the neck from
Panagitsa at Elateia (5th century).
-
Votive
relief to Artemis from
Achinos.
It depicts a young mother's offering to the goddess, which is here featured as the guardian goddess of safe child-birth (Artemis Locheia). The relief dates to the end of the 4th-beginning of the 3rd century BC and stylistically belongs to the circle of Praxiteles' works.
-
Mosaic pavement with the Three Graces from
Ypati (3rd century AD).
-
Gold signet ring with cult representation from the Mycenaean cemetery at Alonaki of
Elateia (14th century BC).
-
Helmet of Illyric type from
Stavloi of Eurytania (late 8th or 7th century BC).
-
Statue of an orator or philosopher of the Roman period from
Achinos.
The above exhibits are but a few of the significant findings, which are housed in the Archaeological Museum of Lamia and come from all over the prefecture of Fthiotida. For visitors, the Museum provides guided tours and educational programs, along with the organization of conferences and lectures.
