Archaeological Museum Collection at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje

Since the foundation of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje in 1920, the subjects of Byzantine Studies and Archaeology with the History of Ancient Art were included in the first curriculum. This laid the foundation for research and academic activities in the field of art history and archaeology in the region. Six years later, a separate Department of Archaeology and Art History was established within the Faculty of Philosophy. Parallel to the establishment of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje in 1920, the first archaeological museum collection was also established within the Faculty. In 1924, a museum institution was organised – a historical-archaeological museum with a lapidarium, located in Kuršumli An. The artefacts from the Archaeological Museum Collection of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje were transferred to the newly established Historical-Archaeological Museum.

The fact that the origins of today’s Archaeological Museum can be traced back to the Archaeological Museum Collection of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje (dating back to 1920) inspired the faculty’s teaching staff at the Institute of Art History and Archaeology to re-establish an independent archaeological museum collection, primarily for scientific and educational purposes.

The purpose of re-establishing an independent archaeological museum collection at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje is to improve the teaching process at the Faculty, serving not only the Institute of Art History and Archaeology, but also other institutes such as Philosophy, History, Classical Studies, Pedagogy and others.

The independent archaeological museum collection at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje contains inventoried archaeological objects with accompanying documentation. More than 95% of the collection is made up of artefacts from the years of scientific and educational archaeological fieldwork conducted by the Institute of Art History and Archaeology, while the remaining artefacts were acquired through donations with appropriate technical and administrative documentation.

At the entrance to the museum’s collection is the foyer, where banners display highlights from the scientific and educational archaeological fieldwork carried out by the Institute of Art History and Archaeology. Next to these banners is a contemporary mosaic on the floor, made by professors and students of the Institute using ancient Roman techniques. From the foyer, visitors have direct access to three exhibition rooms, each dedicated to a different historical period: Prehistory, Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The foyer also gives direct access to the storeroom, two offices for administration and conservation, and the conference room.

The Prehistory Exhibition displays the most important artefacts from this period, from the Neolithic to the Archaic (excluding the Palaeolithic). The collection includes sculptures representing the cult of the Great Mother, an exquisite selection of ceramic vessels, askoi, various stone axes and knives, and other significant items. There is also a rich collection of Bronze Age jewellery (bracelets, fibulae, rings, etc.), a unique and rare opium poppy capsule and a Bronze Age sword. Educational banners in this section present prehistoric artefacts from Macedonia alongside those from neighbouring regions, serving to educate visitors, draw parallels and promote the country’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

The Ancient exhibition displays artefacts from the entire ancient period in Macedonia, including various ceramic vessels, ancient weapons (swords, spears, etc.) and statuettes of various deities. Two small bronze statues of Mercury stand out, along with a collection of Cybele statues, glass artefacts and early Christian relics such as rings and belt buckles. A special display case is dedicated to artefacts from a princely tomb discovered in the village of Korešnica, near Demir Kapija. This display includes a collection of imported ceramic vessels, two luxurious silver hairpins (one gilded), a part of a bronze stand in the shape of a lion’s paw that once supported a bronze krater, silver scales forming chain mail armour, and other valuable finds.

Between the Prehistoric and Ancient exhibition rooms is a narrow corridor containing two models. The first is a conceptual reconstruction of the largest ancient tomb in Macedonia, located in Bonče, Prilep. This Macedonian-type tomb is still being actively researched by the Institute of Art History and Archaeology at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje. The second model is a reconstruction of a Macedonian phalanx soldier, complete with helmet, shield, spear and greaves.

Adjacent to the Ancient exhibition room is the Medieval exhibition, which contains various medieval artifacts such as crosses, bracelets, necklaces, rings, knives, seals, medieval keys, and more. The museum also includes a numismatic collection featuring coins from the Paeonian rulers, Macedonian kings, autonomous city-states, as well as Roman, Late Antique, and medieval periods.

Through collaboration between the Institutes for Art History and Archaeology, History, and Special Education and Rehabilitation, the archaeological museum collection has been equipped with a 3D printer and tools for three-dimensional documentation of artifacts. The primary purpose of acquiring this equipment is to create precise 3D-printed replicas of museum artifacts, allowing visually impaired individuals to experience the form of the objects on display.