National Archaeological Museum (Madrid) facts for kids

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National Archaeological Museum

Museo Arqueológico Nacional


Established	March 20, 1867; 158 years ago (1867-03-20)
Location	Calle de Serrano, 13, Madrid, Spain
Type	Archaeology museum
Visitors	499,300 (2019)
Public transit access	Serrano Retiro Recoletos

Spanish Property of Cultural Interest
Official name: Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Type	Non-movable
Criteria	Monument
Designated	1962
Reference no.	RI-51-0001373

The National Archaeological Museum (its Spanish name is Museo Arqueológico Nacional, or MAN) is a super interesting museum in Madrid, Spain. It's located on Calle de Serrano, right next to Plaza de Colón. The museum shares its impressive building with the National Library of Spain.

History of the Museum
What You Can See: Permanent Exhibition
- Outside the Museum: Forecourt
- Inside the Main Building
Famous Artifacts You Should Know
See also

History of the Museum

The museum was started in 1867 by a special order from Queen Isabella II. It was created to keep important collections of coins, ancient objects, and art that belonged to the Spanish kings and queens. Before this, in 1830, there was an idea to create a museum for old things, but it didn't happen until much later.

This picture shows the ceremony for laying the first stone of the museum building in 1866.

The museum first opened in a different part of Madrid. But in 1895, it moved to its current home. This building was specially designed for the museum by an architect named Francisco Jareño. It was built between 1866 and 1892. In 1968, the museum got bigger with new renovation work. It closed again for more updates in 2008 and reopened in April 2014, looking even better!

Over time, some of the museum's collections were moved to other places. For example, items from America went to the Museum of the Americas. Other pieces from different countries were sent to the National Museum of Ethnography and the National Museum of Decorative Arts.

Today, the museum mainly shows items from the Iberian Peninsula (which is Spain and Portugal). These items cover a huge time span, from prehistory all the way to the Early Modern Age. But you can also find amazing collections from other parts of the world, like Ancient Greece (especially from areas where Greeks settled outside Greece) and Ancient Egypt. There are also a few pieces from the Near East.

What You Can See: Permanent Exhibition

Outside the Museum: Forecourt

Right outside the museum, in the front yard, you'll find a cool replica of the Cave of Altamira. This copy was made in the 1960s. Special photography was used to perfectly copy the famous cave paintings onto a mold. It's like stepping back in time!

Inside the Main Building

When you enter the museum, you start in the basement. From there, you move into the section about prehistory.

Protohistory: Ancient Peoples of Iberia

On the first floor, you'll find halls dedicated to the Protohistory of the Iberian Peninsula. This section shows items from many different ancient groups that lived around 1000 BC. These include the Talaiotic culture, Iberian, Celtic, and Tartessian peoples. You'll also see artifacts from the Punic-Phoenician settlers.

A very special part of this area is the collection of Iberian sculpture. These are stone sculptures from southern and southeastern Iberia. Some of the most famous ones include the Lady of Elche, the Lady of Baza, the Lady of Galera, the Dama del Cerro de los Santos, the Bicha of Balazote, the Bull of Osuna, the Sphinx of Agost, and the Mausoleum of Pozo Moro.

Iberian sculpture

Besides the Iberian sculptures, this area also has other cool items. You can see the Talaiotic bulls of Costitx, a golden necklace called the torque of Ribadeo from the Castro culture, and the Lady of Ibiza, which is linked to the Punic civilization.

Bull heads of Costitx
Torque of Ribadeo
Punic Lady of Ibiza
Wheel of Toya
The Priest of Cadiz.

Roman Hispania: Life in Ancient Rome

The collection of Roman artifacts from Spain is also on the first floor. These pieces come from archaeological digs and special purchases. You'll see items from the personal collection of the Marquis of Salamanca, bought in 1874. These include artifacts from ancient Roman cities in Italy.

The main room in this area is like a Roman forum, with artifacts arranged to make you feel like you're in an ancient public space. Room 27 has many beautiful mosaics on its floor and walls. The museum also has a collection of Roman bronze laws, including the Lex Ursonensis. These five pieces were found in Osuna in the 1870s.

Mosaic of Winter, from Quintana del Marco
One of the slabs from the Lex Ursonensis
A Sundial from Baelo Claudia [es]
Mosaic of Medusa and the seasons from Palencia
A Puteal from La Moncloa [es] (a wellhead)

Late Antiquity: End of an Empire

The Late Antiquity halls, also on the first floor, show items from the end of the Roman Empire in Spain (3rd–5th centuries AD). You'll also see pieces from the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo (6th-8th centuries AD) and the Byzantine Empire (5th to 12th centuries AD). There are even some artifacts from other groups during the Migration Period.

Some important artifacts in this section include the Sarcophagus from Astorga [es] (a stone coffin). You can also see the amazing Visigothic hoard of Guarrazar, which includes the votive crown of King Recceswinth. Don't miss the cool fibulae from Alovera [es] (decorative pins).

Votive crown of Recceswinth
Eagle-like fibulae from Alovera [es]

Medieval World: al-Andalus

The area about al-Andalus (the Muslim-ruled parts of Spain) is on the first floor. You can see famous pieces like the pyxis of Zamora, which is a small, fancy box actually made in Medina Azahara. There's also the Deer of Medina Azahara [es], a bronze fountain shaped like a deer. Another interesting item is a marble font used for washing by Almanzor.

You'll also find a special Jewish stone pillar from Toledo with writing in two languages. Two beautiful Alhambra vases [es] are also displayed, showing amazing Nasrid pottery [es].

Pyxis of Zamora
The deer of Medina Azahara [es], a bronze fountain
Ablution font of Medina Alzahira
The Astrolabe of ibn Said [es], made in 1067 in Toledo
One of the Alhambra vases

Medieval World: Christian Kingdoms

The section about the medieval Christian Kingdoms (from about the 8th to the 15th century) is on the second floor. Here, you'll find amazing ivory carvings from the Romanesque period. These include the Arca de las Bienaventuranzas [es] (a special chest) and the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha.

The medieval collection also features the praying statue of Peter I of Castile [es]. This statue is made of alabaster and was moved to the museum in 1868. You can also see many beautiful pottery items from the Levantine region of Spain.

Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha
Arca de las Bienaventuranzas [es]
praying statue of Peter I of Castile [es]
Pottery from Manises

Near East: Ancient Civilizations

The area dedicated to the Ancient Near East (not including Ancient Egypt) is on the second floor. One of the most important parts of this collection is the pottery from Iran. The museum also has a diorite head from Mesopotamia. This was given to the Prado Museum in the 1940s and later moved to the MAN. In 2001, the museum bought a Praying Sumerian figure [es] at an auction.

Pottery from Tepe Sialk
Brick from Girsu with cuneiform writing
Praying Sumerian figure
Head of Gudea (Lagash period)

Egypt and Nubia: Pharaohs and Mummies

The collections from Egypt and Nubia are mostly made up of items found in tombs. These include amulets, mummies, steles (stone slabs), sculptures of gods, and ushabti (small figures). These items cover a long period, from prehistory to Roman and medieval times.

Many pieces were bought from collections, like the one from Spanish Egyptologist Eduardo Toda y Güell. Others came from archaeological digs in Egypt and Sudan. These digs happened because of agreements with the Egyptian government when the Aswan Dam was being built.

Stele of Nebsumenu from the Second Intermediate Period (1650–1550 BC)
Basalt sculpture of Harsomtus em hat from the twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt.
Late period sarcophagus.
Baby crocodile mummy.
Black basalt sculpture of horus.
Ptolemaic period sculpture.

Greece: Art and History

The Greek collection includes works from mainland Greece, Ionia, Magna Graecia (Greek colonies in Italy), and Sicily. You'll find bronzes, terracottas, gold items, sculptures, and especially lots of pottery. These pieces range from the Mycenaean period to the Hellenistic period.

The collection started with items from the Royal Cabinet of Natural History and the National Library. It grew even more with items brought back from expeditions and purchases from private collections, like those of the Marquis of Salamanca.