Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, National archaeological museum in Guatemala City, Guatemala
The Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología is a national archaeological museum in Guatemala City that displays artifacts from different periods of pre-Columbian civilizations. The collection includes stone sculptures, vessels, tools, and personal objects arranged across multiple exhibition spaces.
The museum was founded by government decree in 1898 and relocated multiple times before settling at its current location at Finca La Aurora in 1946. This move was important to preserve the growing collection in suitable facilities and make it accessible to the public.
The museum displays works from different periods of Maya culture, including ceramics, textiles, and everyday objects that reflect how people lived in earlier times. Visitors can see how artistic styles and craft techniques evolved across thousands of years.
The museum is located in Zone 13 on the grounds of Finca La Aurora, where other cultural facilities are also housed. Opening hours vary between weekdays and weekends, so it is helpful to check current times before visiting.
In 2021 the museum recovered a fragment of Piedras Negras Stela 9 that had been stolen decades earlier and resurfaced at a Paris auction years later. This recovery shows the ongoing work to return looted cultural treasures.
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