Brief historical outline

Francisco Sousa—who, after his death, gave his name to the exhibition—started the artefacts’ collection at the Archaeological and Palaeontological Museum in 1982. He was an exemplary teacher from the “Miguel de Mañara” High School, and along with some students, he created a group dedicated to the research of the nearby Cerro Macareno Archaeological Site and the fossils found in La Jarilla rural area, specifically in the Graveras park. In 1986, the first exhibition room was opened within the same high school.

In 1997, La Rinconada Town Hall acquired ownership of the collection through an assignment agreement. They decided to move the artefacts to their actual permanent site, which has its own departments and was purposefully built in the Cultural de la Villa Centre. Since then and following Sousa’s death, the Town Hall has decided to name the museum after him.

The collection

Archaeologically speaking, the exhibition offers the visitor a wide selection of Cerro Macareno Archaeological Site pottery, dated from the 8th to the 1st centuries BC. The collection includes artefacts from the Tartessian, Phoenician, Greek, Iberian, and Roman cultures.

The artefacts are mostly related to everyday life, like loom weights, sling bullets, terracotta votive offerings, amphorae fragments, and oil lamps.

A huge pottery container used to store grain, as well as various stone mills and Roman architectural features, such as the column's base and fragments of a huge column shaft, both made of marble, are notable for their size and their preservation.

Palaeontology speaking, a wide variety of fossils from all geological eras have been unearthed, including corals, trilobites, ammonites, plants, fish, etc. However, definitely the most remarkable artefact of the exhibition is the large remains of Elephas Antiquus, a prehistoric elephant that lived in La Rinconada 100,000 years ago alongside big bulls and hippopotamus. This animal’s molars and tusks are astonishing (one of them reaches around four metres).

“Francisco Sousa” Seminar

Francisco Sousa’s artefacts and research have not only inspired young bachelor’s students but also teachers and university students. Every year, around November, the University of Seville and the UNED organise in La Rinconada a seminar centred on the most recent discoveries in the fields of Palaeontology and Archaeology. Every year, about 200 people attend this event, which has succeeded itself on the seminar calendar in Seville and West Andalusia.

Contact us

Cultural de la Villa Centre (headquarters of the Department for Culture)

Calle Vereda de Chapatales, s/n

41300, San José de La Rinconada (Seville)

Telephone number: (+34) 955 794 142

Fax: (+34) 955 794 142

Email: cultura@aytolarinconada.es