>1400: Origins
Archaeological remains of some small-scale prehistoric settlements on the banks of the Manzanares as well as pieces from the isolated Roman villas to the south of the river and the early Muslim settlement are to be found in the Museo de San Isidro.
For a more splendid collection of artefacts from prehistory right up to the fifteenth century, covering not just Spain, but also Egypt, Greece and Rome head to the stunning exhibits in the Museo Arqueológico.