Adolfo López Mateos Boulevard, no number
Obrera neighborhood, Zip Code 89050
Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Situated in the modern Metropolitan Cultural Space of Tampico, the Huastec Culture Museum displays the development of the Tenek, Nahua, Pame, Otomi and Tepehua peoples from the earliest times to the present. Nearly 2,000 pieces from six Mexican states tell the story in spectacular fashion.
Situated in the modern Metropolitan Cultural Space of Tampico, the Huastec Culture Museum displays the development of the Tenek, Nahua, Pame, Otomi and Tepehua peoples from the earliest times to the present. Nearly 2,000 pieces from six Mexican states tell the story in spectacular fashion.
The museum safeguards and disseminates Huastec culture by uniting the archeological and ethnographic collections on the subject. It was opened on January 16, 1960 in a building that was part the Ciudad Madero Technological Institute but it switched to its new site on October 4, 2003 thanks to the efforts of a number of institutions, notably the Tamaulipas State Government, Conaculta, Tamaulipas INAH Center, San Luis Potosi INAH Center, Veracruz INAH Center and Patronato del Centro Cultural Tampico, A.C.
It is located inside the Metropolitan Cultural Space of Tampico (METRO), and the museum plan is based on the diversity of the different Huastec culture groups (the Tenek, Nahua, Pame, Otomi and Tepehua) from the pre-Hispanic era to the present. The collection brings together nearly 2,000 pieces from the states in which the Huastec region lies, namely Hidalgo, Puebla, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz and Tamaulipas. It is a spectacular and groundbreaking exhibition covering the themes stated in the gallery names: Life, Fertility, Art, Death, Daily Life, World View, Body and Decoration, Work, Exchange, Sacred Space, Myth and Oral Tradition, and Huastec Heritage.
This section includes panels, a video, a dual sculpture, as well as a scaled map and a chronological chart of the region during the pre-Hispanic era. It not only presents the Huasteca as a geographical region but also as a cultural entity.
The Physical Environment
This section presents the Huasteca region with a particular focus on fertility worship, based on three fundamental aspects: birth, death, and rebirth. It shows the relationship between life and death as a necessary cycle for fertility to exist.
The Huastecas were exceptional artists, representing the world around them with remarkable beauty. Art was present not only in sculpture but also in ceramics, stone, shells, and other objects made with great care.
Due to their beliefs in the afterlife, the ancient Huastecas buried their deceased with offerings that would help them reach the underworld. A reconstruction of the Tierra Alta burial, found intact with its offerings in the colonia of the same name in Tampico, is displayed here.
This section shows the Huastecas' beliefs about the origin of the world, humanity, and the way the universe is ordered—essentially, their cosmovision. According to Huasteca tradition, the gods took a giant fish-lizard, Dhipaak in the Teenek language, from the void and split it in two.
This section presents the daily life of the Huasteca, featuring a recreated hut that exemplifies how different ethnic groups in the region used space. Accompanying this is an exhibition of everyday objects used in food preparation and storage.
This section showcases the body adornments and clothing of the Huastecas, made from various materials. It also displays traditional clothing from the Nahuas and the Teenek.
This section shows the economic activities in the Huasteca, from ancient times to the present day. Exhibits include pieces related to textile production, stonework, metallurgy, ceramics, as well as objects used in hunting and gathering.
Barter, or the exchange of goods, ideas, and techniques with other peoples, allowed the Huastecas to enrich their economy and culture.
This section explores the sacred spaces of the Huastecas, their architecture, urban organization, and social structure, using the city of Tamohi as an example. Here, an altar decorated with aesthetically significant paintings of complex religious meaning is exhibited in its original size.
In the Myths section, visitors can take a break while watching a video that narrates the creation of the Huasteca world.
The final room of the museum invites visitors to reflect on the enduring presence of the Huasteca Culture, from its distant pre-Hispanic origins to the present day.
