Arkeologi Museoa
06 April 2009
After 36 months of work, the Archaeological Museum of Bizkaia opened its doors on the 2 April, with a threefold aim: to store and manage the territory’s historical and pre-historical heritage; to support research and cataloguing; and finally, to disseminate and promote the value of its collection to the general public.
The new museum is located on the old railway station of the line between Bilbao and Lezama. This five-storey building occupies a 3,000 square metre area and is located on the Plaza de Unamuno in the old quarter (Casco Viejo) of Bilbao.
The museography project, which envisaged a 500 piece exhibition, was developed by a multidisciplinary team integrated by Espiral Ondare, El Plan B and ADN DESIGN. Most of the pieces belong to the archaeological collections of the Basque Museum, while other pieces come from the Museo de Arte Sacro as well as other materials from excavations in progress.
The exhibition, which interior design and display supports have been conceived by ADN DESIGN, shows the living history of the territory through a chronological journey from Pre-historic times to the Modern Age. The visitor can go back 75,000 years in time with the oldest pieces, and progress through the changes undergone by the climate, the landscape, and the customs and habits of the successive settlers who inhabited this territory.
These witnesses of history range from the primitive beauty of a scull from the Iron Age found in San Esteban de Mesterika, to the shipwreck of Urbieta, a vessel used to transport iron mineral dated from the 15th century, one of the centrepieces of the new museum which was recovered recently in Urdaibai. Around such a centrepiece, ADN DESIGN has designed an interesting curved ramp to allow us to get to know the construction technique of the oldest vessel found in the Bay of Biscay to date.
The funerary steles and funerary offerings recovered in the cave Cueva de Pico Ramos in Muskiz, as well as daily use and religious objects recovered from the archaeological site of Forua, are displayed in a succession of successful settings. The carefully designed stands made from different materials exhibit coins, household items, iron wedges and nails, and architectural or sculptural components from various periods.
The public display of archaeological remains is complemented by 19 interactive multimedia and five audiovisual videos, which help to improve our understanding of each section of the new museum.
As José Luis Bilbao, Deputy General of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia said, "Seventy-five thousand years are staring at us from those displays".
Labels: Spaces
