Archaeological and Palaeontological Museum – El Toll Caves

The Archaeological and Palaeontological Museum, El Toll Caves (Catalan: Museu Arqueològic i Paleontològic-Coves del Toll) is an archaeology museum located in Moià, in the Bages comarca of Catalunya Central, Spain. It serves as the central repository for materials excavated from the El Toll caves, a significant Pleistocene site comprising four caverns and a chasm formed during the Pliocene Epoch into the Quaternary Period. The museum holds particular scientific importance for its exceptional record of Quaternary fauna and evidence of Middle Palaeolithic human occupation, making it a key institution for understanding prehistoric life in the Moianès region.

The museum's collections derive principally from the El Toll caves complex, with supplementary materials from other archaeological sites in the surrounding comarca. The holdings are organized around thematic areas that permit the study of prehistory in the Moianès region: the geographical situation of the cave, geological formation, Quaternary fauna, and human presence with its consequences. The collections are particularly strong in Quaternary mammal remains and Palaeolithic archaeological evidence, spanning from the Pliocene through the Quaternary Period. The museum also manages the El Toll caves prehistoric park, extending its interpretive mission beyond the indoor galleries.

The museum's central office is housed in the birthplace of Rafael Casanova, a historically significant building in Moià. This structure is shared with the Rafael Casanova Birthplace-Museum, which operates under the History Museum of Catalonia. The El Toll caves themselves, located in the surrounding landscape, constitute a prehistoric park that the museum manages. The cave complex comprises four caverns and a chasm formed through geological processes spanning the Pliocene into the Quaternary Period.

The museum is located in Moià, Bages, within the Catalunya Central region of Spain. It is part of the Barcelona Provincial Council Local Museum Network (Red de Museos Locales de la Diputación de Barcelona), which coordinates its institutional framework. The museum offers individual visits, group visits, school activities, workshops demonstrating prehistoric lifeways, temporary exhibitions, and natural routes through the surrounding area. It also participates in international heritage events including the European Heritage Days and Geocaching activities. The El Toll caves are accessible through scheduled visits arranged by advance reservation. The museum maintains an official website at www.covesdeltoll.com.