The history of Xoconochco (place of the bitter tuna cactus) is told in a 1920s Art Deco building. It is a tale of a land that was conquered by the Mexica, but whose original inhabitants were the Mokaya, who gave way more than two thousand years ago to the Olmecs, who left stelae and monoliths, such as those in Izapa dating back to 1500 B.C.

Shows the development of the Maya peoples that flourished in the highlands of Chiapas up to their peak in Chincultic and Tenam Puente. Presents a valuable collection of finds from this latter site in stone, bone, alabaster and shell.

An international prize-winning building houses the rich archeology of the Maya and Zoque cultures of the state, over 3,500 years of history, including the time of the Spanish Conquistadors up to the Revolution. The exhibits include arms, convent life and daily life, fine architecture and important documents.