Reopened Getty to host Griffin Warrior artifacts
Dazzling artifacts recovered from the tomb of the Griffin Warrior in Pylos, southwestern Greece, will be exhibited for the first time outside Europe at the J. Paul Getty Museum later this month. A selection of objects from the richest single grave ever discovered in Greece will be on display at the first reopening of the Getta Villa Museum since it was closed due to the Palisades fire that ripped through Los Angeles County in January.An excavation led by University of Cincinnati archaeologists Jack Davis and Sharon Stocker discovered the tomb in 2015. The shaft tomb contained the skeletal remains of a man and hundreds of luxury objects including ivory-handled weapons, a thousand beads of semi-precious stones, silver cups, Minoan gold signet rings and carved seal stones including the jaw-dropping artistic masterpiece dubbed the Pylos Combat Agate. The artifact that gave the tomb its name was an ivory pyxis lid carved with a mythical scene of a lion attacking a griffin.Encounter the latest discoveries from Messenia, an epicenter of Mycenaean civilization in Late Bronze Age Greece, displayed for the first time outside Europe. Archaeology and cutting-edge science reveal the world of the Griffin Warrior, whose grave held offerings of incomparable artistry. Princely burials in monumental tombs reflect a society that came to be ruled by the Palace of Nestor in ancient Pylos. Carved sealstones, goldwork, elaborate weapons, and wall paintings accompany inscribed tablets that document the final year of a powerful kingdom.The exhibition is organized in four sections starting with The Palace of Nestor, the Bronze Age palace complex first discovered in 1939. The Grave of the Griffin Warrior is the focus of the second section, with the Pylos Combat Agate as its centerpiece. Section three is dedicated to the Tholos Tombs of Pylos, two domed tombs of elite families that were discovered by Davis and Stocker in 2018. The last section goes further afield, looking at ten other sites that were part of the Kingdom of Pylos.Thanks to the heroic efforts of LAFD firefighters and staff, the Villa and its galleries were spared serious damage. The grounds suffered more. More than 1,300 fire-damaged trees had to be removed, and there is visible burn damage where the fires reached the outer grounds.The Kingdom of Pylos: Warrior-Princes of Ancient Greece opens June 27th and runs through January 12, 2026. The museum will reopen on a limited schedule at first to prevent excessive traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway. It will be open to only 500 visitors a day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10AM to 5PM. Timed-entry reservations are required and can be booked online.
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