Getty Museum and Greece Sign Agreement for Seismic Protection of Antiquities

The J. Paul Getty Museum has signed an 18-month research agreement with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the National Technical University of Athens to protect Greek museum collections from earthquake damage. The project, funded by the Getty Trust, will focus on the National Archaeological Museum of Athens as a pilot program. It aims to improve current seismic isolators (anti-earthquake display bases) designed by the Getty, with the National Technical University of Athens conducting analytical studies to simulate dynamic behavior and identify improvements. Up to ten bases will be installed at the National Archaeological Museum to protect ancient sculpture masterpieces. The Getty has organized international conferences on earthquake damage mitigation since 2006, starting in Los Angeles, followed by Istanbul, Athens, Tokyo, and Palermo in 2010. Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, stated that the Getty has led seismic mitigation development for nearly 30 years and looks forward to improving current technology. Dr. Elena Korka, director of the Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, noted that the project will benefit other regional museums in Greece. The new prototype will be installed on selected artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum.