The Power of the Past: 150 Years of Archaeology in Spain

Organised by: Acción Cultural Española y Museo Arqueológico Nacional

Curator: Gonzalo Ruiz Zapatero

Opening hours:Salto de línea Tuesday-Saturday: 9:30 – 20:00Salto de línea Sundays and public holidays: 9:30 – 15:00

Free admissionSalto de línea

Self-guided tours. Booking

Guided ToursSalto de línea

Tuesday to Friday, 12:00 y 18:00

Actividad gratuita con aforo limitado. Adquiera su entrada desde una hora antes de la actividad en el mostrador de ENTRADAS.

Reunión en la Sala de exposiciones temporales 5 minutos antes de la visita.

Ciclo de conferencias

Miércoles, 17 de enero a 14 de marzo de 2018

This exhibition aims to celebrate the process that established archaeology as a discipline in Spain, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of both the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) and the birth of the network of Spanish archaeological museums.

Its primary objective is to present the history and development of Spanish archaeology and, in the process, understand the construction of the country’s material past and its presentation to the public. A total of 150 pieces or groups on loan from 68 partner institutions, genuine icons of the past, will together offer a general, updated, critical vision of how archaeology built our past: a material history of Spain.

The birth of the National Archaeological Museum and other archaeological museums in 1867 was a critical moment, marked by a growing awareness of the importance of the past in late 19th and early 20th-century Spain.

Since their inception, the mission of archaeological museums has been twofold: to document, preserve and exhibit the artefacts and material remnants of our past, from each and every prehistoric and historic period, in order to chart the evolution of societies or, better said, of social materialism; and to present and share knowledge about the past, making it understandable and accessible to all citizens. In a sense, the MAN and its fellow archaeological museums (essentially the provincial museum network) are the great database of Spain’s material history and, at the same time, the largest and most attractive showcase of that vast history.

Thanks to the substantial collaboration of the Spanish museum community and the timeframe of discovery of the featured artefacts, this exhibition will provide a rich survey of our history and its study.Salto de línea

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