The renovated museum that displays Europe's most prized human jawbone

BanyolesPla de l'Estany is one of the regions with the richest archaeological heritage in Catalonia. The Neolithic site of village of La DragaDating back some 7,000 years, this site is one of the most important on the Iberian Peninsula and is very close to the Serinyà burial caves and the Roman settlement of Vilauba, both of great interest. In recent times, exceptional remains, often remarkably well-preserved, have been discovered at all these locations, having remained hidden beneath the pond's waters for centuries. Now, all these finds will be exhibited in the renovated Banyoles Regional Archaeological Museum (MACB), which, after nearly 16 years of museographic redesign and renovations, is reopening its doors to help visitors understand 45 million years of history. The new space, spread across the upper floors of several heritage buildings in the town center, features more than 1,600 original pieces, many of which are being shown to the public for the first time. The previous museum displayed numerous replicas for security and conservation reasons. Bones of fauna dating back 40 million years, such as crocodiles and marine sirenians, or exceptional Neolithic objects containing organic material like wood or cord, fill the display cases of the renovated Banyoles museum.

The Banyoles jawbone awaits DNA results

The star attraction is the famous Banyoles mandible, discovered in 1887 within a block of travertine at the Alsius pharmacy, and considered one of the most prized human fossils in Europe. Dating from between 40,000 and 70,000 years ago, the original is now on public display for the first time after a donation from the Alsius family, who made the discovery and have safeguarded it for 140 years. It was transported this week on foot in a special 170-meter operation involving conservation technicians and local police officers, and now occupies a prominent display case in the new museum. Although it was discovered some time ago, the piece continues to be studied to determine whether it belongs to a Neanderthal individual, as initially believed, or to a female cuttlefish, as more recent findings suggest. The Max Planck Institute for Anthropology (Germany) has been able to extract DNA samples from the teeth, and the results will be available soon. In any case, it will be a major scientific event: "If it turns out to be a cuttlefish, it will be the oldest in Europe. There is also the possibility that it is a hybrid, since Neanderthals and cuttlefish coexisted for many years, and that would also be a bombshell. The same goes if it is a Neanderthal, because of the jaws," said Figueres, the museum's director.

From a saber-toothed tiger skull to a Roman sandal

But the jawbone is far from the only highlight of the exhibition. Among the other most important objects is a complete skull of a million-year-old saber-toothed cat, the skull ofHomo sapiens The oldest Neolithic arch in Europe, from the village of La Draga, and Neanderthal teeth from the Serinyà caves. Also on display are an ancient hippopotamus skull from the Incarcal site in Crespià, a 5th-century Roman leather sandal discovered in 2020 and preserved almost intact, as well as original figurines from the sacellum from Vilauba.

All these artifacts are displayed along an accessible and immersive route that covers five major periods, from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, in a clear and understandable way, with a museography that gives prominence to the pieces themselves. The visit is accompanied by various highly illuminating educational resources such as videos, holograms, and high-fidelity recreations that reinforce the museum's narrative. "Our wealth is not only the Draga site, but also the lake system, which has allowed us to have a region full of very well-preserved underwater archaeological sites," says Figueres, who adds: "We want to conserve, promote, and safeguard the artifacts, but also for people to be moved by them." He concludes: "The museum covers everything from the first human presence 200,000 years ago to the present day, making it one of the few that allows us to trace the entire history of humankind without interruption." The renovation, which began in 2009 and was completed between 2021 and 2024, represented a total investment of €4.76 million, financed almost 30% by the Banyoles City Council, but also with support from the Generalitat (Catalan Government) and the Ministry of Culture.