Museum of Pre-Columbian and Indigenous Art facts for kids
Building façade
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| Established | September 17, 2004 |
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| Location | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Type | Ethnographic museum |
The Museum of Pre-Columbian and Indigenous Art (which in Spanish is called Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena) is a special museum in Montevideo, Uruguay. It's located in an old part of the city called Ciudad Vieja. This museum is all about the amazing cultures of the native people from different parts of Latin America before Christopher Columbus arrived and after. It's a great place to learn about their history and art.
Museum History
The building where the museum is located has a long history. It was first planned in the late 1800s by Emilio Reus and two German architects. They wanted it to be a special health center using water treatments.
The building was finished in 1888. Many years later, in 1986, it was recognized as a National Historic Monument. This means it's a very important building for the country's history. For some time, it was used by the Ministry of National Defense. Eventually, the building was left empty.
In 2004, the building was fixed up and the museum officially opened its doors. Later, in 2013, the museum joined the Google Arts & Culture platform. This allows people from all over the world to explore its collections online.
Museum Collections
The museum has more than 700 items in its collections. These items are either ethnographic (meaning they tell us about human cultures) or archeological (meaning they are old objects found from past times).
The museum mostly focuses on the native people of Uruguay. However, it also has many exhibits from other parts of Latin America. These include:
- The Mesoamerica region: This area includes countries like Mexico and Guatemala.
- The Intermediate region: This section features cultures from places like Colombia and Ecuador. You can see items from the Cuasmal, Capulí, and Tuncahuán cultures here.
- The Andean Region: This covers areas like Peru and western Bolivia.
- The South Andean region: This includes Chile and a small part of Argentina.
Among the many things you can see at the museum are beautiful textiles (woven fabrics), traditional musical instruments, ceramics (pottery), and various forms of art. The museum also has special exhibits about the native people who lived in the Amazon rainforest and near the Plata River basin.
