Archaeological Museum of Murcia

The Archaeological Museum of Murcia (Spanish: Museo Arqueológico de Murcia; MAM) is a State-owned archaeological museum located in the city of Murcia, capital of Spain's Region of Murcia. Founded in 1864, it is one of Spain's oldest archaeological institutions and holds significant collections spanning from the Paleolithic era through the late Roman period. The museum is particularly renowned for its Iberian art collection, regarded as one of the most important in Spain, and for its role in preserving and presenting the rich archaeological heritage of the Murcia region.

The museum originated as the Museo Provincial, established by royal order of the Ministry of Public Works on 6 July 1864, with contributions from the Provincial Commission of Monuments. It began as an added section to the Museum of Painting and Sculpture, created earlier that same year. Its first homes were the Teatro de los Infantes (1864) and the Contraste de la Seda building (1866). A royal decree of 29 November 1901 classified it as a State museum among fifteen others nationwide. In 1910, it moved to the Cerdán building, which also housed the Museum of Fine Arts of Murcia, and that year saw the creation of its first works registry. The first guide appeared in 1924, authored by C. Selgas Domínguez. In 1953, the collections moved to their present location, the Casa de la Cultura, built between 1941 and 1953 by architects Luis Moya Blanco and José Luis de León. The archaeological collection and building were declared Historical-Artistic Monuments in 1962. Management transferred from the Spanish State to the regional administration of Murcia in 1984, confirmed by Law 16/1985 of 25 June 1985 on cultural heritage property, though State ownership was retained. From 1984 to 1986, a new registry was established under P. Lavado Paradinas, reserves were created, and permanent exhibition rooms were renovated. The museum launched its annual journal Verdolay in 1989. At the end of 2019, work began on a complete virtual visit and digital copy of the museum, with inauguration planned for 2020 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The permanent exhibition occupies sixteen rooms and presents the archaeology of Murcia and its region from the Paleolithic through the late Roman period. The medieval Islamic archaeology section is currently housed at the nearby Museo de Santa Clara. The collection is organized chronologically and thematically across two floors. The ground floor addresses prehistory through technological and artistic developments, while upper floors continue through the Bronze Age, Iberian period, and Roman era. The museum's reserves are located in the building's basement, where non-exhibited items are stored in rigid polycarbonate boxes, organized first by culture and then by site. The institution's scholarly output includes the annual journal Verdolay, which the museum has published since 1989.

The museum's Iberian history room contains what is described as one of the most important Spanish collections of Iberian art. The Paleolithic section features materials from significant Mousterian sites including Las Toscas (Molina de Segura), Cerro de la Fuente (Yecla), and Cueva Antón (Mula), as well as the Epipaleolithic complex of Cueva del Algarrobo (Mazarrón). The Neolithic display includes decorated ceramic fragments from Hondo del Cagitán (Mula) and a set of axes from the Neolithic-Copper Age tradition. The Chalcolithic room presents a model of a Chalcolithic house alongside materials from settlements such as Murviedro (Lorca), and a valuable Bell Beaker assemblage. Funerary goods from multiple burial sites including Barranco de La Higuera (Fortuna) and Loma de los Peregrinos (Alguazas) are also displayed. The prehistoric art section highlights the region's rock art, declared UNESCO World Heritage on 2 December 1998.

The museum occupies the Casa de la Cultura, located at Gran Vía Alfonso X, 7 in central Murcia. Constructed between 1941 and 1953 by architects Luis Moya Blanco and José Luis de León, the building was designed specifically as a cultural center before receiving the archaeological collections. The structure was declared a Historical-Artistic Monument in 1962, the same year as the archaeological collection itself received this designation. The building's ground floor contains a reception and information area, terrace, and cafeteria. Exhibition spaces are distributed across multiple floors, with reserves located in the basement. The museum's location on Gran Vía Alfonso X places it on one of the main arteries of the city of Murcia.

The Archaeological Museum of Murcia is located at Gran Vía Alfonso X, 7, accessible from one of the city's main thoroughfares. Entry is free of charge. Winter hours are weekdays 10:00-14:00 and 17:00-20:00, Saturdays and Sundays 11:00-14:00, closed Mondays and holidays. Summer hours (July and August) are Tuesday to Friday 10:00-14:00, Saturdays and Sundays 11:00-14:00, closed Mondays and holidays. The museum remains State-owned despite management by the regional administration of Murcia since 1984. Its present role combines public exhibition with research and conservation functions, supported by digital initiatives including the virtual visit project begun in 2019. The museum maintains its website at http://www.museosdemurcia.com/.