Museo de Paleontologia y Arqueología de Estanzuela, Natural history museum in Estanzuela, Guatemala.
The Museo de Paleontologia y Arqueología de Estanzuela is a natural history museum in Estanzuela, Guatemala, focused on prehistoric fossils and archaeological finds. The collection includes complete skeletons of mastodons, giant sloths, and giant armadillos alongside Maya ceramics and other artifacts from the region.
The museum's collection began when geologist Karl Sapper discovered multiple prehistoric animal fossils in the area around 1940. The institution was formally established in 1974 and became a repository for fossils and archaeological finds from Estanzuela and the surrounding region.
The museum displays archaeological finds from Maya civilization discovered in eastern Guatemala, including ceramics and jewelry from the Motagua River valley. These objects reveal how people in the region lived and created everyday items long ago.
The museum is readily accessible from Estanzuela and open during standard weekday hours. It is helpful to plan your visit during regular hours and allow sufficient time to view the large skeleton displays without rushing.
The museum holds one of the world's largest collections of complete mastodon and giant sloth skeletons, with specimens over 150,000 years old. This rare assemblage makes Estanzuela a significant location for studying prehistoric animals of Central America.
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