The Comarcal Archaeological Museum of Banyoles (Museu Arqueològic Comarcal de Banyoles) holds one of the most important prehistoric collections in Catalonia. The centrepiece is a cast of the Banyoles mandible — a partial lower jaw discovered in 1887 during excavations for a canal, and subsequently identified as belonging to a Neanderthal who lived around 45,000 years ago.
The original jaw spent decades in the local natural history museum under somewhat awkward circumstances (see the lake story), but the replica in the archaeological museum is properly contextualised within a broader prehistoric and Iron Age collection drawn from excavations around the lake and across the Pla de l'Estany.
The museum is well-displayed and small enough to visit in under an hour. Located in the old town, a short walk from the Sant Esteve monastery.