An ancient bronze griffin head, stolen nearly a century ago, was repatriated to Greece from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 21, 2025. Now displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia
Archaeology
In a recent operation, police raided estates owned by the influential Papadimitriou shipping family located in Schoinoussa and Attica, where they discovered five antiquities and nine religious icons believed to be protected under Greek heritage laws. The raids took place on Monday, aligning with the ongoing retrial of a 2006 case where numerous ancient artifacts were found at the family’s villa.
“Ukrainian soldiers may have found an elite Greek necropolis from the 6th–5th centuries BC in southern Ukraine, unearthing intact ritual vessels and remains that hint at high-status burials.”
A museum director in Antalya’s Demre district has been fired after allegedly stealing materials from the historic Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church’s old roof and using them to build her private villa, prompting a Culture and Tourism Ministry investigation into her actions
The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has launched its 2025 Greek History and Culture Seminars, attracting a significant audience eager to engage with insightful discussions led by emerging scholars.
Archaeologists in Corinth have unearthed a Hellenistic-era funerary structure, resembling Macedonian tombs, during the “Ancient Tenea” program, revealing a possible healing cult with artifacts like a gold ring depicting Apollo. The site, excavated in Chiliomodi, includes a sarcophagus and animal bones, with ongoing digs expected to shed light on its full historical significance.
For the celebration of Women’s Day, we explore the impressive Maiden of Thera, a marble statue from around 600 BC, discovered in Santorini. This artifact, showcasing the elegance and reverence of Archaic Greek women, is exhibited at the Museum of Cycladic Art until May 4, 2025.
A 61-year-old German tourist faces up to a decade in a Greek prison after being caught attempting to smuggle an ancient marble column out of the country. The man was arrested at the port of Patras while trying to board a ferry to Italy with the artifact hidden in his vehicle. This incident underscores Greece’s strict laws against antiquities trafficking, with potential sentences up to 12 years. The column’s authenticity was confirmed by an archaeologist, though its origin remains unknown. The case reflects broader issues of cultural heritage theft, similar to efforts on Skiathos to prevent tourists from taking pebbles from Lalaria Beach.
A recent study by archaeologist Cecilie Brøns reveals that ancient Greek and Roman statues were not only colorful and decorated but also perfumed, challenging the traditional view of classical sculpture as a purely visual art form. This discovery highlights the multi-sensory experience intended for ancient viewers, involving not just sight but also smell, through the use of aromatic substances in rituals and adornments.
The National Museum of Underwater Antiquities in Piraeus is set to open in 2026, showcasing Greece’s rich maritime heritage through archaeological treasures found at the bottom of the sea. In conjunction with its opening, a call for the design of the 2026 Charm has been issued, inspired by underwater archaeology and Greek cultural history.
Today, 31 years ago, on March 6, 1994, Melina Mercouri passed away. Every year, this day is celebrated as Melina Mercouri Memorial Day, and in this context, entry to public museums and archaeological sites, including the Acropolis Museum, is free.
When Amazon Prime Video announced House of David, a sweeping biblical epic chronicling the life…
Mantha Zarmakoupi, a classical archaeologist, has spent four summers excavating the bouleuterion in Teos, an ancient city on Turkey’s western coast. The excavation has uncovered early Hellenistic mosaics and revealed significant insights into the city’s political and cultural history. Zarmakoupi’s team has also deciphered an ancient inscription, shedding light on Teos’ role as a hub of art and democracy in the ancient world.
In the ancient Greek city of Aspendos, Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable marble statue of Hermes, the Greek god known for his role as the messenger of Zeus. This significant find from the Roman Imperial Period highlights Aspendos’s rich historical legacy. Alongside Hermes, the excavations also revealed sculptures and fragments of other iconic figures, including Aphrodite, Eros, and Artemis, offering a fascinating glimpse into the region’s storied past.
The Archaeological Museum of Messinia is set to host the “Princes of Pylos: Treasures of the Bronze Age from Messinia” exhibition, showcasing significant Mycenaean artifacts, including the Griffin Warrior Tomb finds. Running from February 14 to April 27, 2025, the exhibition will later travel to the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles before returning to Greece as a permanent display.
The devastating floods caused by Storm “Daniel” in Libya have led to an unexpected archaeological…
Significant damage occurred at the archaeological site of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the ODAP sales outlet at Louloudadika during a rally in Athens on February 28, marking the two-year anniversary of the Tempi railway disaster. Marble from the ancient temple was broken and display cases were vandalized, but authorities quickly initiated repairs, ensuring public safety and continuing operations.
Rising from the crystalline embrace of the southeastern Aegean Sea like a sun-bleached jewel, Rhodes beckons with its intoxicating blend of ancient wonders and modern Mediterranean allure.
Nearly two thousand years after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, scientists have uncovered a hauntingly rare phenomenon—a man’s brain turned into black glass.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. has returned 11 antiquities valued at nearly $1 million to Greece. The artifacts, seized during investigations into antiquities trafficking, including a probe into convicted London-based trafficker Robin Symes, were handed over at a repatriation ceremony with Greece’s Minister of Culture Dr. Lina Mendoni. This latest action is part of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit’s broader effort, which has recovered over 2,225 stolen items valued at $250 million during Bragg’s tenure.