Chora: Mycenaean Art and Tomb Architecture

Mycenaean Art in Chora

The Archaeological Museum of Chora presents one of the most comprehensive collections of Mycenaean art in Greece. The collection includes intricately decorated vessels, grave goods made of gold and semi-precious stones, bronze weapons, and everyday objects. Gold and semi-precious stones identify the materials used for the grave goods; bronze identifies the weapons, while everyday objects form another group. The collection therefore brings together different types of objects rather than focusing on a single motif or material. Those interested in Mycenaean art can get to know Chora through several aspects: vessel design, objects from burials, and items used in daily life. The museum thus forms a clear cultural focus of the destination.

The Museum’s Building History

The history of the museum building is also part of its cultural profile. Pátroklos Karantinós designed the building in 1955; its construction was completed in 1966–1967. This identifies two milestones in its building history: the design and the completion of construction. This modern history of the building should be distinguished from the Mycenaean context of the collection. To understand Chora, you can therefore consider two separate questions: Which works of art and everyday objects are part of the museum’s subject matter, and when was the museum building designed and completed? This brings the archaeological content and the history of the building into view as distinct aspects of the place.

Chamber Tombs in Nearby Volimidia

Near Chora, in Volimidia, there are 33 excavated Mycenaean chamber tombs. They are cut into the soft rock and arranged in groups. Each tomb has a dromos, or entrance passage, and usually a round burial chamber with a vaulted ceiling. The described layout therefore combines a passage with a burial chamber. Some tombs also have side chambers and niches. The description thus covers both recurring features and variations: rock, grouping, and the usually round chamber form the common framework, while side chambers and niches occur only in some tombs. In contrast with the museum collection, the focus here is on the forms and arrangement of the tombs, not on individual works of art or everyday objects.

The Chronological Context

The settlement history of the Volimidia area can also be placed in a chronological context. The area was apparently settled as early as the Middle Helladic period, in the 17th century BC. This date refers to the settlement of the area; the chamber tombs are Mycenaean. You will therefore encounter two different archaeological questions: when the area was apparently inhabited and to which period the described tomb complexes are assigned. Alongside these is the 20th-century building history of the museum: designed in 1955, with construction completed in 1966–1967. Together, these milestones offer different chronological perspectives on the sites in and near Chora.

Chora as a Destination for Your Hotel Search

If you are looking for a hotel in Chora for your trip, its cultural focus is easy to define: the collection of Mycenaean art, the museum’s modern building history, and the tomb architecture of nearby Volimidia. This can help you decide which aspects of your trip matter most. If objects and their materials are your main interest, the museum is the focus; if you are interested in the spatial design of archaeological sites, the described chamber tombs are relevant.

Discover more destinations: Foinikounta, Logga, Verga Kalamata, Filiatra, Kompi, Marathópolis, Exochori, Perivolakia

For the regional travel overview: Messinia.