Antikensammlung Berlin

The Antikensammlung Berlin is a museum collection of objects from the ancient Mediterranean world, distributed across several buildings on Museum Island. Here you find sculptures, vessels, jewelry, and architectural fragments from Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Cypriot cultures.

The collection began in 1656 when the Brandenburg Elector Friedrich Wilhelm I brought artworks to Berlin as spoils of war. Over the centuries, it grew through excavations and acquisitions into one of Europe's major ancient collections.

The collection displays artworks from Mediterranean civilizations, showing how people thousands of years ago lived and saw their world. In the display cases, you find objects from daily life that are often just as interesting as the larger sculptures.

The exhibits are spread across several historic buildings, so it makes sense to plan which museums you want to visit. Find out beforehand which sections interest you so you can use your time wisely.

The Berlin Gold Hat is a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age object with carefully punched circular patterns that actually represent astronomical calculations. This artifact shows that ancient cultures already possessed sophisticated mathematical knowledge.