Yes, many museums gather similar types of materials, for just the reason cited. To me, that's backwards. I get a much better feeling for history seeing it as a whole: everything there is for a period and place seen together. Then go on to the next one. You can best see this effect at "living history encactment" sites. Well, at least the good ones.

We understood the thrust of the National Museum's organization: it was primarily technological. As in, "Here are all the pots, see how the pots were made? Now, here are all the stone tools, see what happened to them?" It's not a BAD way to go, just not as truly informative as "What is THIS culture like compared to the one you just browsed?"

The all the pots-then all the tools-then all the adornments approach should be the movie. Those are the details you appreciate much more after you have a context in which to fit them. If you want to burrow that deep.