The archeological museum in the Sardinian capital Cagliari is the most important museum for archeology. Nowadays the museum is located in the Arsenal of Cagliari, the Cittadella dei musei, not very far from the old building (see picture). When visiting Cagliari it is worthwhile to stop by the museum. The car can be parked near the train station and the bus (line 8) will take you up to the citadel and the amphitheatre.

The exposition is divided over four floors in the museum. The first floor is set up chronologically, while on the other floors finds and sites are shown from all around the island and a separate area with temporary exhibitions is set up.

The collection contains many important objects; the famous Sardinian bronzes from the period of the Nuraghi up to the stele of Nora where the first mention was done in a phoenician inscription of the name of Sardinia. There are a lot of ceramics, especially rich in the phoenician and punic period, including attic (Greek) ceramic and Etruscan bucchero (black painted ceramic) that was imported in those times and has been found in many sites inland. On the photograph bronze axes that were part of a hoard buried in the bronze age (source: Museo Archeologico Nazionale Cagliari).

One of the most impressive objects is the punic mask with the grinning face, found in a grave at San Sperate (see photo. source: Museo Archeologico Nazionale Cagliari). The intention of this kind of masks was to scare of evil spirits from the dead. Similar masks have been found elsewhere as for example in Motya where it is shown in the museum Whittaker (Siciliy).

Bibliography

Usai, L and M. Frau, Il Museo Archeologico di Cagliari, guida per adulti pazienti e bambini intraprendenti, Cagliari
There is a shop in the museum with more literature

Address: Cittadella dei Musei, piazza Arsenale, 1 Cagliari ; tel. +39 070 684000

Opening times: 9:00-20:00

Prices: € 4,00 ; € 2,00 (18 to 25 years), free for children under 18

Public transportation with line 8 from the center to the citadel

site: Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici, Paesaggio, Patrimonio Storico Artistico ed Etnoantropologico di Cagliari e Oristano