Mysterious cities of gold

A golden crown ornament featuring octopus tentacles from the Moche culture (100-800) represents the pinnacle of goldsmithing in the Andean civilization
Visitors learn about the 15-th-century ruins of Machu Picchum built by the Inca empire, through a large multimedia screen
A stone head adorned with a headdress in the shape of the World Tree, the central pillar of Maya cosmology, created during the classic period (600-900) of the Maya civilization
Human figurines from western Mexico, dating from the late preclassic to the classic period (100B.C.-A.D.400) of the Maya civilization

Maize, Gold, Jaguar—A Grand Exhibition of Ancient Maya and Andean Civilizations opened at the Capital Museum in Beijing on May 18, the 50th International Museum Day.

The exhibition brings together approximately 800 artifacts from more than 20 cultural heritage institutions in Mexico and Peru, including pieces made of jade, pottery, gold and stone. Most of these artifacts are being exhibited in China for the first time and some are being displayed for the first time outside their home countries. Together, they present the foundations of life, spiritual symbols and power structures from over 3,000 years of Maya and Andean heritage.

(Text and photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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