Archaeological Museum Split

The Archaeological Museum Split, located at Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25 in Split, Croatia, is the oldest museum in the country. Established in 1820 by decree of the Dalmatian government in Zadar, it holds approximately 150,000 artifacts spanning from prehistoric times through the early Middle Ages. Its collections document the full scope of Dalmatian history, including Illyrian prehistory, Greek colonization of the Adriatic, the Roman Provincial and Early Christian eras, and the period of Croatian popular rulers. The museum's significance lies in its comprehensive holdings, its continuous archaeological research program, and its role as a founding institution of Croatian archaeology.

The museum's origins trace to early collecting efforts in the region. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Split humanist Dominik Papalić assembled a collection of ancient writing and picture tablets in his house, artifacts he and poet Marko Marulić had recovered from the ruins of ancient Salona. In 1750, an episcopal museum was founded in Split to house a large quantity of Latin inscriptions, mostly from Salona. The direct predecessor institution, however, was founded in 1820 by decree of the Dalmatian government in Zadar, following Emperor Francis I's visit to Dalmatia in 1818. The original museum building was erected in 1821 next to the eastern walls of Diocletian's Palace, but it soon proved inadequate for the growing collections. The Catholic priest, archaeologist, and historical researcher Frane Bulić became director in 1884 and served for more than fifty years. He founded the first Croatian archaeological society in 1894 and oversaw construction of a new building from 1912 to 1914. Designed by Viennese architects August Kirstein and Friedrich Ohmann in the neo-Romanesque style, the new museum complex was delayed by the First World War and opened to the public only in early 1922. Since 1878, the museum has published Bullettino di archeologia e storia dalmata, the first archaeological journal in the region.

The collections cover the entire history of Dalmatia from prehistory to the early Middle Ages. The museum organizes its holdings into eight specialized collections: the Prehistoric Collection on the history of the Illyrians; the Greek-Hellenistic Collection on the Greek colonization of Dalmatia; the Roman Provincial Collection on the history of the Roman province of Dalmatia; the Early Christian Collection on the Christian archaeology of Dalmatia; the Old Croatian Collection on the conquest of the Croats in the Balkans; the Epigraphic Collection; the Numismatic Collection; and the Underwater Archaeology Collection for the Adriatic Sea. Particular strengths include prehistoric bone and metal objects, Graeco-Hellenistic ceramics, Roman glass and stonework, and an extensive numismatic holding of over 70,000 ancient and medieval coins. The museum also maintains significant library and archive holdings.

The exhibits derive mainly from finds at Split and Salona. A central component is the collection of stone inscriptions from Salona, one of the most important epigraphic assemblages in the region. Other notable holdings include Graeco-Hellenistic ceramic objects, Roman glass, ancient clay lamps, bone and metal articles, gems, and medieval coins. The museum also maintains an underwater archaeological collection reflecting its research in Adriatic waters.

The museum is housed at Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25 in Split. The complex consists of a two-story main building with exhibition halls on the ground floor and the museum library and study rooms on the first floor. A row of arcades surrounding the main building contains the lapidarium, and an attached garden forms part of the ensemble. The neo-Romanesque structure was built according to plans by Viennese architects August Kirstein and Friedrich Ohmann. Beyond the main site, the museum operates a branch building in Solin, covering Salona and Tusculum, and two regional centres: at Vid near Metković, housing the Narona Collection, and on the island of Vis.

The Archaeological Museum Split is located at Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25 in Split, Croatia. Its website is http://www.mdc.hr/split-arheoloski. The museum continues to conduct regular archaeological excavations at Salona, Issa, and Narona. Visitors can access the main complex in Split as well as the branch in Solin and regional centres at Vid near Metković and on the island of Vis.