On July 7, the exhibition "A Journey to Ancient Greece: Archaeological Explorations" opened at the Sanxingdui Museum. Co-organized by the Ministry of Culture of Greece, Sanxingdui Museum, and Liangzhu Museum, this exhibition is the first international special display at Sanxingdui Museum's new venue since its opening and the first original cultural relics exhibition in southwest China jointly developed with Greece's Ministry of Culture.

The exhibition showcases 172 pieces (sets) of exquisite cultural relics (including nine replicas) from 31 Greek museums and cultural institutions. The items cover a wide range, such as pottery, bronze wares, gold artifacts, marble statues, and frescoes. It not only vividly presents the splendid achievements and far-reaching impact of ancient Greek civilization but also provides a cultural example for the co-existence and mutual learning of diverse civilizations.

Some Greek Artifacts Make Their Overseas Premieres:

A Panorama of Ancient Greek Civilization from the Bronze Age to the Alexander the Great Era

Ancient Greek civilization, with its unique and rich aesthetic and philosophical thoughts, serves as the wellspring of Western civilization, exerting a profound influence on various fields in later generations. From the rise of the Aegean civilization, through the heyday of the city-state era, and on to the Hellenistic Age when its influence expanded dramatically, ancient Greek civilization underwent a long-standing development process, and its cultural achievements have endured across millennia. Archaeological heritage, one of the important carriers of ancient Greek civilization, holds a pivotal position among the world's cultural heritages. From the Akrotiri ruins on Santorini Island and the Knossos Palace in Crete to the ancient city of Mycenae on the Peloponnese, and further to the Athenian Acropolis, the archaeological site of Olympia, and the Derveni tombs, these heritage sites have engraved the geographical DNA into the historical narrative of ancient Greek civilization.

All exhibits on display are scientifically excavated artifacts from Greece, with some items making their debut outside Greece for the first time. Together, they present a panoramic view of ancient Greek civilization spanning from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great.

The exhibition unfolds through four thematic sections—"The Dawn of Civilization: The Prehistoric Aegean", "Heroic Epics: Glory of Mycenae", "Glory and Magnificence: From Geometric to Classical Periods", and "Echoes of Greek Culture: The World Through Alexander's Eyes"—which collectively trace the arc of ancient Greek civilization from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Age through meticulously curated artifacts and landmark archaeological discoveries, reconstructing the historical panorama of ancient Greek civilization via its most iconic sites and material legacy. The journey begins with the three great prehistoric Bronze Age cultures—Cycladic, Minoan, and Helladic—traverses the legendary era of Homeric epics, progresses through the artistic flourishing of the Geometric, Orientalizing, and Archaic periods, witnesses the brilliance of the Classical Age, and culminates in the resounding echoes of civilization under Alexander the Great's monumental legacy.

On-site reporter observed that the exhibition design employs high-definition photographs of the sites, physical reconstructions, and multimedia projections to accurately simulate key archaeological features like the Lion Gate and palace complex of ancient Mycenae, which offer an immersive panorama of Greece's iconic cultural heritage. It allows the audience to immerse themselves in the narrative charm derived from archaeological discoveries and deepen their understanding of the complexity and diversity of human civilization.

This exhibition features a host of exquisite cultural relics, including marble statues depicting Greek myths and legends such as the goddess Diana, marble reliefs of Greek theater masks, and Athenian pottery, which are sure to feast the eyes of visitors. They can also see representative artworks of the Cycladic culture, which flourished in the Cyclades Islands of Greece over 5,000 years ago and are renowned worldwide for their timeless modernity, exquisitely crafted marble statues, pottery, and metal artifacts.

Focusing on the Mycenaean Civilization, Coeval with Sanxingdui:

An In-Depth China-Greece Civilizational Dialogue Through Archaeological Lenses

The exhibition specifically highlights the Mycenaean civilization, which was coeval with Sanxingdui, exploring both the shared traits and distinctive allure of these two ancient cultures. This is not merely a display of artifacts, but a profound dialogue between Chinese and Greek civilizations through the lens of archaeology. The gold Mask of Agamemnon (replica), a signature artifact of Mycenaean civilization, stands in silent dialogue with Sanxingdui's gold masks across time and space, creating a powerful visual testament to how distinct civilizations cultivate their own unique brilliance while contributing to the flourishing of all cultures.

Emerging on the Greek mainland in the early 16th century BCE, the Mycenaean civilization took root in the Middle Bronze Age, while absorbing elements from Minoan civilization and the broader Eastern Mediterranean. It rapidly evolved into a pivotal Bronze Age civilization in the Aegean, dominating the Mediterranean world for centuries. Gold artifacts represent one of the most dazzling artistic expressions of Mycenaean civilization. Numerous renowned Mycenaean burial sites have yielded an abundance of exquisitely crafted gold objects, among which the iconic Mask of Agamemnon stands preeminent.

The mask originally covered the deceased's head, vividly capturing the facial features of its subject. The discoverer Heinrich Schliemann attributed this gold mask to Agamemnon, the legendary king from Homer's Iliad, thus naming it the "Mask of Agamemnon". However, modern archaeological evidence suggests it likely belonged to an earlier Mycenaean ruler or noble. This exhibition features not only a replica of the iconic gold Mask of Agamemnon but also showcases the exquisite gold funerary bands excavated from the same royal burial where the original mask was discovered. The gold ornaments feature intricate motifs—including rosettes, palm leaves, and geometric fill patterns—which likely adorned the tomb occupant's garments or precious personal objects, vividly attesting to their elite status.

Notably, over 3,000 years ago in the Sanxingdui culture, a parallel reverence for gold emerged. Artifacts like the gold masks and bronze heads with gold foil coverings demonstrate how gold was endowed with the sacred power to mediate between humans and the divine. Though separated by vast mountains and seas, the ancient peoples of both lands transformed gold masks into tangible embodiments of order and the principles of social operation, revealing a remarkable convergence of cultural wisdom across distant regions.

Civilizations flourish through exchange and enrich themselves through mutual learning. The exhibition "A Journey to Ancient Greece: Archaeological Explorations" has opened at the Sanxingdui Museum, initiating a profound dialogue between the two civilizations and fostering mutual understanding and integration across diverse cultures. The exhibition will run through December 21, during which the Sanxingdui Museum will collaborate with institutions like Greece's Ministry of Culture and the University of Athens to host a China-Greek Civilizational Exchange Symposium, further expanding the academic discourse. Concurrently, the museum will launch public education programs and thematic lectures, transforming specialized archaeological content into engaging cultural experiences, allowing visitors to appreciate the dazzling diversity of human civilization.

Further Context

Li Xinwei, Director of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens:

Hosting the Greek Antiquities Exhibition at Sanxingdui Museum Carries Profound Symbolic Significance

During the opening ceremony of the "A Journey to Ancient Greece: Archaeological Explorations" exhibition, Li Xinwei, Director of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens, underscored the profound significance of hosting this Greek antiquities showcase at Sanxingdui Museum in his video address.

Li Xinwei noted that while Chinese civilization spans five millennia, Greece likewise witnessed the dawn of its own civilization five thousand years ago. Around 4,000 years ago, Chinese civilization entered a pivotal period of early state formation, seeing the emergence of the Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BCE). During this same period, Greek civilization also achieved remarkable development, with the Minoan culture establishing grand palaces and state systems. China's Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE) marked the zenith of Bronze Age civilization, and contemporaneously, the Sanxingdui regional civilization achieved equally remarkable advancements. This period corresponds chronologically to the Mycenaean civilization in ancient Greece, which similarly represented the apex of local Bronze Age cultural development. During China's era of Hundred Schools of Thought (Spring and Autumn to Warring States periods, 770–221 BCE), Greece also entered its Classical Age—an epoch equally distinguished by philosophical brilliance. Subsequently, China's Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) established the fundamental "great unity" imperial system, while Greek civilization, through Alexander the Great's campaign (334–323 BCE), entered the Hellenistic era that spanned Eurasia. "The cultural legacy of ancient Greece profoundly influenced subsequent civilizations across regions of the Eurasian continent. And this exhibition's panoramic presentation will inspire comparative reflections between Chinese and Greek civilizational traditions."

Hosted at the Sanxingdui Museum, this exhibition enables visitors to profoundly appreciate the vital role of civilizational exchange and mutual learning in cultural development, as emphasized by Li Xinwei. "The formation of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in China, actually benefited from the cultural exchanges between China and the West that began about 4,000 years ago. The introduction of metallurgical technologies and domesticated livestock, such as cattle and sheep, significantly enhanced the survival capabilities and social development of communities in the Loess Plateau region." As explained by Li Xinwei, the formation of ancient Greek civilization was also shaped by cultural influences from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamian civilization, as well as the civilizations of Asia Minor and the eastern Mediterranean. The rich archaeological findings at Sanxingdui similarly testify to the outcomes of cultural exchanges and mutual learning. This is precisely why presenting ancient Greek civilization at Sanxingdui carries profound symbolic significance.