Valencia Museum of Prehistory
This museum is one of the most comprehensive and prestigious in Spain. It traces the presence of human beings in Valencia and what is now the Valencian Community over the past eight thousand years.
The permanent collection includes galleries dedicated to the Palaeolithic, featuring the earliest human fossil remains from Bolomor Cave and the engraved limestone plaques from Parpalló Cave, as well as the Neolithic, with the exceptional collection of Cardial-decorated pottery from Cova de l'Or in Beniarrés, and the Metal Ages.
The museum also displays artefacts from Iberian culture, including the renowned collection of painted figurative ceramics from Sant Miquel de Llíria, the Warrior of Moixent and Iberian inscribed lead tablets, together with objects from the Roman period, such as the Font de Mussa mosaic and the Apollo of Pinedo.
Particularly noteworthy are the galleries dedicated to the history of money across different periods and continents, where visitors can learn how coins were once minted and discover examples of numismatic treasures recovered by archaeologists and private individuals.
The museum also organises highly recommended guided visits to the archaeological excavation sites it oversees in the province, including La Bastida de les Alcusses (Moixent) and El Puntal dels Llops (Olocau).
It shares its home, La Beneficència, with L'ETNO, the Valencian Museum of Ethnology, which is also well worth a visit.
