Archaeological Museum of Kilkis: Preserving the History of Northern Greece

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Official Website: www.kilkis.org

Country: Greece

Civilization: Greek, Roman

Remains: Museum

History

The Archaeological Museum of Kilkis is located in the Kilkis regional unit of Greece, an area with a long history of human settlement. The museum itself was established in 1972 to house artifacts uncovered from local archaeological sites.

The earliest artifacts in the museum’s collection date back to the prehistoric era, including stone tools and amulets from various settlements around Kilkis. These finds indicate that the area was inhabited by communities long before written history. Moving into the early Iron Age, around 1000 to 700 BCE, the region saw the development of burial customs such as cremation, evidenced by urns and grave goods from the cemetery at Palio Gynaikokastro.

During the classical and Hellenistic periods, the area included ancient cities like Europos and Palatiano. Europos is notable for a rare kouros statue dating to the 6th century BCE, a type of freestanding sculpture representing a young male figure. Palatiano features a heroön, a shrine dedicated to a hero, where monumental statues from the late 1st to early 2nd century CE were found, reflecting continued occupation and cultural activity into Roman times.

Excavations led by British archaeologists Casson and Heurtley uncovered important sites such as Tsaousitsa and Axiokhori, contributing to the understanding of the region’s historical development. The museum’s collection also includes finds from other local settlements like Pedino, Galliko, and Axioupoli.

Remains

The Archaeological Museum of Kilkis is housed in a building with three main exhibition halls and an outdoor area for displaying inscriptions and other artifacts. The layout allows for a chronological presentation of finds from the region.

The first exhibition hall focuses on early Iron Age pottery, including cremation urns from the Palio Gynaikokastro cemetery dating between 1000 and 700 BCE. These urns are accompanied by grave goods such as bronze jewelry and iron weapons, which vary according to the gender of the deceased. This hall provides insight into burial practices and material culture of the period.

The second hall contains sculptures, inscriptions, and funerary stelae primarily from the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Among the highlights is the unique 6th century BCE kouros statue from ancient Europos. Also displayed are four large statues from the heroön at Palatiano, dating to the late 1st or early 2nd century CE. These monumental sculptures reflect the artistic and religious traditions of the time.

Additional display cases hold terracotta figurines, vessels, and jewelry recovered from excavations. A notable bronze helmet from Chorigi and terracotta plaques depicting female figures from a Hellenistic grave in the Phyliria area are also exhibited, illustrating the variety of artifacts found in the region.

The museum’s vestibule presents prehistoric finds such as stone tools, amulets, and figurines from various local settlements. These objects demonstrate the long chronological span of human activity in the Kilkis area, from prehistoric times through later historical periods.