Exhibition of archaeological finds in the State Hermitage Museum is dedicated to the Hellenistic era in Bahrain following the campaigns of Alexander of Macedon

State Hermitage Museum, July 2 - September 30, 2012
St. Petersburg, picket the Hermitage Room

The State Hermitage Museum opened an exhibition at the National Museum of Bahrain, "Delos. Journey to the afterlife. Funerary rituals and traditions in Bahrain. " The exhibition, prepared by the State Hermitage Museum in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a kind of continuation of a series of exhibitions from Arab countries, demonstrated in the Hermitage in recent years.

exhibition includes over 250 objects found during the archaeological excavations, which were held in Bahrain from the middle of the twentieth century, Danish, then French expeditions. One of the curators of the exhibition - French archaeologist Pierre Lombard - now heads the archaeological site in Bahrain.

roots of Bahrain's history goes in the III millennium BC. Apparently, the territory of the modern Kingdom of Bahrain - a blessed island of Dilmun, mentioned in the cuneiform texts of the inhabitants of ancient Mesopotamia - the Sumerians and Babylonians. It was there, in Dilmun, the Sumerians believed, was a paradise. Dilmun, situated at the crossroads of maritime routes, really was a thriving commercial center, and due to the geographical position of this island nation culture of its inhabitants was rich in cultural borrowing from their close and distant neighbors.

In turn, The exhibition at the Hermitage is dedicated to a different period in the history of Bahrain - Hellenistic era that followed the campaigns of Alexander of Macedon. At this time, Bahrain was named "Delos" (perhaps it is the former name of "Dilmun," the distorted Greek pronunciation). Shortly before his death, Alexander, while in Babylon, which he intended to make capital of his new state, made several reconnaissance missions, during which the Greeks reached Delos and left a description of its fabulous gardens and a wonderful climate. It is not known whether the Greeks settled on Delos, but it is clear that the influence of Greek culture on the island was very strong. Perhaps the location of the island as a center of trade routes led to borrowing elements of Greek culture, not from the Greeks, while the Hellenized peoples of the ancient East. The exhibition "Delos. Journey to the afterlife, "echoes exhibited in 2007, a grand exhibition from the collections of the Hermitage" Alexander the Great. Road to the East, "whose purpose was to show the mutual influence of Greek culture and the cultures of different regions of the ancient East.

Monuments, presented at the exhibition, for the most part found in the graves, as in the course of excavations at Bahrain is found the ancient necropolis, not temples or palaces. The origin of the exhibits identified and the name of the exhibition.

According to the French designer Didier Blain at the visitor entering the exhibition hall, should have the feeling that he came to the tomb. This impression is achieved through enhanced video and a large wooden sarcophagus, as well as ceramic vessels that served for the burial of children.

Exhibition devoted to the burial customs of the inhabitants of Delos, eating and drinking, which was left in the graves relatives of the deceased, cosmetic and perfume accessories and other accessories necessary for the long journey to the afterlife. Among the items - gold jewelry, silver, ivory, ceramic utensils, coins to pay for the crossing.

took away the deceased in the afterworld the world the same things that he used on the ground, so the sites of the graves give an idea of ​​the tastes, lifestyles, crafts, household and cultural traditions of the inhabitants of Delos. The World After Alexander's campaigns has been largely united - many things are found in the tombs of Delos, identical to the monuments of this period in other regions.

The final section of the exhibition is devoted to images of the dead. Along with the Hellenized reliefs and statuettes can be seen in sharp contrast to the components they stele made in typical local style. They captured the features of the mysterious ancient inhabitants of Delos, which created a flourishing state, about which we learn in the coming decade thanks to a lot of new ongoing excavations on the island.

curator of the Hermitage - Maryam Magomedovna Dandamaeva, a scientist Secretary of the State Hermitage Museum.

Source: