Museum of Almería
The Museum of Almería is an archaeological museum in the Province of Almería. It has been a public institution since 1934, and moved to a new building in 2006.
History
In 1880, the Belgian engineer Luis Siret found Los Millares, a prehistoric site in the region of Almería. During his archaeological research there, he developed a collection of artifacts which he eventually donated to the National Archeological Museum, with the desire that part of the collection stay in Almería. The conditions were agreed upon during the Second Spanish Republic, when the museum was opened. In 1934, the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Almería began in two small rooms ceded by the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, but the collection did not include the substantial part of the Siret duplicates that he had hoped would stay in Almería. In 2006, the museum was moved to its current building.Current museum
The new museum has three floors used for exhibitions. A display of a stratigraphic column spans all three floors, rising to the roof of the building. The exhibitions are mainly dedicated to Copper and Bronze Age history.Collections
Permanent exhibition
The permanent exhibition is located on the first and second floors of the building. The focus is mainly on:- hunter-gatherer society,
- the society of Los Millares
- the society of the “El Argar” culture centred on Antas, Almería.
On the second floor is a layout of consecutive walls progressing from the bottom to the top, with the intention of showing how the society lived on the hillsides through their terraced homes and landscapes, especially in Fuente-Álamo, Cuevas del Almanzora, Almería. The area includes small sub-rooms with glass cases containing big vessels, bronze weapons, silver and gold objects and ceramics among other remains.
Semi-permanent exhibition
On the third floor, there is a long term display of a collection of Roman and Andalusian pieces. This includes a sculpture of the god Bacchus, found in a Roman villa excavated in the town of Chirivel in the northern part of Almería. There is also a collection of Andalusian Muslim tombstones, of which Almería was the leading production center. A display in the center of the room holds cabinets containing ceramics, toys, coins, and other small objects.More in the museum
The museum also holds a library which is open to the public.The museum holds an exhibition area on the main floor where painting, contemporary art, and photography are displayed.
There is a large space at the front of the museum which can be used by the general public.