Aiani Archaeological Museum
Encyclopedia
The Aiani Archaeological Museum is a museum
in Aiani
, Greece
.
Although the museum was inaugurated in 1970, with a collection of antiquities of the ancient city but in 1983 a number of major additional finds meant that the museum had to be expanded considerably to house the new objects. Excavations revealed the existence of an organised city dated from the 2nd millennium BC to 100 BC, when it was abandoned, probably after an earthquake. Important architectural members have been uncovered, graves and cemeteries, dating from prehistoric times to the Late Hellenistic period.
The building of a new museum began in 1992 but was delayed by events such as an earthquake
on 13 March 1995. After storage in various places including the town hall, the museum was eventually completed in 1997, but only two of the museums exhibition rooms opened in October 2002.
Now located in a two-storey building, the Archaeological Museum of Aiani displays the history of ancient Aiani, capital of Elimiotis
which was one of the most important kingdoms of Upper Macedonia
. The museum comprises eight exhibition rooms but only two are open to the public, and it contains storerooms, offices, a library, a drawing studio, a multi-purpose exhibition/lecture hall, a guesthouse and conservation laboratories for metal
and terracotta items. From 1995 until October 2002 the multi-purpose hall housed a collection of icons, texts, maps and copies of antiquities.
Important collections include finds of the Late Bronze Age (1500 -1200 BC) and the Archaic and Classical periods (600 -500 BC), which provide an important insight into the formation of the Doric-Macedonian peoples in the region and the civilian and political development of Aiani, particularly during the Sixth Century B.C.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Aiani
Aiani
Aiani or Kalliani is a town and a former municipality in the Kozani peripheral unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kozani, of which it is a municipal unit. It lies 20 km south of Kozani city...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Although the museum was inaugurated in 1970, with a collection of antiquities of the ancient city but in 1983 a number of major additional finds meant that the museum had to be expanded considerably to house the new objects. Excavations revealed the existence of an organised city dated from the 2nd millennium BC to 100 BC, when it was abandoned, probably after an earthquake. Important architectural members have been uncovered, graves and cemeteries, dating from prehistoric times to the Late Hellenistic period.
The building of a new museum began in 1992 but was delayed by events such as an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
on 13 March 1995. After storage in various places including the town hall, the museum was eventually completed in 1997, but only two of the museums exhibition rooms opened in October 2002.
Now located in a two-storey building, the Archaeological Museum of Aiani displays the history of ancient Aiani, capital of Elimiotis
Elimiotis
Elimiotis or Elimeia or Elimaea was a region of Upper Macedonia that was located along the Haliacmon, north of Perrhaebia/Thessaly, west of Pieria, east of Parauaea, and south of Orestis. In earlier times, it was independent, but later was incorporated into the Argead kingdom of Macedon...
which was one of the most important kingdoms of Upper Macedonia
Upper Macedonia
Upper Macedonia is a geographical and tribal term to describe the regions that became part of the kingdom of Macedon in the early 4th century BC. From that date, its inhabitants were politically equal to Lower Macedonians...
. The museum comprises eight exhibition rooms but only two are open to the public, and it contains storerooms, offices, a library, a drawing studio, a multi-purpose exhibition/lecture hall, a guesthouse and conservation laboratories for metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
and terracotta items. From 1995 until October 2002 the multi-purpose hall housed a collection of icons, texts, maps and copies of antiquities.
Important collections include finds of the Late Bronze Age (1500 -1200 BC) and the Archaic and Classical periods (600 -500 BC), which provide an important insight into the formation of the Doric-Macedonian peoples in the region and the civilian and political development of Aiani, particularly during the Sixth Century B.C.