European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cd a s t m i n 13 t e trips is a a this tailless horse and rider dates from the sixth Century . A Bronze statue of Poseidon in a dramatic pose. A National archaeological museum Athen treasures of by j. King Cruger Northern Italy Bureau. A 1 the world s museums and stately Homes literally groan under the collective weight of loot from Greece. The louvre in Paris has the Venus de Milo and the winged Victory of samothrace the British museum has the Elgin marbles and new York s metropolitan museum of Art boasts that it has the largest collection of greek ceramics. Where does that leave Greece hardly impoverished the National archaeological museum in Athens is crammed with thousands of the most exciting antiquities displayed anywhere. A amazingly Many of these treasures have been yielded up by soil and sea Only fairly recently. In 1926, divers found the hand of a statue in the Ocean off Elia near Artemis Ion. Two years later divers found the rest of the body the magnificent Bronze statue of the sea god Poseidon. In the Bronze room is the handsome Marathon boy. It with its riveting eyes of Limestone and Glass was found in 1926 off the coast of Marathon. The sea also gave up the horse and jockey of Artemis Ion one of the most striking works of greek Art. These treasures have a certain Sanctity because nearly All came from ancient shrines and tombs and were not merely used to decorate palaces Villas and roman Baths. Among the museum s exhibits is the Gold death mask found at Mycenae by Heinrich Schliemann the German archaeologist. He supposed it to be that of the King agamemnon which caused him to Send the famous Telegram Quot i have gazed upon the face of  dramatic words but the mask is now thought to predate agamemnon by at least 300 years. On an upper floor is another of the museum s must sees the delightful 3,600-year-old thera frescoes. The Wall paintings were retrieved from a thick layer of Ash and pumice that shrouded the Aegean Island of thera part of which is present Day Santorini after the eruption of its Volcano in 1628 . Contemporary with those of ancient Crete but quite recently excavated these minoan frescoes include enchanting Blue monkeys a youth holding a skein of fish and a pair of boxing children. The museum is open tuesdays through fridays from 8 am to 7 ., and saturdays sundays and holidays from 8 30 . To 3  On mondays hours Are from 12 30 to 7  Admission is 1,500 drachma about $6.25. To this add about $0 for an extremely useful illustrated guide to the museum. Exhibits Are labelled in English As Well As Creek Greece \. J a amps. Photos by Michael Abrams this Gold funeral mask was called Quot the mask of agamemnon Quot by the Archa Engist who discovered it above. The ant Kythera philosopher Quot bust dates from the third Century . Above right. Patrons enter the National archaeological museum right. Exhibits include the horse and jockey of Artemis Ion above left and a statue featuring aphrodite Eros and pan above. 14 stripes Magazine june 30, vj94 june 30, 1994 stripes Magazine 15