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The front view on the Paestum Archeological Museum. It was founded in 1952 to display the artifacts found at the Paestum excavation site. The museum was expanded several times to accommodate new artifact as they being founded.

"Azienda Autonoma Soggiorno e Turismo" (Independent Company for Tourism and Logging) Paestum information office is located on the left site of the Paestum Archeological Museum (facing the museum). The 5th-century Basilica Paleocristiana (Chiesa dell'Annunziata) is next to the Azienda.

Paestum Archeological Museum - entrance. The Museum is a very solid addition to visiting the excavation site. The museum is not big but full of beautiful objects for true connoisseurs. It is well maintained and organized.

Display with prices at the Paestum Archeological museum - entrance to the excavation site €6, entrance to the museum is €4 (2011, full price, separate tickets). There are discounts and free access for some categories of visitors.

Paestum Archeological Museum - book store.

The floor plan of the Paestum Archeological Museum. Museum has four levels: basement, ground floor, the 1st and 2nd floor. Its basement other than a restroom is of no interest for visitors (it is most a repository of artifacts). The ground floor (the largest exhibition area) is dedicated to the Greek and Lucanian period; the 1st floor - to the period preceding the ancient city, the 2nd floor - Roman period.

The hallmark Paestum vessel with Europa and Zeus exhibited in the introductory area of the museum on the ground floor.

Commemorative inscription dedicated to the brother of Mineia, Marco Mineio Flacco, an army officer with the rank of Roman military tribune. Mineia (Mineianus Marci F.) was a major benefactor of Paestum coming from a rich and powerful family of Mineianus and married to C. Cocceius Flaccus.

Paestum Archeological Museum - pottery and other artifacts from the Eneolithic necropolis of the Gaudo culture which was active at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC.

Paestum Archeological Museum - a Gaudo Culture tomb. The Gaudo Culture is a neolithic culture from Southern Italy, Campania, existed in 4th - 3rd century BC. It is sometimes described as an eneolithic culture, due to its use of primitive copper tools. This culture is associated primarily with the necropolis found near Paestum, not far from the mouth of the river Sele. It occupies about half an acre (2000 sq.m) and contains 34 separate tombs.

Paestum Archeological Museum exhibits the results of efforts of many archeologists trying to identify the meaning of many structures and artifacts found in Paestum in an attempt to understand the life in this ancient city. Usually there is no certainty as to the exact meaning of things. But the result of the research is often summarized in hypothetical models like this one related to the organization of the Forum area.

Paestum Archeological Museum - if you look at this diagram with an interpretation of the Forum area in Paestum, you will notice that it is not the only one. For example, #4 is hypothesized as a prison (carcere). In other interpretations of this exact location it is an aerarium (public treasury).

Paestum Archeological Museum - a display with artifacts related to the the Greek and Lucanian period. Artifacts are dated about 340-330 BC.

Paestum Archeological Museum - more Greek pottery 330-320BC. The middle is "Lebes Gamikos", a form of ancient Greek pottery used in marriage ceremonies (literally, "marriage vase").

Paestum Archeological Museum - a bronze vessel from later period.

The work of Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778, an Italian artist famous for his etchings) exhibited in Paestum Archeological Museum. The etching, one of 21, depicts the ruins of temples in Paestum. Piranesi visited Paestum in 1777.

Paestum Archeological Museum displays numerous artifacts that were previously parts of the temples in Poseidonia. For example, this head of a lion used to be a part of the so-called "sima" from the Temple of Hera II. A sima is the protruded edge of a roof which acts as a gutter. Indeed, if you look at the back side of the artifact, you will see a curved channel. The animal's head has an opening - this is a spout; altogether, a common design in ancient Greek architecture.

This is not a simple collection of coins on display in a museum like Paestum Archeological Museum. These silver coins (total 647) were found in a jug where they were hidden in 12 BC (how do they know this?) by the owner and never recovered. The coins are dated from the 2nd century BC to the beginning of ruling of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD. Coins reflect events and personalities of the history of Rome - perhaps the owner was one of the first numismatists?

An antefix (a vertical block terminating the covering tiles of a tiled roof at its lower part) in the shape of a female torso dated 520-500 BC and found in Southern Sanctuary near the altar of the Temple of Hera. The antefix has a local origin but is reminiscent of Etruscan artisan products illustrating the phenomenon of fusion of cultures that was taking place in Poseidonia at the end of 6th century BC.

The statue of Zeus (520 BC) found in Southern Sanctuary in over one hundred fragments scattered between the Temple of Neptune and the northern end of the sanctuary.

This full suit of armor was found in tomb #174 with a 40-50 year old male body. The armor is made of bronze. Weapons found in this tomb are made of iron.

Paestum Archeological Museum - an Ionic capital of the column of the pronaos (portico) from the Temple of Athena constructed mostly in Doric order.

Paestum Archeological Museum has a rich collection related to Lucanian graves found close to Poseidonia. Due to the humidity, frescoes have been preserved almost intact giving us a chance to enjoy the talent of ancient artists. Paintings in this tomb are dated 320-310 BC.

The most famous of these graves found near Paestum is the grave of the "Tuffatore" (diver). Opposite to rest of graves with frescoes, this one has a Greek origin (about 480 BC). The scene painted on the roof slab symbolizes a transition from life to death.