Guided Visit to the Numismatics Collection at the National Archaeological Museum

**Format** This is a **45-minute guided visit** to the **Numismatics Collection** at the **[National Archaeological Museum](https://www.man.es/man/en/home.html)**, highlighting key pieces and explaining their historical and economic significance. After this introduction, everyone is free to explore the museum on their own for as long as they like. The meetup itself is free of charge, but each participant is responsible for paying the museum’s general entrance fee of **3 euros**. **Meeting point and starting time** We’ll be meeting at the **main staircase,** right between the **two large sphinx sculptures**, as shown in the photo. At **6:00 PM sharp**, we will walk from there to the ticket desks and begin our visit. We won’t be waiting for latecomers, so make sure to arrive at the meeting point **by 6:00 PM** **sharp**! **Contents** Archaeology is a part of anthropology, the science *"which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species"* (Britannica Online). Archaeology studies *"the material remains of past human life and activities,"* comprising *"human artifacts from the very earliest stone tools to the man-made objects that are buried or thrown away in the present day: everything made by human beings—from simple tools to complex machines, from the earliest houses and temples and tombs to palaces, cathedrals, and pyramids"* (ibid.). Numismatics *"is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals, and related objects"* (Wikipedia). In other words, it allows us to explore the origin and evolution of money in human societies across time and space. A brilliant introductory course on the history of money can be found here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_4in0oz7iU&list=PLinliDgP9EbScxfH5wxoX8I_HNRSElqZ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_4in0oz7iU&list=PLinliDgP9EbScxfH5wxoX8I_HNRSElqZ)_