Ancient Civilizations OF MEXICO Come ALIVE
at the McAllen International Museum

A fascinating new exhibition that showcases Aztec and Maya art, religion, culture and architecture has arrived at the McAllen International Museum. “Temples of the Gods: Art and Architecture of Mesoamerica” features huge scale models of the ancient temple cities of Teotihuacán, Chichén-Ítza and Palenque that flourished long before the arrival of the Spanish and influenced all subsequent cultures of Mexico. The warriors, astronomers, priests, artists and farmers of early Mexico created vast cities and large empires equal to any in the ancient world. This is an interactive exhibit that includes scale models of the religious temples and art objects that were central to the life and culture of the Mayas and Aztecs who established advanced civilizations in Mexico and South America. Computerized audio and video centers throughout the exhibition provide explanations in English and Spanish at the push of a button.

Mesoamerican temples are astounding evidence of a long-lasting, dynamic American cultural tradition that is the rich heritage of all inhabitants of the Americas. The Mesoamerican region, including Mexico, was populated by many different ethnic groups with a variety of languages, but all had somewhat similar cultures that cultivated corn, had a single structure of government, followed a 365 day calendar, built pyramids, and followed similar rituals and worshiped similar gods and goddesses of nature, sky, fertility and war.

This fascinating new exhibition allows you to explore the Mesoamerican 
calendars, including a full-sized replica of the famous Sun Stone calendar. 
Some of these early calendars were more accurate than our own, and are a  triumph of man’s ability to observe and interpret the patterns of nature and the universe. These calendars were also used to predict the future: try to understand why the Maya calendar predicts the end of the world, or some other major change, in 2012!

The exhibit also examines early religious beliefs, including human sacrifice, and lets the visitor learn about major Aztec and Maya gods, including Quetzalcoatl and Coatlicue. The visitor will also encounter the mystery of early writing in glyphs, and the consuming detective story that 
is our struggle to decipher the code that unlocks the remarkable language of the Maya. You will see the stadium-like ball courts where a game similar to soccer was played and where sometimes the losers lost, not only the game, but their lives.

The large, lush paintings of Silvio Guturini are also part of the exhibition, as are recent portrait paintings acquired by the Museum that depict folk costumes, many of which were influenced by the powerful culture of the Maya and Aztecs.

In the Discovery Center, the exhibition has plenty of hands-on activities for the children, including putting together their own model of a temple, making rubbings of Aztec designs, and experiencing a little about the life of the Aztecs over five hundred years ago.

You won’t want to miss the rare opportunity to experience first hand these ancient civilizations. This is a truly astounding exhibition that allows visitors to explore as never before the rich cultural heritage of the Americas.

This exhibition is the work of Grupo Industrial el Desarrollo Educacional, S.A. de C.V of Sta. Maria Tomatlan C.P. Mexico, D.F. and the McAllen International Museum. It will be at the Museum through January 3rd, 2000. 

There is a $2 charge above general admission for this special exhibition