Archaeological Museum

Construction, destruction and reconstruction

The Musée Archéologique de Strasbourg, like other museums, fell victim to war in the meantime. The museum, which originated from the private collection of Johann Daniel Schöpflin, an archaeology enthusiast, was almost completely destroyed by Prussian artillery during the turmoil of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Unfortunately, only a few pieces, which were kept in other places, were preserved and could serve as a foundation for the reconstruction.

Finally, from the year 1876, a new collection was built and the Archaeological Museum was opened to visitors in 1896, after the found exhibits had previously been used mainly for research purposes. Today, the museum is considered a popular destination for tourists and attracts many friends of archaeology every year.

Alsace as a thematic center

The Musée Archéologique focuses its exhibits on the Alsace region. The pieces on display in the museum can be dated from prehistoric times, some 600,000 BC, to the early Middle Ages of 800 AD. On display are numerous, very diverse exhibits, such as:

• Tombs (Bronze and Iron Age)
• Weapons (Merovingian period)
• Jewelry (Merovingian period)
• Exhibits from early agriculture(Neolithic period)
• exhibits from everyday life (Gallo-Romans)figurative representations of well-known
• personalities (Caracalla, Pupienus)

Among the most important exhibits are various finds from the temples of the cult of Mithras at Mackwiller and Strasbourg-Königshoffen, from the temple of the mountain sanctuary on the summit of the Donon, exhibits from the chariot tomb at Ohnenheim, the gold plates (phalerae) found at Ittenheim, and a clasp helmet excavated at Baldenheim.

However, the center of the collection is mainly made up of finds made since 1970 from the former Argentoratum, a Roman settlement that was located on the territory of present-day Strasbourg. excavations are still taking place, which means that the collection of the Musée Archéologique is constantly growing.