The National Museum of Eritrea was officially inaugurated by Ato.Wolde-ab Woldemariam in 1992 with its principle functions including research, excavations, preservation and organizing exhibitions. Between 1992 and 1997 the museum was housed in the old palace of Asmara, during which time the exhibition was organised into three sections: Archaeology, Ethnography, and Military. The Archaeological section consisted of a wide range of pottery, inscriptions and ornaments excavated during the colonial period; the Ethnographic exhibition comprised a variety of handicraft produced by the nine population groups of Eritrea; and the military section, rather than a war museum, was an exhibition about the creative ability of the fighters to transform weapons of the enemy for their own use. This section also gave the public an idea about the creative underground constructions (hospitals, pharmacies, kindergartens etc.), which existed during the conflict.

In 1997 the museum was moved to its present location, a premises which according to Dr. Yosief, is not ideal for a number of reasons. One of the big drawbacks of this location is the lack of suitable exhibition rooms. The museum is currently exhibiting a mere 10-15% of its collection due to lack of space. The military section has to remain in the former museum compound. Since it was reopened to the Public in early 2002, the museum’s permanent exhibition is divided into three sections: Archaeology, Ethnography, and Natural History. The museum opens to the public every day except Wednesday. Dr. Yosief says that there has been huge interest in the past months with visitors from all walks of life coming to find out more about Eritrea’s past. Presently, in its effort to create a “museum culture”, groups of school children are being encouraged to come to the museum with their teachers. There are hopes to open a room especially for the younger members of society where they can see videos and come into closer contact with the various exhibits. This project will depend to a large extent on receiving grants, possibly from various embassies located in Asmara. Groups of physically/mentally disabled people are also encouraged to visit the museum with their carers and should benefit considerably especially from the painting and stuffed animal sections of the museum.

One of the more exciting functions of the museum lies in the area of excavation. With 30,000 to 40,000 sites of archaeological value in the country, Eritrea has the highest density of sites in the African continent. Due principally to financial constraints, excavation is currently underway only in 4 sites, but there are plans to extend this work pending grants from UNESCO and other sources. In and around Asmara alone there are more than 100 known sites. Work has been going on the Sembel area of the city since 1998 where the excavation stage has just been finished, The plans for this pre-axomite site dated ca 800BC include the establishment of an open-air museum. This project has advanced thanks to the considerable efforts of the University and Museum staff and fourth year Archaeology students and graduates. It is hoped that the open-air museum will be ready to welcome its public by June 2002.

In 1996 five archaeological sites in Eritrea were nominated for the Heritage list by UNESCO. In October 2001 Eritrea signed the convention for the protection of cultural heritage and therefore it seems that it is only a matter of time before these five archaeological sites officially become world heritage sites. The five archaeological sites are: Adulis, Dahlak Kebir, Naqfa, Matera and Qohaito.

Plans for the Future

The most important objective of the National Museum is to find suitable premises. Ideally the museum should be a building with large exhibition rooms, plenty of natural light, and be free from humidity (bronze materials especially may be irreparably damaged by dampness). The building should also have lecture rooms as well as more well equipped laboratories. The search for an ideal premises is ongoing and it is hoped that the issue will be resolved by the end of 2002. As regards the administration of the Museum, Dr. Yosief also hopes that in the near future the museum can be an autonomous institution. The relationship at the moment whereby it is administered by the University of Asmara is quite complicated, and it is felt that things would run more smoothly were the museum to have its own administrative body. However there is still ample opportunity for the two institutions to work together. Lecturers, mainly from the departments of History and Archaeology & Anthropology, work in the museum and it is hoped that research oriented members of the college of Arts and Social Sciences and the department of Biology will play an increasingly prominent role in the development of the Museum in the future.

These issues aside, it seems that the Museum has already established itself as one of the more important institutions in the country. According to Dr. Yosief the citizens of Eritrea are increasingly aware of the importance of preserving relics and learning as much as possible about the past. This awareness along with the collaboration of the people of Eritrea makes the job of the Museum team a lot easier and fuels the belief that important achievements can be made so that Eritreans may continue to learn more about and be proud of their past.