The Aravissos Hoard (Final Neolithic / approximately 4500-3200 BC) is an assemblage of six gold artefacts (2 ring-shaped pendants, 2 band-shaped ellipsoidal sheets, 1 disc-shaped sheet and 1 ring) found accidentally in the area of Aravissos near Pella. They are believed to originate from a cemetery, which unfortunately has not been located yet. They belong to known types from other sites in the Aegean, the Balkans and the Black Sea.

The ring-shaped pendants from wrought sheets are thought to be schematic representations of the human figure. They have been interpreted as apotropaic or religious symbols. Similar artefacts made of other materials, such as silver, marble, stone or clay, have been found in many sites throughout Greece. A rock-carving from the site of Plaka on the island of Andros depicts figures with ring-shaped pendants tied around their wrists.

The gold artefacts from Aravissos are an important assemblage not only for their precious material but also because they denote the capability of Neolithic people to acquire personal prestige items, which sometimes accompanied their owners to the afterlife. This is an indication for the community's care for the deceased, and the 'investment' in the ideology of death, as part of communal beliefs shared within Neolithic society.

The grave of the tragic actor, Marcus Varinius Areskon, a prematurely deceased star of his time, was located near the eastern fortification wall of Thessaloniki. The colours on the funerary altar erected in his honour are remarkably well-preserved.

The deceased is shown as a hero or a king, wearing the chiton of a tragic actor. A female tragic mask is shown to his right, denoting that Areskon as an actor did not only play roles of military leaders or heroes, as his outfit signifies, but also women's parts as well.

The name Areskon (= one who pleases, who is popular), especially appropriate for an actor, is the same with his mother, Varinia Areskousa. Hence, they were a family of actors, though his mother was an actor of the popular 'mime' theatre, while Marcus managed to elevate himself to the "grand" theatre of drama contests and become a tragic actor, and at a very early age at that. Theatrical professions were traditional in antiquity and were often carried on from parents to children as a family business.

A section of the exhibition "Thessaloniki, Metropolis of Macedonia" is dedicated to the large sanctuary of Egyptian Gods in ancient Thessaloniki.

A unique find during the excavation of the sanctuary, now buried under a densely inhabited neighbourhood of the city's historical centre, was the underground crypt of a temple (a model is on display in the museum). The crypt was sealed and all its treasures were intact.

Numerous statues were found inside the crypt, along with inscriptions in Greek and votive offerings that recreate an ancient cult with a strong Greek character and fervent followers from all social strata. The sanctuary was in use continuously from the Hellenistic times until the end of antiquity (3rd c. BC - 4th c. AD).

Some exceptional finds were: an inscription of 187 BC, the so-called "Decree of Philip V" that testifies for the affluence of the local sanctuary in Hellenistic times and the heads of the cult statues of Sarapis and Isis. Greek deities were also worshipped alongside the sacred couple of Egyptian gods, such as Aphrodite, represented by a magnificent statue, copy of a renowned example of the Classical era.

Location: Thessaloniki. It was found during the construction of a road (now named Karaoli & Dimitriou Street, formerly known as Dioikitiriou Street). The large sanctuary covers the area between Ptolemaion Street and Antigonidon Street.

Dating: 3rd c. BC – early 4th c. AD.

The region of Agia Paraskevi (ancient Anthemous) has been inhabited incessantly from prehistoric times to this day. A monumental Macedonian tomb was found in 1983, at "Mikri Toumba", a site located 30 km southeast of Thessaloniki. The so-called Macedonian tombs were the characteristic burial monument for the elite of the Macedonian kingdom, mainly during the 4th c. BC.

This tomb is a large (6.50 m. long, 4 m. wide, 4.80 m. high) remarkably elaborate monument, built with poros blocks. a large court is found in front of the entrance, with walls on each side made of mudbricks that were coated with white plaster, as was the 20 m.-long road that led to the entrance of the tomb. The entire facade was white, apart from the upper part, which bore painted architectural decorations in black, red and blue. The walls of both interior chambers were painted in zones with four colours: black, olive green, ochre and red. It was looted already since ancient times, but several grave goods survived that help us date the monument to the late 4th c. BC.

The tomb had a marble double door, which was preserved in excellent condition and is now on display in the Museum, offering an idea of the monumentality, the technique and the craftsmanship found in Macedonian tombs. It is 2.48 m. high and preserves its bronze accessories: decorative nails, an ornate handle, a knocker, a keyhole. The opening of the heavy, marble leaves was facilitated by wheels that run along lead channels on the floor.

A very important inscription on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki takes us back to the early 2nd c. BC.

The inscription offers a very vivid image of the turbulent times of the war between the Macedonian forces and the Romans during the final stages of the conflict. It dates to 197 BC and is one of the copies of a general conscription decree addressing all male citizens throughout Macedonia, issued by king Philip V. It is the largest preserved royal decree from the kingdom of Macedonia.

The texts gives directions for a general conscription by city, with the recruitment of the male members of each household, according to the census catalogues.  The insciption is rife with the urgency of the situation and the agony of Philip V for the lack of new conscripts due to the long wars the kingdom had been facing. This is evident from the fact that the king calls to arms not only the veterans above the age of 50, but also 15 year-old children.

The detail that the conscripts were allowed to protest against the decisions of the conscription authorities is noteworthy. It shows that even during those desperate times, Philip V did not rule with an iron fist, but respected the laws and with his subjects' interest in mind, carrying on the long tradition of his predecessors, who according to written sources, ruled Macedonia according to the established laws, and without authoritarian attitude.

The conscription was ordered for the battle of Cynoscephalae in the spring of 197 BC. The Macedonian army was defeated by the Romans and the consul Titus Quinctius Flamininus, imposed his conditions to the Macedonians.

A monumental sarcophagus of an Attic workshop, one of the largest surviving in the entire Roman world. The lid is in the shape of a couch, with a couple resting on top. The woman holds a wreath in her hand, while the man holds a cylinder. The couch mattress is decorated by sea monsters and nereids that ride sea horses and bulls. A wide band with Eros figures and animals adorns the upper part of the larnax.

The main side depicts an intense scene of Amazonomachy (a battle between the Greeks and the Amazons) with combat on foot or on horseback. The Amazons are shown wearing short belted chitons that leave their right breasts uncovered. The helmet-wearing Greeks are nude or with a chlamys around their chest. The middle of the scene depicts Achilles preparing to strike down the kneeling queen of the Amazons, Penthesilea, grabbing her hair. According to the legend, the hero of the Trojan war fell in love with the beautiful Amazon queen, just before she drew her last breath. The battle scenes extend on all other sides of the larnax.

Luxurious, Attic sarcophagi with a rich relief decoration of mythological themes were sought after across the entire Mediterranean basin, during the 2nd and 3rd c. AD. Specialists believe that the work of four skilled artists for a year was required for the construction of a single Attic sarcophagus. It is understandable that these monuments were created for a limited, financially prosperous clientele. A small number of sarcophagi originating from the famous Attic workshops also reached Thessaloniki in the Roman Imperial era, while a local workshop of marble sarcophagi also operated in the city.

The masterpiece of the Museum, was discovered in 1962 inside the cist grave B of the Derveni cemetery, along with numerous other valuable finds. It contained the remains of a cremation, with a gold coin of Philip II, a gold ring, two gold pins and a bronze, gilded wreath. The mouth of the krater was covered by a bronze strainer-like lid, which was used to strain wine. A gold myrtle wreath was placed on top of the vessel.

The krater was wrought out of two sheets, one for the body and one for the upper part of the neck. The statuettes on the shoulder, the handles and the base were cast. Its golden colour is due to the large content of tin in the copper alloy.

The main figures on the relief decoration that adorns the body are Dionysos and Ariadne, in a sacred wedding scene. The couple sits on a rock. The young god is nude, with his right arm over his head resting on it and his left leg resting on Ariadne's thigh. He is accompanied by a panther. Ariadne sits next to him, lifting her veil and getting ready to reveal herself to her new husband, a typical wedding gesture for the bride. A group of maenads surrounds the couple, dancing ecstatically. A Silen is watching the dance, standing at the tips of his toes and raising one hand while holding a thyrsos on the other. A second bearded male figure is enigmatic; a man wearing only one sandal is walking intensely. He wears a chlamys and a himation,  with a sword sheated and hanging from his shoulder. He holds a knife in his left hand and two spears in his right one. He is possibly Pentheas, or the king of Thrace, Lykourgos, both of whom were overtaken by mania for being disrespectful to Dionysos.

Beasts, tame animals, vine and ivy branches decorate the entire vessel. Four statuettes rest on the shoulders. Young Dionysos and a maenad on one side, a sleepy Silen with a flask in his hand and an ecstatic maenad on the other. The volutes on the handles are adorned by busts of Heracles, Hades, and a horned, bearded god. Under the main scene, a pair of griffins and lion with a panther devour a fawn and a calf.

An inscription with silver letters along the rim offers us the owner's name: it belonged to Astion, son of Anaxagoras, who originated from Larissa.

The renowned volute krater of Derveni, a unique masterpiece of metalworking of the 4th c. BC, was most probably manufactured in a Macedonian workshop, by an artist acquainted with Attic art styles.

The impressive arch crowned a small temple built at the eastern stoa of a large peristyle within the palatial complex of Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus, the Roman Caesar (AD 293-305) and Emperor (AD 305-311) who used Thessaloniki as his seat. The remains of the large palatial complex can be seen nowadays in Navarinou Square.

The arch, a work of high artistic quality, is the product of a local workshop in Thessaloniki. The rich relief decorations occupy three sides of the arch. The main side depicts two men from the East, possibly Persians, raising two circular medallions with their hands. The right medallion depicts Gaius Galerius Valerius Maximianus, while the left one initially depicted his wife, Galeria Valeria.

During a later intervention, after Galerius' death, a mural crown was added to the female portrait. This alteration transformed the female bust into the depiction of a deity, most probably the "Tyche (fortune) of Thessaloniki", who accompanied Galerius, the deified ruler of the city. Two winged Eros figures holding a garland fill the space between the medallions. Another medallion with a bust of Dionysos is located at the inner part of the arch, surrounded by vine branches. The right side of the arch depicts the hooved god Pan playing a pipe and holding a lagobolon (stick for hunting hares). The left side depicts a maenad.