Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes, Archaeological museum in Cuenca, Ecuador.
Museo de las Culturas Aborígenes is an archaeological museum in Cuenca housed in a colonial-era building with a collection spanning thousands of years of Ecuadorian history. The objects are arranged chronologically to show the development of different societies from earliest times through the arrival of the Incas.
The museum was established in 1992 based on a private collection gathered over two decades by a University of Cuenca professor and his wife, who discovered and preserved pieces from across Ecuador. This collection grew out of systematic interest in documenting the region's ancient societies.
The collection reflects how different indigenous peoples of Ecuador expressed themselves through objects they made and used daily, from figurines to decorated pottery. Visitors gain insight into the values and activities that mattered to these communities across many centuries.
The museum sits in Cuenca's downtown area on Calle Larga, making it accessible on foot from the historic center. Plan to spend an hour or two walking through the galleries to see the full range of the collection.
The building housing the museum dates back to the 1700s and was originally an inn for mule drivers traveling trade routes through the Andes. Its transformation into a cultural space shows how Cuenca has repurposed its colonial architecture.
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