We decided on our second day that we should try and get a better understanding of the country so we headed for the National Anthropology Museum. We'd heard people rave about this place, but even so were still completely taken aback by the sheer extent and quality of the collection. This museum houses relics from all regions of Mexico from pre-Hispanic times and there are so many things to see here we were exhausted after 7 hours of walking through each exhibition knowing we had still missed about 40% of the place.
Fabulous little clay figurines, stone carvings, ornate pottery, intricate clay sculptures, sacrificial knives and altars, decorated human skulls, murals. Very evocative - it made it so easy to imagine (often brutal) life for these people, and also easy to appreciate their skill and intelligence.
Some highlights...
Balance book, used to keep track of market transactions (people were paid in cocoa beans). Looks like people were buying and selling some cool outfits here.
Aztec Stone of the Sun - phenomenal. Unearthed in 1790 beneath the central Mexico City Plaza, it was a large gladiatorial sacrificial altar, used to stage fights of warriors in ceremonies. The centre of the disc shows the five catastrophic events which have, and will, wipe out human existence. The final and fifth event is shown as a human face representing the sun. Might want to cross check these "facts", but this gives you a general idea.
Pre-hispanic karaoke singers.
Beautiful clay figurine - Teotihuacan mother holding children
A reproduction of a Mayan mural - four kings/priests visiting some important guy whose name I can't remember
Intricate and complex Mayan clay sculpture
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