Aikaterinh Balla Source: C.E.T.I. © Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

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It is located in Palaiopolis, just 6.5 km north of Kamariotissa. The Museum was built by the American School of Classical Studies (1939-1955).

The collection of the museum occupies four rooms and includes finds mainly form the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, the ancient city and the necropolises.

The first hall displays restored architectural elements from the most important buildings of the Sanctuary, such as the Rotunda of Arsinoe (288 – 281 BC), the Hall of Votive gifts, the Palace, the Propylon of Ptolemy II. A marble stele is also exhibited bearing an inscription in both Greek and Latin that prevented the uninitiated from entering the Palace’s sacred space, or Adyton (1st century AD).

In the second hall, several examples of sculptures and coins from the Sanctuary are exhibited together with reconstructed architectural members like the parts of the building with the Dancing Maidens (around 340 BC) and a capital from the Propylon of Ptolemy II with a relief representation of griffons devouring a deer (285-281 BC).

The third hall displays a number of sculptures, minor objects and pottery from the Sanctuary and the ancient city. The statue of Nike is distinctive as well as the angular acroterion from the rear side of the Sanctuary (around 130 BC) and the drinking cups, or Kantharoi, found in a pit, or apothetes, at the place of the ex Temenos (first half of the 7th century BC). Other finds include a Persian gold pin in the form of a lion (5th century BC), a black-figure pelike depicting a music scene, and archaic urns from the South Necropolis. In the forth hall there is a cast replica of Nike (Victory) of Samothrace, now in the Louvre. Black and red-figure Attic vessels used as cremation urns are also exhibited dating from the 6th and the 5th centuries BC. There is also a Panathenian amphora depicting the figure of armed Athena on one side and a road race on the other (525 BC), as well as precious jewellery and silver coins found during the excavation at the Necropolises. Finally, some inscriptions are kept in the atrium.