The museum shows the civilization of the territory of Marianopoli from prehistory to the Hellenistic age, with reference to the two archaeological sites of Monte Castellazzo and Balate-Valle Oscura.
Attendance of the site of Monte Castellazzo starting from the Neolithic age (V millennium BC around) continues in the copper age and is documented up to the Iron Age (VII-VI century BC). Particularly in the VI sec. B.C. the Monte became the seat of an indigenous then Hellenized settlement, traditionally identified with the ancient Mytistraton.
The mountain of Balate, hosted from the VI century an indigenous center then Hellenized, fortified by a wall. On the Acropolis of the ancient center a sanctuary area was brought to light. At the southwestern edge of the Balate Mountain, the necropolis of the ancient city was distributed within the Valle Oscura (Dark Valley).
The exhibits on display are those that came to light between 1977 and 1984 during excavations carried out in Monte Castellazzo and Balate-Valle Oscura. In addition to Neolithic, Eneolithic and Bronze Age ceramic fragments, the museum exhibits the indigenous pottery production of the Archaic period, which applies a geometric or vividly naturalistic decoration to Greek-type forms such as oinochoai and krateriskoi.
