Today, we are diving into the history of all Mesoamerican civilizations—Olmecs, Toltecs, Mayans, Aztecs… We are even starting to understand who came when and what the differences are. The anthropology museum is fantastic, and it is considered one of the best museums in the world. I thought Sergei was the museum enthusiast, but today, he installed an online translator from Spanish to Russian on mom’s phone, and… we lost her.
We spent almost five hours in the museum. And it wasn’t even our first museum visit of the day…
Did you know that Mexico had a monarchy from 1864 to 1867, ruled by a Habsburg? Then a revolution happened, and he was executed. So this morning, we started with a visit to Chapultepec Castle. Later, several presidents lived in this palace, and it was used to receive official delegations. It is located on top of a hill with breathtaking views!
At the bottom of the park near the castle, there is the “Monument to the Heroic Children,” dedicated to six cadets who, in 1847, aged 13 to 19, refused to retreat when the Americans attacked Chapultepec, which was then a military academy. They fought to the last, and according to legend, one of them, Juan Escutia, wrapped himself in the Mexican flag and jumped from the tower to prevent the enemy from capturing it.
Then we walked through the park to the anthropology museum and ended up staying there for a long time.
The Olmec civilization, which existed from 1500 to 400 BCE, was one of the first in Mesoamerica. They created monumental basalt stone heads, presumably depicting rulers, reaching up to three meters in height.
This is a sculpture from the later period of the Olmec civilization. The Olmecs, and later the Mayans, were the only cultures that managed to depict human body movement.
The next civilization was the Zapotecs, who existed from the 6th century BCE to the 1st century CE. They were the first to develop a writing system in Mesoamerica! Their art often features expressive jaguar masks, which were used in rituals.
Next are the Maya from the Yucatán Peninsula (2000 BCE – 15th century CE). A new addition to this museum is a burial site from Palenque (7th century CE). Normally, pyramids are filled with just clay and stones, but this one contains an actual tomb! And, of course, their extensive writing system.
On October 28, 727 (Gregorian calendar), a ball game took place in the underworld between the divine solar lord Jaguar Claw (left) and Kinich Baknal Chaak (right). Apart from their personal attributes, both are dressed in loincloths, leather skirts, belts, jewelry, and are holding branches and symbolic axes. Surprisingly, the time of the game is not mentioned…
Teotihuacan (which we will visit tomorrow) is a mysterious, vanished civilization (2nd century BCE – 7th century CE). At its peak, it had a population of up to 200,000 people! I was amazed by the colors—some parts of the museum are reconstructions, while others retain their original pigments.
The Mixtecs existed approximately from the 9th to the 16th century. They left behind codices recording genealogies, rituals, and myths. These books were folded accordion-style, written on deer hide, and painted in vibrant colors. They had to be read in a zigzag pattern from right to left!
The large hall is dedicated to the Aztecs. The Aztecs (Mexica) were a warlike Mesoamerican people who built a powerful empire in Central Mexico (1111–1521). Their capital was Tenochtitlán (modern-day Mexico City). Their state was based on a tribute system from conquered peoples. They advanced architecture, astronomy, medicine, and developed a complex system of sacrifices.
At the museum café, I finally saw a salad! Though it was served with fried grasshoppers…
