With one of the world's most comprehensive archaeological collections, Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia) contains remarkable artifacts from the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. Among them, you'll see reconstructed temples, tombs and headdresses spread across over 20 exhibition rooms, offering a rich insight into Mexican life long before the arrival of the Europeans.
On the ground floor alone, some 8,000 artifacts are on display, sourced from the ancient Mesoamerican civilisations of the Aztecs, Mayans and Olmecs. Marvel at the stone carvings, traditional gravestones and beautiful murals on display.
The most famous artifact you can stop and admire in the museum is the Piedra del Sol, or the “Stone of the Sun”, an Aztec stone calendar which can be traced all the way back to the 1400s. Weighing a backbreaking 21 tonnes, and measuring as much as four metres in width, this basalt stone was found right under one of the main squares in Mexico City. Marvel at the detailed patterns engraved into the stone. Close by, you’ll also be able to see the impressive statues of Aztec goddesses along with a remarkable miniature model of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, long since replaced by present-day Mexico City.
Head upstairs where you can learn about the indigenous peoples who live in Mexico to this day, and how those who descend from the Aztecs and Mayans continue to live. Among the exhibits are household tools, clothes, artworks and religious artifacts.
The museum charges for entry and is open every day except Mondays. You can hire an audio guide from the ticket office, which will tell you more about the exhibits as many are without English-language explanations. After your visit, head to the Historic Centre nearby to eat out at one of the restaurants or cafés.
Situated in Chapultepec Park to the west of the city's Historic Centre, the National Museum of Anthropology can easily be reached by taking the metro or bus to one of the nearby stops.
