Munich - State Prehistoric Collection

(Local Name: Prähistorische Staatssammlung) The State Prehistoric Collection is housed in an exceptionally well designed purpose-built museum overlooking the English Garden.

The collection was begun following the foundation in 1759 of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, and fostered by King Max I Joseph as well as by the very active Historical Society of Upper Bavaria. Towards the end of the 19th C. the anthropologist Johannes Ranke campaigned tirelessly for a separate museum of prehistory.

On display are:

Rooms I-VI

Paleaolithic period: finds from the Klausen caves near Neuessing and the Weinberg caves near Mauern. Mesolithic period: finds from Speckberg near Eichstätt, etc.

Neolithic period: stone tools and pottery, including ribbon-ware from Hienheim near Kehlheim.

Bronze Age: story of metal processing.

Urnfield culture: weapons and tools, including swords, lances and ceremonial axes.

Hallstatt period: jewelry (gold rings, amber, etc.), vessels from the Schirndorf burial site, ornaments of geometric design.

Laténe period: animal figures (from Weltenburg, Lindau, etc.), finds from the Obermenzing healer's grave, relics of the Late Celtic oppidum at Manching, various coins, small gold rainbow bowl from Irsching.

Rooms VII-IX

Roman period: weapons from Künzing Castle on the Danube, sections of mosaic pavements, Terra Sigillata, glass: reconstruction of the female grave at Wehringen near Augsburg, parts of the Roman baths at Schwangau, bronze mask from Eining near Kelheim, treasures from Straubing.

Rooms X-XII

Early Middle Ages: grave goods from Fürst, weapons, jewelry (including elaborate fibulas), items from a royal grave at Wittislingen (e.g. gold disc fibula, gold-leaf cross), model churches, model of the village of Kirchheim, medieval bog corpse.

Foyer/side room

Mosaics from Jordan.