The Odessa Archaeological Museum, one of the oldest in the country, was founded in 1825. Now the museum holds more than 160,000 exhibits, which are the the largest collection of sources on the ancient history of the Northern Black Sea coast. In addition, there are collections of monuments of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, coins and medals. Rome, coins and medals.
The best examples of ancient sculpture are exhibited in the lobby of the building, specially built for the museum in 1883. built for the museum in 1883. Evidence of the flourishing of ancient civilisation are the painted vessels, terracotta sculptures, inscriptions, and objects of artistic craftsmanship that the museum has at its disposal. art and craft items, which the museum has at its disposal. The culture of the Scythian tribes, The culture of the Scythian tribes living at that time in the Black Sea steppes is represented by materials from settlements and burials, objects of art and crafts. settlements and burials, armour, bronze cauldrons and other utensils, and jewellery.
The "Golden Pantry" of the museum exhibits authentic things made of precious metals, the oldest of which are from the Black Sea steppes. metals, the oldest of which date back to the beginning of the second millennium BC. The jewellery from Scythian and Sarmatian burials attracts attention, medieval burials of nomads, products of Slavic craftsmen.
Of the 50,000 coins stored in the museum on display are the most rare ones. of gold and silver, issued in ancient Greece, Rome, Byzantium. In the section Russian numismatics shows coins from the first - "zlatnik" of Prince Vladimir and ending with the minting of the last tsars, as well as commemorative medals.
The collection of Egyptian antiquities is the third largest in the former USSR. Here of interest are wooden and stone sarcophagi, burial implements, stone slabs and papyrus fragments with hieroglyphics.
