National Museum of Archaeology

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Lisboa > Lisboa > Lisboa > Restelo

Location

The National Museum of Archaeology is located in Lisbon, in the historic and cultural area of Belém, part of Restelo. It is integrated into a building of great relevance to Portuguese history, occupying a section of the western wing of the Jerónimos Monastery. Its main facade faces Praça do Império, a wide and central area, easily identifiable in the landscape of this part of the city.

Origins and Purpose

This museum was founded in 1893 by José Leite de Vasconcelos, with the aim of creating a space dedicated to the study of the "Portuguese Man" through the vestiges of his history. Initially known as Museu Etnographico Português, the institution moved to its current premises in the Jerónimos Monastery in 1906. Over more than a century, it has consolidated its position as the main reference for archaeology in Portugal.

The Vast Archaeological Collection

The museum houses the largest and most significant archaeological collection in Portugal. The collection is the result of countless excavations, donations, and integrations of other heritage collections. The objects exhibited and in reserve cover an immense period of time, starting over half a million years ago, in Prehistory, and extending to the Middle Ages, telling the long history of human presence in the territory that today corresponds to Portugal.

Collection Highlights

Among the most notable sections of the museum is the collection of ancient goldwork, which includes pieces of great artistic and historical value, representing various phases from Prehistory to the Roman era. The Treasury room presents some of the most impressive examples of Peninsular goldwork. The collection of classical sculpture, with Roman statues and sarcophagi, is equally important. At the entrance of the museum, particularly recognizable are the monumental granite statues of the "Galaico-Lusitanian Warriors," which are a testament to the art and culture of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula in the Iron Age, as well as the "berrões," zoomorphic sculptures from the same context.

The Roman mosaics, mostly from villas in southern Portugal, constitute another point of interest, displaying decorative themes and classical mythological scenes. The collections of Latin epigraphy, with inscriptions engraved in stone (many associated with funerary or votive monuments), offer precious information about social, religious, and administrative life in antiquity. Numismatics, especially the Roman coins found in the territory, is fundamental for the study of economy and monetary circulation in Lusitania.

Traces of Other Cultures and Daily Life

In addition to the focus on Portuguese archaeology, the museum presents sections that enrich the understanding of cultural interconnections. The collections of Egyptian and Greco-Italic antiquities, although smaller, offer a glimpse into other great ancient civilizations. The collection of amphorae is important for understanding trade routes and the import of products during the Roman period.

Complementing the archaeological collection, there is an ethnography collection that reflects traditions and aspects of daily life in Portugal and other cultures, such as examples of popular art, instruments, and ceramics. The museum also preserves objects made from organic materials, more fragile and difficult to conserve, such as wooden or esparto grass artifacts from ancient Roman mines.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt