Melanes Museum Collection

The Melanes Museum Collection comprises exhibits found during the excavation of the ancient sanctuary at the Flerio water spring and research in the ancient Naxos aqueduct.

They come in five units. The first includes votive offerings of the quarriers visiting the sanctuary to the worshipped twin mythical giants, Otus and Ephialtes, sons of Aloeus: votive columns, pedestals, fountain basins, sections of Kouroi –the freestanding stone figures of unclothed young men and oil lamps –all marble and most of them half-finished, deficient or mere experimental works of apprentices.

An early (7th century) incomplete Sphinx stands out. The second unit comprises other offerings to the twin giant deities (quarriers’ equipment, such as emery pestles) and to the female deity of nature (whorls, loom weights and clay female figurines).

Also on show are a characteristic sample of ceramic objects belonging to various periods found at the site, and marble architectural elements (underlying and covering roof tiles, gutter, door sockets).

Finally, another unit includes clay pipes of the ancient aqueduct. The exhibits are accompanied by plentiful information material.

Vassilis K. Lamprinoudakis