Archeology and Ethnography Museum

Situated in front of the old fairground of Samsun and near the new Governorship Building, the Archeology and Ethnography Museum opened in 1981. The middle entrance hall and the right- hand side hall display archeological finds, and the left hall contains ethnographic pieces.

At the entrance, a floor mosaic found at the excavations around the antique city of Amisos greets visitors. The mosaic dates back to the time of Alexander Severus (BC 222 - 235), the Roman Emperor, and it seems to have undergone restoration at a later date. There is a scene in the middle of the mosaic depicting the Trojan War with Achilles and Thetis; and around it, there are images depicting the seasons. The most valuable and interesting exhibit in the museum is the Amisos treasury, exhibited in glass cabinets right behind the mosaic panels. Tomb chambers were discovered during a road expansion in the centre of Samsun. The square- shaped tomb was 5x5 meters and 2.30 meters high and it included five graves. The family tomb, believed to belong to a high-ranking officer of the Pontic Kingdom, concealed a treasure, most of which consisted of pure gold. The findings arouse great excitement. Investigations by the Director of the Samsun Museum and the researchers revealed that the earthenware, glass, metal and marble works found in the caves dated back to the early 3 BC.