The Archaeological Museum of Kea was founded in the 1960-1970s to house the finds from the oldest research projects and excavations on the island. These include the collections of the archaeologist Konstantinos Manthos, the old excavations in Karthaia, etc., as well as the material from the excavations of the American School of Archaeology in the prehistoric settlements of Kefala and Agia Irini. Subsequently, during the years of 1997-2002, the building was renovated and the important finds were re-exhibited by the then responsible authority for Kea, the First Eforeia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.
The building, located within the traditional settlement of Ioulida, the form of whose structures it follows, is characterized by the many windows along the rooms of the two upper floors. On the ground floor are the visitor service areas (ticket office, exhibition material shop and W.C.) and auxiliary areas. The exhibition, which is spread over the two upper floors, begins chronologically on the second with the Prehistoric Collection (3300 – 1100 BC) and continues on the first with the Collection of Historical Times (7th century BC – 2nd century AD).
On the top floor of the Museum, finds dating from the Late Neolithic period to the end of the Late Bronze Age (3300-1100 BC) are exhibited. Most come from the Neolithic settlement of Kefala and from the fortified prehistoric settlement of Agia Irini. This latter settlement was founded at the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC; from the end of the Middle Cycladic period onwards (16th century BC) it developed into an important commercial centre, and was inhabited until the late Bronze Age (1100 BC); parts of it continued to be used throughout the 1st millennium BC. In the first room are exhibited vases, utensils, stone and clay figurines and other finds from the prehistoric sites of the island. In the second, the finds from the temple of the settlement of Agia Irini are on display. Particularly impressive are the large clay statues, products of a local workshop, found in the temple grounds and dating to the 15th century BC. They depict female figures, standing or dancing, with long garments and garlands around their necks. Initially the statues would have been decorated with paint, white for the naked body, yellow for the fabrics, red and white for the garlands. Fragments of at least fifty statues have been found: these are likely not simply offerings to the temple, but items forming part of the ritual. It is noteworthy that in historical times one of the heads of the prehistoric statues was placed on a clay base and seems to have once again become a focus of worship. At this time the temple was dedicated to the god Dionysus, as can be seen from a votive inscription engraved on the base of a skyphos of 500 BC.
On the first floor below are exhibited sculptures, architectural members and inscriptions dating from the Archaic to the Roman times: they originate from the four ancient cities of Keos, Ioulida, the only one sited inland, Korissos, Poiessa and Karthaia, where the restoration and promotion of the site received a Europa Nostra award. (The remains of fortifications, temples and buildings that have been identified here reveal the importance of the cities of Kea: ancient Karthaia is well preserved – the city walls, temples, public buildings, fountains, cisterns and building remains have been identified and excavated.) In rooms I and Ia, stone and marble architectural members, funerary and votive reliefs, statuettes from various areas of the island are shown, as well as sherds and vases from Korissos and Karthaia. In room II, the architectural decoration and architectural sculpture of the so-called “temple of Athena” in Karthaia are presented. The name THESEUS inscribed on an acroterion and the sculptural fragments that have survived show that episodes from the Amazon War were depicted on the south acroterion. The exhibition also includes sculptures from various other locations on the island. Representative coins from its three cities (Ioulis, Karthaia, Korissos) are displayed: since the late 6th century BC the three cities were minting coins with symbols of a cuttlefish, amphora, bunch-of-grapes, dolphin or tuna on them; later other figures were added to the repertoire.
