Mystery carved slab showcased by 'The Unseen Museum' until end of year

Gazzetta team
Mystery carved slab showcased by 'The Unseen Museum' until end of year
The National Archaeological Museum will continue "The Unseen Museum" project for the remainder of 2015 with the presentation of yet another item from its extensive storerooms, this time of an unusual marble utensil whose uses remain shrouded in mystery.

The artifact is a marble slab with a miniature model of an ancient olive press that served as the cover of a box used to collect sums of money, which may have been linked to the production of olive oil. The artifact was put on show last Monday and will remain on display in the museum's Hall of the Altar (chamber 34) until January 3, according to a culture ministry press release.

At 13:00 on December 18 and December 20 - a Friday and Sunday, respectively - the museum's archaeologists will be on hand to receive visitors and talk to them about various unusual finds from antiquity and the challenges these present in interpretation, as well as the processes used in the production and distribution of olive oil in ancient Athens.

Since January 2015, as part of "The Unseen Museum" project, curators have chosen selected antiquities from the museum's vast storerooms every two months to put on public display, inviting fans of rarely seen objects to learn about their history and importance. Previous artifacts presented as part of the project include the Ring of Theseus, the Bronze Cat sarcophagus votive offering, the Artemis from the Sea, Europe’s Mirror and the Lady of Prosymna.

To attend the event, visitors will have to buy a ticket and signing in on the day of the presentation. For information call +30 213 214 4891, or visit the museum’s website namuseum.gr.