National Museum of Anthropology

The Museo Nacional de Antropologia David J Guzman, usually shortened to MUNA, holds the national archaeological collection: ceramics, stone sculpture, jade and material from the Maya and Pipil sites of the country, including Tazumal, San Andres, Cihuatan and Joya de Ceren, arranged thematically around settlement, agriculture, production, trade, religion and art rather than strictly by chronology. The building dates from 1976 and was rebuilt after earthquake damage. It gives the context that the archaeological sites themselves largely lack, since site interpretation in El Salvador is thin, and visiting it before Tazumal or San Andres makes those sites considerably more legible.

What to look for

• Ceramics and stone - the collection from the country's major sites.
• Thematic galleries - settlement, trade, religion and production.
• Site context - the material that explains Tazumal and San Andres.
• Temporary exhibitions - the changing programme in the side galleries.

When to go

Year round; the museum is indoors and air-conditioned. It closes on Mondays. Weekday mornings are quietest. Visit before the archaeological sites rather than after.

Good to know

Labelling is largely in Spanish with limited English. The collection is modest by regional standards, since much material left the country in earlier decades. Some galleries close for rearrangement. It takes about two hours.

Nearby

MARTE art museum is next door; the historic centre lies east.