Museum of Anthropology

March 13, 2009

Mexico's Instituto National Anthropologico y Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) Has taken charge of ruins in Mexico. They work to conserve that which is unearthed, and to unearth more as time goes by, and to leave buried those that can't be defended against time, weather and people. . The I.N.A.H. has taken the most important and the most fragile of all the artifacts to a central location. Anyone interested in Mesoamerica, archeology, anthropology, history or fine museums owes themselves a trip to Mexico City to see the Museo de Anthropologico.

The complex actually contains many focused museums, each connected to a central courtyard. Each has neighboring museums much like the neighboring cultures they document. The ground floor halls display stone, clay, gold, wood, gourd and feather artifacts of different cultures.

The second floor is filled with dioramas of current indigenous groups in their daily lives. Houses, households, furniture, tools and clothing are all carefully authentic right down to the brand of beer in a particular region.

I realized as I walked these upper halls that this is a view for urban citizens of their rural countrymen. We've recently been from Mexico's isolated villages to the Capitol City itself. Ancient, current, northern, southern, rain forest, desert, rural and urban, Mexico is a land of cultural extremes. Her richness lies in her diversity. I.N.A.H holds this dear and presents it in microcosm here in these world-class museums.