Museu de Arte Pré-Histórica e do Sagrado no Vale do Tejo

About the museum

The history of the Museu de Mação begins with the discovery, on 6 March 1943, of the set of Bronze Age pieces known as the Tesouro do Porto do Concelho (Treasure of the Porto do Concelho), on the initiative of João Calado Rodrigues and with the support of the Municipal Council. A second decisive moment came in 1946, with the work at Castelo Velho do Caratão. After 2000, with the discovery of the rock engravings in the Ocreza river valley, the museum was reorganised and given a new museum programme linked to the rock art of the Tagus Valley.

The museum operates in conjunction with the Instituto Terra e Memória and the Instituto Politécnico de Tomar. The reserve holds some 6,000 items from surveys and excavations, mainly rock art contexts and stone tool industries from the Tagus river deposits, as well as isolated finds, especially from the Bronze Age. The collection also includes sacred art and ethnographic collections, distributed across buildings and natural spaces in the municipality, including the museum units of Ortiga and Monte Penedo.

The permanent exhibition route revolves around human gesture, in its evolution and behaviour throughout prehistory, with particular attention to the Neolithic. Highlights include a tactile replica of a rock engraving and interactive experiences that allow visitors to reproduce gestures and processes of the past. The museum reopened in August 2024 after refurbishment works and then inaugurated the renovated lower floor.

Highlights

• Tesouro do Porto do Concelho, from the Bronze Age
• Rock art of the Tagus Valley and the Ocreza river
• Tactile replica of a rock engraving
• Permanent exhibition centred on human gesture in prehistory
• Núcleo Museológico da Ortiga (Ortiga museum unit)

Permanent exhibition

• Exposição permanente – o gesto na Pré-História – Route organised around human gesture in evolution, with prehistoric pieces and replicas, especially from the Neolithic, a section on rock art of the Tagus Valley and interactive experiences.

Founded

1986

Operated by

Município de Mação

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

• Hands-on stations

The exhibition includes a replica of a rock engraving that can be touched, and interactive experiences. The museum has an educational service.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit