Pietro Griffo Archaeological Museum

I recommend visiting the Pietro Griffo Archaeological Museum before seeing the Valley of the Temple. This museum, north of the Valley of the Temple, has a huge collection of artifacts from the excavated site. A combo-ticket is €13.50 for the Valley of the Temple and the museum. The museum is air-conditioned so it's ideal to visit during the midday heat. You can easily spend 1-2 hours in the museum. Follow Rick Steves' tour.

There is a small snack bar, serving sandwiches and ice cream, and a shaded outdoor area, at the entrance to the museum.

The museum is housed in a 14th-century Cistercian monastery.

The tour begins with displays of Greek artifacts. This is a fibula (safety pin) from 3000 years ago.

Gold Patera dish, used to drink wine.

Clay animal head that I thought was adorable.

Triskeles Bowl made in the 7th century BC and decorated with the Trinacria, the 3-legged symbol of Sicily.

Krater, a Greek urn used to mix alcohol with water prior to serving.

Lion downspouts drain temple roofs and ward off evil.

Terra cotta votives offered to the gods to ask for protection, healing or the granting of a wish. This one is Bes, a home protector and the ancient equivalent of a garden gnome. He was also a protector of women and childbirth, hence the explanation for his pose.

A reconstructed telamon is the centerpiece of the great hall. It is as tall as a 2-story building.

To the left of the giant telamon, there are 3 heads, each with a different ethnicity.

Nearby, you'll see a model of a temple with telamons supporting the structure.

Marble screen from the 7th-8th century AC with the Tree of Life.

Gold coins from the 2nd Punic War.

Coin with winged Pegasus.

Kouros (Young Boy) is an original work from Greece, unlike most of the marble sculptures, which are Roman replicas of Greek originals.

Roman bust with head that is replaceable. Romans were practical. Emperors and generals came and went and it was easier to replace the head than create an entirely new sculpture.

Burial objects. The curved metal object is a strigil, used as an exfoliator and commonly buried with men.

Terra cotta donkey that served as a baby bottle.

The bronze object in front of the vase was used as a ponytail holder.

Elaborately carved casket depicting the life of the deceased.

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