The Museo Arqueológico Municipal de Cartagena sits in one of those spots where you realize how many layers of history this Mediterranean port city holds. What struck me first wasn't the building itself, but the fact that it was built around an actual Roman necropolis discovered in 1967. You can walk around the ancient burial site from different levels, which creates this fascinating perspective where you're literally looking down at graves that are nearly two thousand years old.

The museum's story goes back to 1943, though it took several moves before landing in its current home in 1982. The collection started with Roman inscriptions that Cartagena had been preserving since the 16th century, plus archaeological finds gathered by the local Economic Society of Friends. It's one of those museums that grew organically from genuine local interest rather than being imposed from above.

What works well here is the layout. The first floor follows a chronological path from the Paleolithic through Roman times, while upstairs focuses on specific archaeological sites around the region. The necrópolis de San Antón remains the centerpiece - you can observe it from practically every angle as you move through the permanent exhibition.

The collection covers a broad sweep of time, from Middle Paleolithic tools to Roman artifacts, with particularly strong holdings in epigraphy. Those Roman stone inscriptions tell small stories about daily life in ancient Carthago Nova that you won't find in history books. There's something compelling about reading the actual names of people who lived here when this was one of the most important ports in the Roman Empire.

The museum belongs to the Región de Murcia's regional network, and while it's not huge, it does justice to Cartagena's archaeological richness without overwhelming you. If you want to dig deeper into specific pieces or periods, an audio guide is available to complement the displays.

The building itself is practical rather than spectacular, but that seems appropriate. This isn't about architectural grandeur - it's about preserving and presenting the material evidence of human settlement in this corner of southeastern Spain. The museum manages to feel both scholarly and accessible, which isn't always an easy balance to strike.