The Jaffna Archaeological Museum is located in Nallur, near the Kandaswamy Kovil, and houses a collection covering the long history of the Jaffna peninsula from prehistoric times through the colonial period. The exhibits include Sangam-era artefacts, Dutch and Portuguese-period objects, traditional Tamil household items, and ancient coins.
The museum is modest in scale but well-curated for a regional institution. It is particularly strong on pre-colonial Tamil culture, which gets less coverage in the national museums in Colombo. Worth a half-hour visit, especially combined with the temple and the surrounding Nallur area.