Cartagena Spain, - Sites of historical and tourism interest, Museo Arqueologico Municipal

The archaeological museum is a fascinating place to visit as it's actually constructed around the archaeological site of a burial necropolis which was in use for approximately 400 years from the 3^rd to the 7^th Century.

It covers a 700 square metre area and occupied the western bank of an ancient lagoon which constituted the northern boundary of the city, but which has now disappeared altogether.

As a burial place it reflects the huge change in religious practice being undergone by the city, and its use co-incides with the presence of early Christians in the area, possibly people who had fled from the Vandals in Northern Africa.

 

 

There are several forms of burial in this one location, ranging from simple graves dug directly into the earth, infant burial in ceramic amphorae, and flat barrow burials. These were frequently made with stones and covered with mortar, sometimes a small table like structure in the centre, which is a very exciting characteristic for archaeologists working on the site as it is an echo of the pagan custom of holding a funeral banquet for the dead, an act which was banned in 572 AD, so helps to accurately date the remains.

There are also remains of "family vaults" on the site, the forbear of the cemeteries that occupy Spain today.

It gives the museum a focal point and is quite exciting to walk into if you don't know its there.

 For more information about the burial necropolis, Click cartagena burial necropolis

The museum is an excellent place to start if you're on a history trail and trying to understand the sequence of events in this area.

Cartagena includes in its boundaries the Cueva Victoria, at Llano del Beal,  currently under assessment with the view of trying to open it to the public in the future, which contains some of the earliest known human remains, at 1.3 million years old  We were actually privileged to get a sneak preview earlier this year by tagging along on a mayorial assessment visit and if you'd like to read that story, Click here.

The exhibits follow the path of the past, beginning with some stunning prehistoric tools from local settlements, there being important Neolithic settlements at Cabo de Palos, Neanderthal remains in the Bahia de Cartagena and Paleolitic at San Gines de la Jara.

Then follows the bronze age and  traces of the Iberians who traded throughout the Mediterranean basin and brought the potters wheel, prosperity and the skills of metallurgy to Spain.

 

The Los Nietos settlement yielded some superb pieces, a number of which are on show at the museum, including rare pieces of weaponry, in remarkable condition and beautiful ceramics excavated from the site.

 

Following them are the Carthaginians, the Romans, Vandals, Vizigoths and Byzantines, then the arabs and finally the Christians.

 

Each have left their mark and artifacts, through 2000 years of history, and the museum houses collections from all races and periods , with some really interesting sections dedicated .to important local activities such as mining.

There are interesting display boards, sadly these are only in Spanish, but you can get the general idea from the drawings, that show the processes involved in mining, how it was done, the methods employed, the tools, and the products and how they were processed. One case holds esparto baskets and roman tools discovered in the roman mines, and ingots of lead, each bearing the makers stamp, crossing through history from the roman mines to the twentieth century

 

 

Other displays demonstrate the importance of ceramics, vast quantities of which have been reclaimed from shipwrecks around the area, including the famous Phoenician boats of Mazarron. ( Link to add.)

Display boards show the uses of the different types of ceramic and how they were designed to be loaded into the boats with maximum space efficiency to transport wines and fish sauce throughout the Roman Empire.

 

 

 

Other noteworthy exhibits include a vast selection of Roman funerary stonework and Roman sculptures and artefacts.

 

The museum also has upstairs exhibition space and conference facilities ,from which free seminars are run, as well as a childrens activities area with educational games.

 

 

 

In addition to the static exhibitions, the museum hosts travelling exhibitions and from time to time,  musical concerts and theatrical representations take place, actually within the ruins of the necropolis. These are inevitably free, and we list them in the whats on section of the pages as they happen.

The grounds surrounding the museum are also pleasant, with many pieces beautifully displayed amongst the trees and cacti.

 

 

Would we recommend it ?

Absolutely.

Free Entry

It's a great place to go if you want to learn about the general history of Cartagena and excellent if you don't want to have an expensive trip out. The museum is free, so can easily be combined with a paid entry location and make a top value morning of sightseeing, and you can spend the entry fee on a coffee and tapas instead

Its not the best museum for younger children as there aren't  a lot of things to press, but there were children in the play area when we visited, their parents enjoying a free guided tour around a temporary exhibition.

 

Practical information about visiting the Museo Arqueologico, Cartagena, Spain

 Location: Calle Ramon y Cajal, 45

This is just around the corner from the El Corte Ingles store , so is well away from the other major tourist attractions.

 CLICK HERE for map. Click on the little man to move him and use the cursor to change direction

Opening Times ; Tuesday-Friday 10am-2pm and 5pm-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11-2pm. Mondays closed.

 

When there are temporary exhibitions, free guided tours are given on Sunday mornings in Spanish, usually at 11 and 12.30. 

Call to check on 968 539 027

 

Entry; Free of charge.

Disability Access

Access. There is a tiny step at the front door, but once inside, the aisles are wide and spacious with plenty of room for a wheelchair to move around. Those with limited mobility should have no problems in this museum.

 

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