PELLA – still at the Museum
On the outside, this was another museum that looked to be on the small side with not much to offer. Big mistake. It may be small but there are literally thousands of items that have been discovered at Pella. Let’s press on – more terracotta figurines – left is a votive altar with an inscription to the Mother of the Gods – Cybele. Centre is Aphrodite removing her sandal – Right is Eros
These figurines are not very tall – so I can’t even imagine how the creators managed to get the details in the wings or the hands. We now move to some funerary items but I am sure there will be more terracotta works around the next corner.
The lighting on this urn is really dodgy due to the fact that the sun is streaming in through the windows.
This urn is from the East Cemetery and dates from 350-325 BC. On the other side it shows the abduction of Ariadne by Dionysus (flanked by Maenads and Eros). Such delicate work and colours – –
On this side is a scene of a wedding ceremony. The bride, seated on a throne, accepts gifts from a seated woman, perhaps Aphrodite. Eros and doves fly above and amongst the women. The wreath on the top was found inside the vase.
Oh dear – I have run into the flashers again. There is so much light in here why they don’t turn their flash off is beyond me. Maybe they are just stupid – yes that has to be it. Now for something a bit different – –
These are items from Macedonian elite class burials. Note the gold leaf funerary masks, diadems and jewellery. These two photos are taken at the beginning of the walk through – –
one good thing – the flashers are no where to be seen – let’s go explore.
The men were buried as warriors, accompanied invariably by their armour and weaponry as well as some ornaments and personal items. We can see that their equipment includes a sword and dagger/knife and maybe even a spear or lance. In many cases these weapons are made of bronze, but in the wealthiest tombs they are of iron, the most ‘modern’ metal at the time.
The ladies in the richest graves were buried dressed in their finest and wearing large amounts of jewellery, the way they would appear at important events, perhaps most importantly at their own weddings. Common ornaments include golden diadems, earrings or hair ornaments, necklaces of gold, silver or amber, clothes-pins, bracelets and rings of various metals. Countless small ornaments or beads of gold, glass and other materials were attached to the long-disappeared robes or dresses they wore. Some even had gold applications on their shoes!
About a third of the male graves contained helmets, all made of bronze, mostly of the so-called Illyrian type that was widespread in Macedon, although a hybrid Illyrian/Corinthian variety also occurs very rarely. Some of the helmets bear golden decorations. Time to bombard you with some historical descriptions – – below left is the full display from of male Grave 9, with helmet, gold stomion (mouth cover), golden wrist-cover, iron sword, dagger, clothing ornaments and clay vessels in animal shape. Circa 550 BC.
Above centre is a display from a male Grave 443, circa 550-525 BC which includes a Bronze shield.
The photo on the right is a full display of (male) Grave 480, with ‘Illyrian’ helmet richly adorned with gold, an unusual decorated gold face-cover, two iron swords with gold decoration, two iron spearheads, gold rosettes from armour or clothing, a complex gold cover for wrist and fingers, gold bands that decorated the straps of a composite shield, imported pottery including a perfume flask in the shape of a sandalled foot and an Attic ‘eye cup’. Circa 550-540 BC.
Left is question of the ages – who was the lady in Grave 458? She wore two gold diadems with identical scenes of wild animals. The gold rosettes were probably attached to a cloth covering her head. Her mask includes circular tracing over the eyes, each holding a star or sun. The traditional rhomboid stomion covering her mouth is also included in the mask; it is decorated with foliage, felines and dolphins (the archaeologists suggest that all this symbolises the four elements. You can also see the top ends of two silver pins with gold terminals and part of a necklace made from 49 gold beads. Circa 540 BC.
In the centre is a gold face mask and on the right is the helmet of a warrior in Grave 795a. It is an ‘Illyrian’ helmet adorned with gold bands. Over his mouth was a circular stomion with repoussé decoration of a rosette with the face of Medusa at the centre. Circa 550 BC.
Above is a Gold Myrtle Wreath from a grave – 325-300 BC. Such delicate work – do you believe the workmanship done all those years ago? How I wish I could go back in time and watch these people at work and play.
Time for us to now head to the Archeological Site at Pella so that we can imagine people walking on the streets and enjoying life in their wonderful buildings. It is not very far – about 5 minutes, so let’s enjoy the short ride and I will see you in Part 3 –