National Archaeological Museum (Madrid)

History

The museum was founded in 1867 by a Royal Decree of Isabella II as a depository for numismatic, archaeological, ethnographical and decorative art collections of the Spanish monarchs. The establishment of the museum was predated by a previous unmaterialised proposal by the Royal Academy of History in 1830 to create a museum of antiquities.

The museum was originally located in the Embajadores district of Madrid. In 1895, it moved to a building designed specifically to house it, a neoclassical design by architect Francisco Jareño, built from 1866 to 1892. In 1968, renovation and extension works considerably increased its area. The museum closed for renovation in 2008 and reopened in April 2014.

Following a restructuring of the collection in the 1940s, its former pieces relative to the section of American Ethnography were transferred to the Museum of the Americas, while other pieces from abroad were destined to the National Museum of Ethnography and to the National Museum of Decorative Arts.

Its current collection is based on pieces from the Iberian Peninsula, from Prehistory to Early-Modern Age. However, it also has different collections coming from outside of Spain, especially from Ancient Greece, both from the metropolitan and, above all, from Magna Graecia, and, to a lesser extent, from Ancient Egypt, in addition to "a small number of pieces" from Near East.

Permanent exhibition

Forecourt

File:Reproduction of the Altamira Cave.jpg|Replica of Altamira Cave paintings In the forecourt is a replica of the Cave of Altamira from the 1960s. Photogrammetry was used to reproduce the famous paintings on a mould of the original cave. The replica cave is related to an exhibit at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

Main building

Visitors enter the building at basement level, and pass to the prehistory section.

Protohistory

The halls devoted to the Protohistory of the Iberian Peninsula (1st floor) exhibit pieces from a number of Pre-Roman peoples existing roughly along the 1st millennia BC, as well as from the Punic-Phoenician colonisation. The former includes items from the Talaiotic culture, Iberian, Celtic, and Tartessian artifacts. The collection of Iberian sculpture from southern and southeastern Iberia is particularly notable, including stone sculptures such as the iconic 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, one of the two or the Mausoleum of Pozo Moro. File:Proyecto REMAN3D 18529 (44188146514).jpg|Bicha of Balazote File:Lady of Elche.jpg|Lady of Elche File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 1969-68-155-123A - Dama de Baza 01.jpg|Lady of Baza File:Gran Dama Oferente (M.A.N. Madrid) 02.jpg|Lady of Cerro de los Santos File:Toro ibero de Osuna - M.A.N. 01.jpg|Bull of Osuna File:Leona de Baena (40730657161).jpg| File:Madrid Pozo Moro 15.JPG|Iberian mausoleum of Pozo Moro. File:Wild_boar_sculpture-National_Archeology_Museum_Madrid.jpg|Iberian wild boar

Aside from the set of Iberian sculpture, the area also hosts other items from different cultures, such as the Talaiotic bulls of Costitx, the torque of Ribadeo from the Castro culture in northwestern Iberia, or the Lady of Ibiza, associated to the Punic civilization. File:Costitx M.A.N. 01.JPG|Bull heads of Costitx File:Torque de oro procedente de Ribadeo - M.A.N.jpg|Torque of Ribadeo File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 1923-60-541 - Dama de Ibiza 01.jpg|Punic Lady of Ibiza File:Rueda de carro de Toya. Yacimiento del Cerro de la Horca - M.A.N.jpg|Wheel of Toya File:Sacerdote de Cádiz - M.A.N. 02.jpg|The Priest of Cadiz. File:Estela de Villaricos - M.A.N.jpg|Villaricos Phoenician stele

Roman Hispania

The collection of Hispano-Roman artifacts—located in the 1st floor—comes both from diggings at specific archaeological sites as well as from punctual purchases. The collection of Roman artifacts is completed by items from the personal collection of the Marquis of Salamanca (purchased in 1874 and comprising artifacts from the Paestum and Cales sites in the Italian Peninsula). The main room of the area is a courtyard, where the artifacts are placed creating a sort of forum-like arrangement. Meanwhile, the room #27 exhibits a number of mosaics both on its floor and walls. The collection of Hispano-Roman legal bronzes includes the Lex Ursonensis, comprising five pieces found in the 1870s in Osuna.

File:Invierno M.A.N. 01.JPG|Mosaic of Winter, from Quintana del Marco File:Lex Ursonensis - tabla 1 (M.A.N. 16736) 01.jpg|One the slabs part of the Lex Ursonensis File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 33185 - Reloj solar de Baelo Claudia.jpg| File:Museo Arqueológico Madrid (17227637735).jpg|Bacchus of Aldaia File:Mosaic of Medusa and the seasons, 4th cent., National Archeological Museum, Madrid (5) (29327256296).jpg|Mosaic of Medusa and the seasons from Palencia File:Statue of Hypnos, god of sleep, 2nd century AD, from Illici (Elche, Spain), National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid (15540840737).jpg|Hypnos from Algorós File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 2691 - Puteal de la Moncloa 03.jpg|

Late Antiquity

The halls corresponding to the Late Antiquity (1st floor) host pieces related to the period of time corresponding to the Lower Roman Empire in the Iberian Peninsula—the Diocesis Hispaniarum (3rd–5th centuries AD)—, the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo (6th-8th centuries AD), the Byzantine Empire (5th to 12th centuries AD), as well as some artifacts of other peoples from the Migration Period.

Standout artifacts from this area include the , the Visigothic hoard of Guarrazar, including the votive crown of Recceswinth, or the . File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 50310 - Sarcófago de Astorga.jpg|Paleochristian File:Corona de (29049230050).jpg|Votive crown of Recceswinth File:Alovera M.A.N..JPG|

Medieval World, al-Andalus

The area dedicated to al-Andalus is located in the 1st floor. Iconic pieces from al-Andalus include the pyxis of Zamora (actually made in Medina Azahara), the or the marble font for ablutions of Almanzor. A Jewish bilingual chapitel from Toledo is also exhibited. Two items of the so-called stand out within the collection of .

File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 52113 - Bote de Zamora 05.jpg|Pyxis of Zamora File:Cierva (40707126722).jpg|The , a bronze fountain File:M.A.N. Pila Madinat 01.JPG|Ablution font of Medina Alzahira File:Astrolabio (16787706916).jpg|, made in 1067 in Toledo by Ibrahim ibn Said al-Sahli File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 50419 - Jarrones de la Alhambra 01.jpg|One of the Alhambra vases

Medieval World, Christian kingdoms

The area dedicated to the medieval Christian Kingdoms (roughly ranging from the 8th to the 15th century) is located in the 2nd floor. Iconic pieces of Romanesque ivory craftsmanship include the ** and the Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha. It also displays a number of items of Levantine pottery.

File:Crucifijo de don Fernando y doña Sancha.jpg|Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha File:ArquetaDeLasBienaventuranzas.jpg| File:M.A.N. - Estatua orante de Pedro I.jpg| File:M.A.N. Manises s. XV.JPG|Pottery from Manises

Near East

The topic area devoted to the Ancient Near East (conventionally excluding Ancient Egypt) is located at the 2nd floor. One of the most important sets of the MAN's Near East collection is that of pottery from Iran. The museum displays a diorite head from Mesopotamia donated to the Prado Museum in the 1940s by the Mexican collector Marius de Zayas (later deposited in the MAN). 21st century purchases include that of the bought at Christie's in 2001.

File:Jarra de pico (23790212323).jpg|Pottery from Tepe Sialk File:Ladrillo de Gudea (M.A.N. 1973-58-PO-1) 01.jpg|Brick from Girsu displaying cuneiform writing File:Estatuilla sumeria (23788534534).jpg|Praying Sumerian figure File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 1978-71-3 - Cabeza de Gudea 01.jpg|Head of Gudea (Lagash period)

Egypt and Nubia

The collections of Egypt and Nubia are made up mainly of funerary funds (amulets, mummies, steles, sculpture of divinities, ushabti...) ranging from prehistory to Roman and medieval times. Many of the pieces come from purchases such as the one made from the collection of the Spanish Egyptologist Eduardo Toda y Güell and also from various excavations such as the ones carried in Egypt and Sudan as a result of the agreements with the Egyptian government for the construction of the Aswan Dam or the systematic excavations in Heracleopolis Magna.

File:EstelaDeSeanJipta.jpg|Stele of Nebsumenu from the Second Intermediate Period (1650–1550 BC) File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 2014 - Estatua de Harsomtus em hat 01.jpg|Basalt sculpture of Harsomtus em hat from the twenty-sixth Dynasty of Egypt. File:Sarcófago de Taremetchenbastet, hija de Ptahirdis. Periodo tardío de Egipto 01.jpg|Late period sarcophagus. File:Momia de cocodrilo, animal en el que se manifestaba el dios Sobek. Periodo tardío de Egipto.jpg|Crocodile baby mummy. File:Horus (24337495031).jpg|Black basalt sculpture of horus. File:Nectanebo I (24419799605).jpg|Ptolemaic period sculpture.

Greece

The Greek collection is made up of works from continental Greece, Ionia, Magna Graecia and Sicily, where the collection of bronzes, terracottas, goldsmiths, sculptures and to a greater extent pottery come from; pieces that ranging from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic period. In its beginnings, the collection had funds from the Royal Cabinet of Natural History and the National Library, the collection was later enriched with works brought from the expeditions of the frigate Arapiles to the East in addition to the purchase of private funds such as those of the Marquis of Salamanca or those of Tomás Asensi. File:Archaic period.jpg|Archaic period hoplite armor set. File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 11094 - Crátera de la locura de Heracles 01.jpg|Crater of the Madness of Herakles. File:RitónConPerroDeApulia.jpg|Dog-headed rhyton. File:Estatua romana de Heracles - MAN 01.jpg|Roman copy of a Lyssippus original.

Numismatics

E Floor

2nd Floor

• Medieval World: Christian kingdoms
• Early Modern period
• History of the Museum --

Notable artifacts

;Prehistoric and Iberian

• Lady of Elche
• Lady of Baza
• Lady of Galera
• Dama del Cerro de los Santos
• Biche of Balazote
• Bull of Osuna
• Magacela stele
• Mausoleum of Pozo Moro
• Sphinx of Agost ;Roman
• Bear of Porcuna
• Lex Ursonensis ;Medieval
• Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha ;Al-Andalus
• Pyxis of Zamora
• One of the Alhambra vases

Gallery of key objects

File:The Lady of Elche, once polychrome stone bust discovered by chance in 1897 at L'Alcúdia, believed to be a piece of Iberian sculpture from the 4th century BC, National Archaeological Museum of Spain, Madrid (20098349590).jpg|Lady of Elche, Iberian, 4th century BC, with Greek influence File:Dama de Baza ampliada.jpg|Lady of Baza, a seated female figure of polychromed limestone, Iberian, 4th century BC File:Toro íbero de Osuna (M.A.N. Madrid) 01.jpg|Bull of Osuna, Iberian, end 5th century BC

File:Monumento de Pozo Moro (M.A.N. Inv.1999-76-A) 01.jpg|Mausoleum of Pozo Moro, Iberian, c. 500 BC File:Museo Arqueológico Nacional - 52113 - Bote de Zamora 05.jpg|Pyxis of Zamora, Caliphate of Córdoba, 964 File:Cristo de don Fernando y doña Sancha (anverso).jpg|Crucifix of Ferdinand and Sancha, c. 1063 File:Jarrón tipo Alhambra (M.A.N. Madrid) 01.jpg|One of a number of large vases made for the Alhambra in Granada, 134 cm high, around 1400 File:National Archaeological Museum, Madrid (Spain) 2.jpg|Greek pottery File:National Archaeological Museum, Madrid (Spain).jpg|Roman mosaics from Hispania

References

References

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