On our second full day in Mexico City I took the subway to the National Museum of Anthology. This world class museum, opened in 1964, contains a wonderful collection of artefacts from Mexico's pre-Columbian cultures. This two story museum contains archaeological finds from ancient Mexico in the lower levels. Upper rooms are devoted to Mexican ethnology, including information about all aspects of life from housing, costumes, and religions to social structures and festivals. I focused my attention on the exhibits in the lower levels, particularly those related to Aztec culture.
The first three galleries offer an introduction to anthropology and an outline of the historical development of mankind. The Aztec Hall, centrally located, displays many treasures of the Mexica, or Aztec culture. Exhibits in this hall give you a strong sense of the everyday culture of the Aztec people before they were conquered by Hernan Cortes and the Spanish invaders. The Aztecs were an incredibly adaptive, powerful civilization with enormous appetites for blood, sacrifice, war and conquest.
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| Prehistoric Woman: It all began with Lucy! |
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| Early peoples were hunters and gatherers. |
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| With civilization came agriculture and permanent settlements. |
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| The Aztecs settled on an island in Lake Texaco. |
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| Close up of what their city looked like. |
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| Famous Aztec Stone of the Sun |
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| For scale: The stone is 3.6 m in diameter and weighs 24 tonnes. |
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| The Aztecs were traders. |
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| Feathered headdress. Likely worn for ceremonies. |
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| Ornaments made from gold. The Spanish conquerers killed for this. |
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| Opening in back of eagle for blood and hearts of sacrificial victims. |
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| It was an honour to be sacrificed to the sun god. |
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| Gold medallion encrusted with turquoise mosaics. |
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| Mosaic mask. |
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| Aztec Codice: Written record of daily life. |
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| Feudal system. |
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| More mosaic art. |
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