Thessalonikeon Metropolis: Antiquities from the Thessaloniki Metro excavations

Systematic archaeological research unearthed extensive residential remains and a great number of artefacts that attest to the continuous habitation and organization of the city and its surrounding area, from its founding (316/5 BC) all the way to the big fire of 1917. Through exhibits, reconstructions and visual material, the museum highlights the history of the city and the continuity of the urban space as living elements of a collective identity.

The exhibition is divided into two parts. The first part includes antiquities discovered outside the city walls from the excavations at the New Railway, Dimokratias, Sintrivani, Panepistimio, Fleming and Pylaia Depot Stations displayed on the ground floor; the second part includes antiquities from the excavations at the Venizelou and Agias Sofias Stations, within the historic city walls. This section is the largest, with artefacts displayed in chronological order, occupying the entire upper floor of the building.

On the ground floor, the museological design follows the spatial distribution of the finds. The character of the areas outside the historic city walls is reconstructed through finds that reveal uses and activities developed across different periods (cemeteries, Christian churches, warehouses and workshop complexes, as well as settlements). Both to the west and to the east of the city, extensive cemeteries were excavated, along with shrines, storage and workshop spaces, inns and more. To the east, part of a settlement predating Thessaloniki was also identified. 

The archaeological material is organized into five sections based on origin and is displayed in cases or freely, on stands. Of particular interest are funerary stelai, stone chests, richly decorated sarcophagi from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Roman funerary altars, wall paintings from an early Christian tomb, mosaics, an early Christian grave and workshop spaces from the western suburbs.

On the upper floor, the exhibition follows a central axis, evoking the linear passage of time, the city’s main road artery, and the metro line. The chronological narrative is divided into six periods, from the founding of the city to the 1917 fire. 

In each section, Thessaloniki’s main road – the precursor to present-day Egnatia Street – plays the leading role and is represented through various digital media. At the same time, the evolution of the city is implied through urban planning changes recorded during the excavations, as well as events that occurred during each period (earthquakes, sieges, occupations, etc.) and influenced the course, and the shape of the city and the lives of its inhabitants.

The archaeological finds from the Thessaloniki Metro excavations are not merely evidence of the past, but living traces of memory that highlight the continuity of the city through time. Each find is a fragment of memory. Through them, Thessaloniki tells its own story – a story of perseverance, transformation and vitality.