Description of the attraction
The National Archaeological Museum is located in the west wing of the Jeronimos Monastery. The museum was founded in 1893 by the renowned archaeologist José de Vasconcelas, and in 1903 it occupied the rebuilt western wing of the Jeronimos Monastery, which previously housed the dormitory of the monks. The monastery building, built at the beginning of the 16th century, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often cited as the finest example of the Manueline style in architecture.
The museum was founded as an ethnographic one, but over time it acquired a more archaeological character. In 1932, the museum became the center of archaeological development and research in Portugal, gradually expanding. Items from private collections have been added, the archaeological collection of the Royal House of Portugal. The museum area increased accordingly. It was closed in 1976 and reopened four years later. In 1984 the museum moved to a new building.
The museum contains archaeological finds from all over Portugal. On display are jewelry from the Iron Age and the Visigothic era, Roman mosaics and jewelry, artifacts of Muslim culture of the early 8th century. Particularly interesting is the collection of burial slabs and other items for decorating graves in the Greco-Roman and Egyptian halls of the museum. The Egyptian Hall also contains a collection of mummies, masks and sarcophagi brought to Portugal by collectors. The Museum's Treasury contains a splendid collection of archaic gold jewelry: Celtic earrings and rings, amazing bracelets and other precious things, as well as coins of the Bronze Age.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions that showcase artifacts not only from Portugal, but from all over the world.
