September in Auckland could have been mistaken for summer in Athens as the sun shone over the excited bus full of Year 5 boys arriving at the Auckland Museum for a visit of the ‘Ancient Greeks: Athletes, Warriors and Heroes’ exhibition.

It was an incredible opportunity for the boys to learn more about Ancient Greek history by immersing themselves in a world far from their own. They explored the extensive exhibit which included a selection of iconic sculptures from the Maousoleum of Halikarnassos, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. The excursion provided a perfect conclusion to their social studies inquiry into ancient civilisations.

Under the supervision of parent helpers and teachers and a worksheet on hand to guide their journey through the exhibit, the boys swiftly darted through the ancient Greek statues, weapons, jewellery and pottery looking for answers to prompts. A popular artefact among the boys was the Spartan military armour, with many stopping to marvel at the bronze coats that are usually only seen in movies.

It was incredible to witness storybook tales and myths come to life as a small piece of the Ancient World was made accessible to young minds. The visit no doubt expanded our boys’ world view and left them enlightened on the profound influence of the Ancient Greek civilisation on the development of language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science and the arts.

Thank you to the many parent helpers who generously gave their time to help our boys navigate through the exhibit. They look forward to returning to the museum later in the year to explore the rest of what has been so beautifully curated there.

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