The National Archaeological Museum has unveiled the “Lord’s Krater from Lefkandi,” one of the largest bronze vessels of the ancient world, as the latest highlight of its successful “Invisible Museum” initiative that showcases treasures from its storerooms. Crafted in Cyprus around 1100 BC, the krater was used as an urn in one of the most remarkable Iron Age burials discovered in Lefkandi, Evia.
Unearthed in 1981 buried beneath a monumental 10th-century BC building, the krater contained the cremated remains of a man along with one of the largest surviving ancient textiles. The burial also included the deceased’s weapons and the skeletal remains of a young woman adorned with precious jewelry. Nearby, four young horses had been sacrificed, echoing Homeric heroic burial customs.
The massive bronze krater, initially shattered into hundreds of fragments, was transported to the National Archaeological Museum where it underwent painstaking restoration. The conservation work spanned three generations of experts, beginning in 1983-1984 with the late Ch. Chatziliou, T. Magnisalis, and I. Damigos, and continuing recently from 2022 to 2025 with G. Karamargios, G. Makris, P. Feleris, and M. Kontakis.
The “Lord’s Krater” is now on display for the first time in the Museum’s Altar Hall (Room 34) until September 1, 2025, before its permanent transfer to the Archaeological Museum of Chalkida, “Arethousa.” On selected Sundays and Wednesdays in July and August, archaeologists and conservators will welcome visitors at 1 p.m. to discuss the extraordinary burial, the Homeric features of the Iron Age, and the remarkable restoration journey of this iconic bronze vessel—a testament to the expertise and innovative techniques of the museum’s conservation team.
Scheduled presentation dates are July 6, August 3, 10, 24 (Sundays), and July 9, August 6, 13, 27 (Wednesdays), all starting at 1 p.m.