Archeological Museum

Supplied by: Discover Cracow

Overview

Did you know that the Archaeological Museum in Krakow is the oldest institution of this type in Poland? It was founded in 1850 as the Museum of Antiquities. A request was made to the public to provide all archaeological finds and objects to display them. The collection grew rapidly, including the most valuable object in the Museum - the statue of Światowid from Zbrucz - dated to the ninth or tenth century!

Today, the Museum carries out its own research and archeological works in the Krakow area.

In the Archaeological Museum, you will travel through the times of pagan beliefs,
The most popular attraction of the museum is the statue of Światowid - a pagan god with four faces from the 9th or 10th century, found in 1848 in Zbrucz,
You will discover a lot of archaeological pearls found in Lesser Poland
Interesting facts
Świadowid - the statue is decorated with bas-reliefs arranged in three horizontal stripes. The four upper figures are connected by a common hat.

On the one side, at the top, there is a figure with a horn in his right hand, and in the middle belt a female figure.
On the second side, there is a figure with a ring (or arm), under which there is a female figure.
On the third side, there is a man with a saber at the waist and a horse, while a male figure below them.
On the forth side, there is a male figure with no attributes, under it a figure of that sex. In the bottom line of the statue, there is a figure with arms extended up.
What does it all symbolize? There is only one way to find out