The National Anthropology Museum exhibits different cultures from the five continents. This museum, dedicated to anthropology, has evolved throughout the years and it currently shows a global vision of all the cultures in the world.

What unites or separates culturally a Spanish person from an Australian aborigine? What cultural links are there between our people and an African tribe? All these issues and other matters are solved in this ethnological museum, where we can find objects and human remains from every corner of the planet, and they will help us understand the evolution of the different cultures in the world.

In this museum, we can see collections from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, all of which will enable us to know the human race better and in short, enjoy a great treasure: our cultural diversity. Previously, in this section Places with a lot of History, we wrote about the Real Observatorio de Madrid. Today, we will visit the Museo Nacional de Antropología in order to learn more about ourselves. Do you want to join us?

THE WHOLE WORLD INSIDE A MUSEUM

The Museo Nacional de Antroplogía is very close to Parque del Retiro in Alfonso XII Street and on the corner of Paseo de la Infanta Isabel. It was inaugurated in 1875 by the king Alfonso XII and, in those days, it was known as the Anatomic Museum. Furthermore, Pedro Gonzalez Velasco, a doctor from Segovia, was the main moving spirit behind this museum, as well as its founder.

It later became a Natural Science Museum and after, it operated as the Higher Council of Scientific Research. Lastly, it was turned into a museum dedicated to cultural anthropology and it has remained so until today. This museum has three floors mainly dedicated to the three largest continents: America, Africa and Asia. There are many objects, especially on the African floor, that come from expeditions and scientific journeys which took place at the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century.

The rest of the objects come from purchases and donations. Asia is located on the ground floor and it exhibits objects that mainly come from India, the Philippines and the Far East. On the American floor, there are many objects from the Amazonia. We must highlight the European collections with objects that principally come from Germany, Finland and Spain. Also, the Oceanic collections with around 300 objects from Micronesia.

A SPACE FOR MULTICULTURALISM

The permanent exhibition of this museum, allows us to get an idea of every culture in the world through more than 13.000 objects divided among 40 hallls which cover the periods from Prehistoric times till the XIX century. In this museum, we can also enjoy temporary exhibitions, music, dance, plays and conferences. In short, we can state that this museum is dedicated to diversity, respect and equality. In a word, to multiculturalism. We advise you to visit it and if you can take the children, even better!

DID YOU KNOW THAT…?

The National Anthropology Museum was the first anthropological museum created in Spain.

Picture 01: Luis García

Picture 02: Ovedec

Pictures 03 y 05: Emilio

Picture 04: Outisnn

Picture 06: Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada

Picture 07: Tamorian