The Archaeological Museum of Messinia is hosting important findings from the Mycenean culture in SW Greece - including the astonishing findings of the so-called Griffin Warrior Tomb in the Pylos area - through April 27, 2025. 

The exhibition opened on February 14.

The temporary exhibition was inaugurated at the museum in Kalamata by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, the minister and other officials said during a press conference on Wednesday. It opened to the public the following day (Feb 14).

"Princes of Pylos: Treasures of the Bronze Age from Messinia" highlights the Mycenaean cultural identity as it became formulated at the end of the Middle Helladic and start of Late Helladic era and as it flourished at the end of the 13th century, when almost all of Messinia was controled by the Kingdom of Pylos, based at the Palace of Nestor.

The exhibition pieces include findings of the Griffin Warrior Tomb found in 2015 (including the skeleton of a male and hundreds of objects buried with him), as well as more recent findings from tholos tombs VI and VII in Englianos, the tholos tomb in Psari, the finely decorated crown from Myrsinochori, and other objects from older excavations. 

Culture minister

Speaking of the discovery of the Griffin Warrior Tomb, Mendoni said it was astounding both for the finely made objects and the historic information it provided for the Mycenaean era. She spoke of the wealth of archaeological findings in Greece overall and of how this exhibition is part of specific policies the ministry has been promoting, from actions highlighting the Cycladic culture to this one now on Mycenaean culture.

Mendoni also noted the systematic work of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia to promote the Palace of Nestor, the tholos tombs, the archaeological area of Peristeria, and the restoration and extension of the Archaeological Museum in Chora, all of which promote the culture of the Mycenaeans. Another related project she noted is the Cultural Walk of "Monumental works of Cyclopes and humans during the Mycanean period (2nd millennium BC" funded by the Recovery Fund, which she said "essentially connects and highlights more or less important Mycenaean sites in 17 regional units," from central Greece to the Peloponnese and Cephalonia.

"At the same time, the fact this exhibition will travel to Los Angeles is also part of the systematic policy of the extroversion of Greek culture, that we have been serving very consistently," the Culture minister said.

At the Getty

Besides the ephorate of Messinia, coordinating the exhibition, and Messinia museum archaeologists, the exhibition also involved the cooperation of archaeologists Davis and Stocker who found the Griffin Warrior Tomb during their excavations of the Palace of Nestor area in Ano Englianos (Palace of Nestor). The excavators worked under the aegis of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens and the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, through the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia.

After Kalamata, the exhibition will travel to the Getty Villa Museum in California (inauguration: June 25) until January 2026. When it returns to Greece it will be exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum before returning to its home museum of Messinia as a permanent exhibit. The interim will allow the necessary upgrades to take place at the Kalamata museum before they return, the Ministry of Culture said.

(The Archaeological Museum of Messinia, Benaki & 3 Aghiou Ioanni, Kalamata 24100. Winter hours, to March 31, are 08:30 - 15:30, closed Tuesdays and holidays. Winter entrance fee: 2 euros, 15 euros for combination ticket of sites. Please call the Museum before visiting, (+30) 2721083485, or email efames@culture.gr. For more information on the Ano Englianos excavations,  please consult https://griffinwarrior.org/.)