Getting my head around the magnitude of ancient Mexican civilization is tough for me. An advanced civilization arose in Mexico while my Northern European ancestors were still living in huts. Mayans were writing hundreds of years before people living in the British Isles were. They developed a sophisticated calendar and the mathematics to support it before the Greeks invented geometry. If not for accidents of history (environmental collapse, cultural obliteration by the Spanish) Mesoamerican civilization might have carried through to the present day. Who knows what contributions they might have made to the modern world.
One place to learn about the scope of Pre-Columbian accomplishment is in the crown jewel of Mexican Museums, the National Museum of Anthropology.
The museum's ground floor consists of a series of galleries devoted to different ancient cultures—Olmec, Pre-Classic, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Mexica, Maya... Entire temples have been moved from the far corners of Mexico and assembled here in Mexico City: this one, a Mayan temple all the way from the Yucatán.
The museum collection consists of more than 120,000 objects, some 5,000 of which are on public display. The huge number of artifacts cannot be appreciated during a visit of a single day. There's simply too much to take in. Here a Chac mask, a representation of the Mayan rain god.
A mask of an Aztec god, fashioned from semi-precious stones.
A small statue of Ehécatl, the Aztec wind god whose breath made the sun and moon move through the heavens.
This bowl of flint razors amazes me. They were shaped by a single blow to a flint nodule with very little secondary working. Imagine the consummate skill of the artisan who made them.
A tiny number of gold objects survive for our inspection today. Cortez got most of the gold, melting priceless art objects to make ingots for shipment back to Spain. The man would have fit right in at Goldman Sachs.
Rounding a corner, I was surprised to see pots from the American Southwest—until I remembered that the region was at one time part of Mexico.
A deformed skull reminds me that punkers didn't invent body modification.
Only three authenticate Mayan codices have survived, and all of them are conserved in European museums. Reproductions are on display at the National Museum of Anthropology. I wondered at first if they might not be originals. They are so carefully made—perfect copies down to the last tear, wrinkle and stain.
The museum is more than a collection of artifacts: it provides much material for teaching visitors about the history and culture of ancient Mexican peoples. This diorama of the Tlatelolco Market is an example. Thirty thousand Aztecs were said to have met here daily to trade in Pre-Conquest times.
A group of scholars holds a seminar among the exhibits, evidence that the National Museum of Anthropology is a place of learning.
It is one of the world's great museums. In my opinion it ranks with the Met or the Louvre. I'm ashamed to say I've known about it for thirty years, yet I made my first visit just now. It is one of those museums to keep returning to, like the Prado or New York's Museum of Natural History. A visit to the National Museum of Anthropology is justification enough for a visit to Mexico City.
The pictures taken from the museum were superb. Yes, it would take many days or weeks to see it all. Brings back fond memories. Thank you from a stateside gringo.
Nita
Posted by: Nita Laughlin | 05/04/2010 at 12:01 PM