Museo Arqueológico de Ibiza y Formentera

The Museo Arqueologico de Ibiza y Formentera is a Spanish archaeological institution dedicated to preserving, researching, and exhibiting the material remains of the historical past of the Pitiusic islands of Ibiza and Formentera. Established in 1907, the museum operates across two campuses situated in the city of Ibiza: the Archaeological Museum of Dalt Vila and the Monographic Museum of Puig des Molins. Its collections span three thousand years of history, encompassing artifacts from the earliest island settlers through the Catalan conquest in 1235. The institution serves as a major center for archaeological research and education, offering a comprehensive view of the region's ancient heritage.

The museum originated from the efforts of the Archaeological Society of Ibiza, founded in 1903 by notable local archaeologists including Arturo Perez-Cabrero, Vives Escudero, Joan and Carles Roman, and Fidel Fita. The society conducted extensive excavations across the islands, and in 1907, it donated its collected materials to the Spanish state, forming the museum's first permanent exhibition. The collections expanded significantly in 1913 when a local family donated artifacts from Ses Torres, Portmany, and the sanctuaries of Illa Plana and Es Culleram. A second site, the Monographic Museum of Puig des Molins, was conceived in 1929 during a visit by King Alfonso XIII, prompted by museum director Carles Roman. Although the initial royal project for the new museum and site enclosure was stalled by the fall of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931, the Puig des Molins necropolis still achieved Historical and Artistic Monument status that year. Roman later donated part of his own estate for the new building, and construction by contractor Miguel Guasch Clapes and architect Francisco Roca Simo began. The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936 halted construction, leaving only the main walls erected. The museum project was revitalized under director Jose Maria Mana de Angulo, who led the institution from 1944 to 1964 and pushed the construction to completion.

The museum's holdings encompass a wide array of archaeological, anthropological, ethnological, and artistic materials cataloged across its two campuses. The chronological scope covers three millennia of Pitiusic history, from prehistoric settlements through the medieval Catalan conquest. The Dalt Vila location provides a broad historical overview of the islands, while the Monographic Museum of Puig des Molins focuses specifically on the context of the ancient necropolis. The collections feature significant Phoenician, Punic, and Roman artifacts recovered from ongoing archaeological interventions that began in 1903, alongside earlier prehistoric materials.

Among the notable pieces in the collection is a pale turquoise blue glass paste aryballos with two ring handles and a circular rim disk, decorated with yellow glass threads, dating to the late 5th century BC. Another significant artifact is a bell-shaped female figure made from a mold, wearing a high kalathos and featuring two braids, from the 3rd to 2nd century BC. The museum also preserves a stone altar recovered from the sanctuary of Cap des Llibrell, which retains two sculpted lion heads. Prehistoric highlights include two perforated limestone plaques, known as archer's bracers, and a set of ornaments made from animal bone, tusk, and shell, which were recovered from the megalithic tomb of ca na Costa, dating to 2000-1600 BC.

The museum is divided between two distinct locations in Ibiza's old town. The Dalt Vila campus is situated in the highest area of the fortified city, on the Plaza de la Catedral. It occupies the Chapel of El Salvador and the hall of the University, both built in the mid-14th century, which previously served as the city hall until 1838. During the construction of the Renaissance walls in the second half of the 16th century, the building was expanded into the bastion of Santa Tecla. The Monographic Museum of Puig des Molins is located within the archaeological site of the Puig des Molins Necropolis. Selected by Phoenicians as a burial ground in the 7th century BC, this site served as the urban necropolis throughout antiquity. It is recognized as the largest and best-preserved Phoenician-Punic necropolis in the western Mediterranean and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.

The museum operates as a single institution with two locations in the city of Ibiza, Spain. The Monographic Museum of Puig des Molins maintains regular visiting hours, opening Tuesday through Thursday and Friday mornings, with extended hours on Friday evenings, and morning hours on Saturday and Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and holidays. The Dalt Vila campus is currently temporarily closed for renovations. The museum functions as an active research center, leading and participating in projects related to the history and cultural heritage of the Pitiusic islands, and it runs educational programs designed to connect the island's past with its present and future.