Antiquities Exhibits

The exhibition in the newly reopened museum in Naples covers a period from the 10th-4th centuries BCE and reconstructs the historical foundations of the Etruscan population, whose greatness also derived from the control of the resources of two very fertile plains (the Po Valley in the North and the Campania Valley in the South). As the famous Greek historian Polybius recalled in the 2nd century B.C.E., "those who want to know the history of the power of the Etruscans must not refer to the territory they own at present, but to the plains" controlled by them. The history of the discovery of Etruscan Campania is, therefore, one of the most exciting chapters of archaeological research in Italy and the Mediterranean. The exhibit includes artifacts from the Bernardini Tomb, displayed for the first time. I found an article on JSTOR that includes a translated version of the original 19th century excavation report.  I thought you might enjoy a retelling of the excavators' ...

Thalassa, Wonders Submerged by the Mediterranean, through March 2020 at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, Italy. Four hundred artifacts represent the efforts of underwater archaeologists exploring the Mare Nostrum from 1950 until today including the Farnese Atlas, a marble sculpture dating to the 2nd century CE and discoveries from the ancient port of Naples that were revealed during the excavations of the subway in  Piazza Municipio. Other works on display include an Amazon head, the bronze head of the Philosopher of Porticello from the 5th century BCE, the Relief of Heracles and Antaeus, 2nd century BCE, the "Reshef of Selinunte", a bronze statuette produced between the 14th and 12th centuries BCE and parts of a Roman ship. The exhibit also provides multimedia displays and 3D reconstructions. Image: A variety of artifacts recovered from the Mare Nostrum courtesy of the museum.

Chiron was the son of the Titan Cronus and the Oceanid Philyra. Like satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild, lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, violent when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents. Chiron, by contrast, was intelligent, civilized and kind, because he was not related directly to the other centaurs due to hi s parentage. Chiron's foster father, Apollo, taught the young centaur the art of medicine, herbs, music, archery, hunting, gymnastics and prophecy, and made him rise above his beastly nature. Chiron was known for his knowledge and skill with medicine, and thus was credited with the discovery of botany and pharmacy, the science of herbs and medicine. Image: A beautiful fresco of Chiron at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (inv. Nr. 9109). From a Basilica in Herculaneum - The fresco shows the centaur Chiron, a pedagogue of Achilles, who teaches the young hero in the use of the lyre. The prototype for this fresco was not a...