Prehistory represents the longest period in human history and chronologically it is divided into the Paleolithic or the period of carved stone, the Neolithic or the period of polished stone, the Eneolithic or the Copper Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The beginnings of the Paleolithic era are illustrated by carved stone tools (axes, spearheads, scrapers, etc.) discovered in the Ohaba-Ponor (Hunedoara county) or Cioclovina (Hunedoara county) caves, but also by numerous osteological fragments belonging to animals hunted by man. The beginnings of the Paleolithic era are illustrated by carved stone tools (axes, spearheads, scrapers, etc.) discovered in the Ohaba-Ponor (Hunedoara county) or Cioclovina (Hunedoara county) caves, but also by numerous osteological fragments belonging to animals hunted by man.
The artifacts (non-perforated or perforated axes made of polished stone, blades and knives made of flint and obsidian, ceramics richly decorated by incision or painting, etc.) discovered at Gura Baciului (Cluj county), Turdaș (Hunedoara county) come from the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods. , Tărtăria (Alba county), Iclod (Cluj county), Decea Mureșului (Alba county) or Ariușd (Covasna county). A rich collection of ornaments, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic statuettes or amulets made of clay, bone, animal teeth and shells shed light on the spiritual life of the man of the era. A significant part of the pieces from the Neolithic period come from the donation of the archaeologist Torma Zsófia (1832-1899).
The artifacts of the Bronze Age stand out for their rich and complex ornamentation, such as the clay vessels of the Wietenberg ceramic style, (Noşlac și Obreja, Alba county; Dumbrăvița, Bistrița-Năsăud county) or the bronze deposits from Uriu (county Bistriţa-Năsăud) and Uioara de Sus (Alba county), the latter being the largest such deposit in Europe.
Unique pieces of jewelry, such as the glass and amber beads discovered in the cave at Cioclovina (Hunedoara county) or gold jewelry and accessories, such as loop rings from Sărmașag (Sălaj county), enrich the collection.
Objects from the first and second Iron Age also belong to this collection. The first iron age is notable for the bronze deposits from Hida (Sălaj county), the superb necklaces from Coldău (Cluj county) or the ceramics of the Teleac settlement (Alba county). For the next stage, the inventory pieces of the cremation cemetery from Apahida (Cluj county), the wild boar from Luncani (Mureș county), the sword with sheath from Dezmir (Cluj county) or the helmet from Silivaș (Cluj county) should be mentioned . White).
