Museum quality

When you live in the birthplace of world civilization, 

it’s not like you have to go searching for artifacts with which to fill your museums.

The truth is you can go in your back yard 

or to the latest construction site, 

put a shovel in the earth, turn it over  - 

and wait for buried items to make their way to the surface.

Not kidding.

 

We saw many construction sites where building had ground to a halt 

because ancient items had been found – 

which then means construction stops – 

until the Ministry of Archaeological Significance 

or some august title bureaucracy 

investigates to see if the project can continue.

 

Museums in Greece have a surplus of displays – 

and hence rotating collections – 

of items that are amazing.

We went to the Acropolis Museum, the Prehistoric Museum of Thera, 

Vori Ethnological Museum and the National Archaeological Museum.

We also saw sites (Akrotiri, Knossos, Phaistos and the island of Delos)

where archeological digs are still going on.

I love history.

I remember, proudly, taking honors European history, 

contemporary history, American history etc.

 and having a razor sharp mind for dates, eras and sequence of events.

I was a big picture, as well as a minutiae, kind of girl.

Imagine my chagrin when, on this trip, 

I felt like I was walking around in a Charlie Brown TV special, 

hearing the teacher drone on

 “Wahwahwahwahwahwahwah, 13^th century before Christ wahwahwahwahwah”.

I loved seeing the items; 

some of which were are surprisingly contemporary; 

but my mind had a hard time taking in all those ancient centuries. 

And their history is just that, THEIR history.

I get it; they’re fuckin old… 

next exhibit please. 

 There was an unending supply.