Vitrina cero. Volver a la infancia. Prehistoria y Antigüedad

Exhibition at the Museo Arqueológico Nacional bringing together toys and everyday objects to explore how children lived, from Prehistory to Classical Antiquity.

The exhibition, part of the Vitrina Cero cycle at the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, focuses on a theme that traditional archaeological research has paid little attention to: childhood. Set against the major events led by adults, the route focuses on remains, traces and everyday objects that make it possible to reconstruct the presence of the youngest members of ancient communities.

Among the pieces are various toys and utensils with which children imitated the tasks and customs of their group. These objects show that they did not depend solely on adults, but took part in daily tasks and helped sustain the life of their societies. The visit serves to understand both the children's experience and the organisation of the earliest human communities.

A distinctive feature is that the display involves the toymaker Famosa and the Centro Superior de Diseño de Moda de Madrid of the UPM. Four Nancy dolls wear historical costumes created for the project, inspired by the Palaeolithic, Ancient Egypt, Iberian culture and Classical Greece, a proposal that combines archaeology and fashion design.