Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-09-11

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Newly-opened Archaeological Museum of Pella highlights wealth of Macedonian Empire

[01] Newly-opened Archaeological Museum of Pella highlights wealth of Macedonian Empire

The exhibition shows valuable artefacts from excavations in the area, including royal cemeteries and the palace at Aegae (present-day Vergina), capital of Macedonia's kingdom, and finds from Archontiko (which predated Pella at 7th-6th centuries BC, or Archaic times), including gold wreaths, gold masks, jewellery, weapons, sculpture, alabaster objects and vases among others.

Tassoulas said the archaeological excavations in Pella and Imathia, the northwern Greek prefectures associated with the Macedonian Empire and Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), are being funded by the EU-based National Strategic Reference Framework at 35 million euros. A comprehensive programme with cultural tours and reconstruction of the palace complex at Aegae belonging to Philip II (382-336 BC), Alexander's father, has also been submitted to the same programme for funding.

Some of the exhibits were included in shows at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and the Louvre in Paris in 2011.

Angeliki Kottaridi, director of the local ephorate of antiquities, said during the inauguration that the museum wanted to "give as complete as possible a picture of the civilisation in the heart of Macedonia as possible in Archaic and early Classical times, at the time when the greatest changes were taking place and the kingdom of the Macedonians was beginning to establish itself."

The "Lady of Aegae" celebrates Euridice, the wife of Amyntas I, queen of Amyntas I (530-495 BC) and high priestess of the Macedonians. She was also mother of three kings, including Alexander the Great's father. A mannequin with the gold jewellery and pins decorating her dress are on show, as are Macedonian warriors' armor and gold funerary masks (for both males and females).

Among other exhibits are vessels, including bronze and alabaster ones, decorative ostrich eggs and faience. The exhibit on the city of Pella itself is permanently housed on the ground floor.

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