Núcleo Museológico de Arqueologia de Afife

English name: Afife Archaeology Museum

Tucked away beside the Afife Casino (not a gambling hall, but the town’s social centre), is a small but fascinating archaeological museum. There are artefacts from the Paleolithic up through the Roman period, and information about the rich ancient history of the town and the area.

The museum is laid out beautifully, with an impressive “mural” depicting families during the various periods of prehistory. There are stone tools, pot sherds, Roman coins, and more. There’s a beautifully carved Celtic knot on a house decoration, as well as another intricately decorated door jamb. The museum has audio guides (in English and Galician as well as Portuguese) for the entire display, featuring many individual items.

The volunteers who run the museum are members of NAIAA, the Núcleo Amador de Investigação Arqueológica de Afife (Amateur Nucleus of Archaeological Investigation of Afife). They are passionate investigators and preservers of the town’s rich heritage. They are delighted to show off the exhibits and guide you through visits to the many sites in the town’s parish, in particular the impressive Cividade (Iron Age fortified settlement) of Âncora-Afife.

Location

The museum is in Portugal’s northern Minho region, in the district and municipality of Viana do Castelo. It’s in the centre of the village of Afife, housed in the same building as the Casino (which is not a gambling hall but a social centre). (The doorway to the museum is to the right of the main entrance to the casino.)

Coordinates: 41.775567, -8.860493

Admission

There is a sign saying that the museum is open on Saturdays from 2:30pm to 4:00pm, but I’m not sure if that is followed every weekend. I would recommend that you contact the museum in advance to make sure there is someone to let you in. Contact details are on the museum’s website. Admission is free.

Signage

There are signs directing you to the centre of Afife, and when you get there it’s easy to see the Casino. The entrance to the museum is a small door to the right of the main Casino entrance. The door has a sign announcing NMAA: the Núcleo Museológico de Arqueologia de Afife

Links

• Website (in Portuguese) of the museum and the Afife Amateur Archaeological Research Association (NAIAA)
• Description (in Portuguese with English and other translations) from the town hall of Viana do Castelo
• Audio Guide (in Portuguese, English and Galician) for the museum

Nearby

There are many prehistoric sites in and around Afife. In the town itself is the remnants of an Iron Age castro, the Castro de Santo António. Above the town in the mountains is the huge Cividade de Afife/Âncora, with rock carvings next to its entrance. There are many more sites in the area: a good starting point is the archaeological museum in Viana do Castelo, the Casa dos Nichos.