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
The region enjoys a variety of climates, with tropical humidity being the dominant characteristic. Its physical and cultural boundaries are flexible, but they can be considered to include the Gulf of Mexico to the east; the Tropic of Cancer and the Soto la Marina River to the north; the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental to the west; and the Cazones River to the south. The mountains are a mass of limestone rock formed from coral reefs and marine organisms dating back 60 million years. The region is dotted with caves, grottos, and cenotes. The rough-textured sandstone, the traditional material for Huasteca sculpture, is a product of the natural compaction of sand.

The Huasteca Mosaic
With deep pre-Hispanic roots and a vibrant mestizo life, the Huasteca region we know today is the product of the successful adaptation of the Teenek, Nahua, Pame, Otomi, Tepehua, and Totonac groups, as well as successive migrations from Europe, Africa, and other parts of the Americas. This wide and diverse region, which spans six states (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Puebla), also influences neighboring areas. This rich variety has contributed greatly to Mexican national culture and is rooted in the development of a living tradition: music, worldviews, cuisine, languages, and harmonious coexistence with nature.

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 veneration of both the feminine and masculine aspects of life and death in the Huasteca is highlighted. Exhibits include vessels as symbols of food provision; figurines or representations of the feminine cult, known as Teem goddesses; representations of Mam gods or sculptures of bent gods, fertility symbols; vessels depicting deceased women, possibly from their first childbirth, accompanying the sun on its journey; and large dolls or “mojigangas” used in carnivals to represent the act of fertilization.

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. This section invites visitors to explore the intricate craftsmanship of Huasteca artisans.

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. As in many other cultures, death in the Huasteca did not signify an end but a transformation, a passage to another world: the Tamezlab, or land of the dead. The deceased could return to live with the living during two key moments: Carnival and Xantolo, or Day of the Dead. This section includes recreations of burials found in the Huasteca and the beautiful adornments that accompanied them, such as vessels representing underworld beings and sculptures of figures related to the Tamezlab.

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. One half formed the sky, and the other formed the earth. Visitors can explore the Huasteca directions, each associated with different symbolic meanings:

1. Tzaylelquil (North) – associated with death, black, dryness, and cold.
2. Quahtalqui (South) – associated with abundance and the color blue.
3. Elelqui (East) – associated with the rising sun and the color red, representing the masculine side of the universe.
4. Ozalqui (West) – associated with the color white, the feminine side, and the sunset.
   Four panels painted in the colors representing each direction are displayed, with a central column decorated in green symbolizing the main axis.

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. The exhibition highlights the diversity present in the Huasteca, which can be seen in mannequins recreating the physical characteristics of the region's inhabitants. Additionally, objects used for body adornment, such as stamps, rings, earplugs, rattles, and figurines depicting the process of cranial deformation, are on display.

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. It also features a recreation of a Huasteca market stall, a space where community members gathered not only for trade but also to exchange ideas.

Barter, or the exchange of goods, ideas, and techniques with other peoples, allowed the Huastecas to enrich their economy and culture. This section displays some of the products they imported or exported, such as cinnabar, hematite, and almagre from Toluquilla and Ranas (Querétaro), and from Guadalcázar in San Luis Potosí. They also imported skins, hatches, and mineral-based dyes from the Pame region, and metals, rattles, earplugs, nose rings, bezotes, and plates from the West. Jewelry from the Mixteca and ceramics inspired by the Maya region, central Veracruz, and the Mixteca are also on display. Lastly, obsidian, quartz, jade, and flint from neighboring regions in all four cardinal directions were also part of the Huasteca’s trade network.

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.