The National Anthropology Museum

In bringing together the vestiges of the past with the daily activities of the present, the National Museum of Anthropology has achieved a truly magnificent museological space. Here are assembled the major archeological and ethnographic collections gathered in Mexico since the 18th Century, when interest in the native heritage destroyed by the encounter between two worlds first took hold.

In the early sixties, the construction of a building of such dimensions required close cooperation between architects, museologists, anthropological researchers, artists, designers, and engineers to build, in record time, the imposing edifice that today stands before us, virtually unchanged since its formal inauguration in 1964.

The size of the project and the unique nature of this museum enable its 26 exhibit halls containing one of a kind exhibits, maps, explanatory illustrations and audiovisual presentations, to be visited both chronologically and by cultural region. The museum is also endowed with a vigorous program of parallel cultural activities consisting of conferences, movies, a well-stocked bookstore, the sale of reproductions of the display pieces, a rich and varied library with a unique reserved stock, and special temporary exhibits of a high standard.

In accordance with the physical layout of the museum, the exhibit halls are grouped around an expansive central interior patio, and are surrounded by landscaped gardens on the exterior. Entry is gained via a spacious lobby area which leads into the majestic interior patio graced by a monumental canopy-fountain and with a reflecting pool at its center. This patio is enclosed by poetry-engraved walls adorned by a carved lattice which, akin to a magic mirror, hides the interior of the exhibit halls while affording a privileged view over the patio to those visitors who ascend to the first floor of the museum.

The layout of the exhibit halls enables them to be visited independently in the order of preference determined by each visitor, and the time taken to visit each hall can also be determined individually, although it can take several days to cover the entire museum adequately, given the number and extension of the exhibits. A brief listing of the halls and their content follows, and some of the principal exhibits of major cultural and artistic value are outlined.

It is truly difficult to single out those items which stand out most among the great number of exhibits in these halls, and which include magnificent examples of pottery, textiles, agricultural implements, religious icons, traditional costumes and priceless photographs.

More information:

Various authors
Official guide
INAH- Salvat, México 1988.

Revista de Arqueología Mexicana
El Museo Nacional de Antropología
Vol. IV No. 24
Editorial Raíces, México 1996.

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