Museum of Ancient Art, Aarhus

The Museum of Ancient Art (Antikmuseet) in Aarhus is a prominent institution dedicated to showcasing the rich history and culture of ancient Mediterranean civilizations, particularly those of Ancient Greece, the Etruscan civilization, and Ancient Rome. Located within the Aarhus University campus in the Midtbyen district, the museum serves as an educational and cultural hub.

Founded in 1949 by a professor from Aarhus University, the museum originally started as a study collection in classical archaeology, intended primarily for academic use. It began with an initial donation of 500 artifacts from the National Museum and several plaster casts of antique sculptures from a local museum in Aarhus. In 1971, the museum's exhibition area was inaugurated, marking the beginning of its expansion to accommodate a wider audience beyond university students. This expansion included significant acquisitions through purchases, gifts, and donations, leading to a rebranding of the collection as the Museum of Ancient Art.

The collection boasts around 4,000 original artifacts from various ancient cultures of the Mediterranean region. Among these, the museum highlights the mummy of the temple singer Tabast and features a diverse array of items such as earthenware amulets, clay figurines, bronze bowls, and incense tubs from Ancient Egypt and other Near Eastern cultures. The representation of Ancient Greece is particularly notable, with an impressive collection of ceramics from Mycene, black and red-figure pottery from Athens, and ornately decorated ceramics from Corinthia.

Furthermore, the museum houses one of the most extensive collections of Greek and Roman coins in Northern Europe, featuring approximately 2,500 items ranging from the early coins of the East Greek city-states in present-day Turkey to those from the Hellenic kingdoms. The Roman coin collection spans from the earliest Republic, showcasing simple metal lumps, to the late Antique period, highlighted by coins engraved with the portrait of Emperor Constantine.

Through its comprehensive collections and dynamic exhibitions, the Museum of Ancient Art in Aarhus continues to be a vital resource for both scholars and the general public, interested in the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean.