A new exhibition titled “Archaic Elites: Warriors and Princesses” opened Sunday at the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna, inviting visitors to embark on a vivid journey through the early Iron Age Mediterranean – a time when myth met emerging history. The exhibition runs through October 19, 2025.

Curated by Acropolis Museum General Director Professor Nikolaos Chr. Stampolidis and co-organized with the Acropolis Museum, the exhibition commemorates 40 years of excavation at Eleutherna’s Orthi Petra necropolis. More than 530 artifacts – many never before exhibited – are on loan from 18 institutions across Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Spain.

“What made Eleutherna stand out – transforming it from a mere dot on the archaeological map into a destination?” Stampolidis asked. “This exhibition celebrates not only the material finds but the real people of antiquity: princes, warriors, priestesses – and their ties across the Mediterranean world, linking three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa.”

Focusing on the Geometric and Archaic periods (9th–5th centuries BC), the exhibition illuminates a pivotal era bridging myth and early history. Lavish burial offerings of gold, silver, bronze, ivory, and ceramic chart the rise of local aristocracies and their influence on early Mediterranean civilizations.

Among the highlights: diadems and pendants from elite women’s tombs, Etruscan swords and armor, Iberian votives, and Cypriot ceramics. Objects with Homeric echoes – such as feasting vessels and ritual items – are juxtaposed with similar artifacts from across the region. A notable pairing features nearly identical bronze soup ladles from Palaipafos, Cyprus, and Eleutherna, hinting at trade or diplomatic links.

The exhibition also includes funerary treasures from central Italy’s Bernardini Tomb – on loan for the first and last time from the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome.

Arranged thematically rather than chronologically, the displays invite comparisons across cultures. Every day and ceremonial objects – perfume vials, combs, drinking cups – are placed in dialogue to highlight shared rituals and identities. Among them is a “tyroknistida” (cheese grater), referenced by Homer as used for mixing cheese into wine, linking daily life with epic narrative.

“The exhibition doesn’t just trace lines of aesthetic or technological development,” Stampolidis said. “It traces human lines – stories of love, exchange, sorrow, and migration – woven into the pulsating web of a shared Mediterranean world.”

Beyond academic value, the exhibition represents a personal milestone for Stampolidis, who has devoted much of his archaeological career to ancient Eleutherna. His commitment has helped transform the once-obscure village into a cultural landmark, engaging in the local community and attracting international interest.

The Museum of Ancient Eleutherna, located near Mount Ida about 30 km southeast of Rethymno, is open daily except Tuesdays. Entry to “Archaic Elites: Warriors and Princesses” is included in the standard museum ticket.

For travelers in Crete this summer, the exhibition offers a compelling look into a world where the rich tapestry of myth, history, and nature converge.

For more information, please visit the museum website here.