I will take this chance to tell you about a great exhibit for anyone interested in ancient art and weapons. It is "The Greeks: Agamemnon to Alexander", and it is quite stunning. The works range from Neolithic up to Classical Athens, but as far a weaponry goes, there are entire suites of arms from grave finds. These include:
-Bronze swords from the famous Shaft Graves of Mycenae, all very beautiful.
-An entire grave assemblage from Crete, with long sword, dagger, and arrowheads.
-Military grave finds from Mt. Olympus, with very finely made swords
-A later bronze age warrior grave from Corinth, with sword, dagger, and spears.
-A very early Iron Age cremation of a warrior, with his arms, cinerary urn, and the bones of a decapitated human sacrifice laid outside the pyre.
-The arms and helmets of Bottiae, neighbors of the Macedonians.
-The larnax, greaves, sword, and spear of Philip of Macedon (probably)
-A very large military kit of a warrior priest, a very interesting grave.
And a great deal more, including corresponding high ranking female graves, art, etc.
It is one of the most wonderful exhibits of ancient art and arms I have ever encountered, truly a treasure house. It is at the Pointe a Calliere museum in Montreal QC for about another week, then it goes to Gatineau QC, then to the Field Museum in Chicago (I think) then on to Washington DC. I hope more dates and venues can be added, but we'll see. I would love to add photos, and I would have loved to fill my phone with them, but the Greeks can be very silly about photographing their archaeological materials and photography is forbidden at the exhibit. The catalog is quite nice though, so I bought that.
Anyway, I hope you get to go and enjoy this exhibit.
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