National Museum of Archaeology

Special opening on Tuesday February 10th, 2026 – From 9 am till 5 pm

A spectacular collection and an alluring experience of the Maltese Islands’ prehistory and early history. With artefacts dating back from Malta’s Neolithic period (5900-2500B.C.) up till the early Phoenician period (8th – 6th century B.C.), the National Museum of Archaeology is definitely your first step to understanding the richness of the land you tread on, its people and their ancestors.

The ground floor, dedicated to the Neolithic period, displays the earliest tools and vessels used by the prehistoric people to facilitate their daily tasks. Representations of animal and human figures not only show advanced artistic skills of the first islanders but also give us an insight of their daily lives. Excavated from the renowned Maltese UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the megalithic structures and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, these include highlights such as The Sleeping Lady, The Venus of Malta and the colossal statue from the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex.

On the upper floor, one can see the collection of skulls from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, dating to the Neolithic period. These remains were originally excavated under the supervision of Fr Emmanuel Magri and later by Sir Themistocles Zammit.

The upper floor also houses the Bronze Age and the Phoenician period sections. The majority of the artefacts vary in size from small ritual vessels to funerary urns and amphorae. Phoenician glass and gold artefacts alongside an impressively large terracotta sarcophagus enjoy the pride of place in this section. Another important artefact is the Cippus, which played a key role in the decipherment of the Phoenician alphabet. It is proudly exhibited on the second floor, alongside a copy of the Louvre Cippus.

The National Museum of Archaeology is housed within the Auberge de Provençe, a fine exemplar of a Baroque that flourished in Malta during the Knights of Order of St John. Dating back to 1571, it housed the langue of Provençe, France. An attraction on its own merits, the upper floor prides the Gran Salon, a uniquely large painted hall, with decorations dating to the early 1800s. This is currently being used for national exhibitions and a miscellany of events such as conferences, fashion shows, photoshoots, and tv filming.

At the National Museum of Archaeology, we also have a number of temporary exhibitions which normally showcase artefacts from the reserve collection. In addition, the museum houses a vast archive of historical documentation from the early Museums’ Department, as well as a remarkable collection of photographic glass negatives.