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Archaeological Museum of Ancash

Posted On: 04 April 2024 #TierrasVivas 791

It is one of the first regional museums in the country, created on October 22 in 1935, its construction was recommended by Dr. J. C. Tello in 1919.

It is one of the first regional museums in the country, created October 22, 1935. It is made up of four rooms located on three levels, in which cultural goods of ceramics, textiles, lithics, metals, organic and bone materials from the years 10,500 BC are displayed sequentially. to 700 BC, alternating with models and dioramas. Next to the museum is the largest stone park in America, so named because it presents around 120 monoliths, lintels, nail heads and other stone pieces belonging to the Recuay culture.

Where is the Archaeological Museum of Áncash "Augusto Soriano Infante" located?

Located at Av. Luzuriaga 762. The site exhibits an important collection of stone sculptures from the Recuay culture, as well as ceramic and textile pieces from the pre-Inca Chavín, Huaraz, Mochica, Wari and Chimú cultures. It also has the largest stone park in South America.

Soriano Origin

 

Creation History of the Ancash Archaeological Museum

As a result of the visit generated by the First Archaeological Expedition to the department of Ancash, of the National University of San Marcos, directed by Dr. Julio C. Tello, in 1929, to the old cemetery of the city of Huarás, where A large number of litho sculptures were recognized that were adorning the exterior of the aforementioned premises. Dr. David Izaguirre, paying attention to the recommendations of Dr. Tello, regarding their conservation, decided to gather these litho sculptures and house them in the patio of the Hospital of Belén, constituting said premises in the first Lithic Park. Later in 1934, and based on the motivation of those works, a distinguished group of young Huarasinos, who under the direction of Father Augusto Soriano Infante, founded the so-called “Society of Archaeological and Folkloric Studies”, which among its main objectives was the creation of an Archaeological Museum.

Thus, by supreme resolution No. 229, on October 22, 1935, the Archaeological Museum of Ancash was founded, with Dr Pedro Vega Gamarra as its first director. Two years later he was replaced by Father Augusto Soriano Infante, who throughout the time he was there dedicated his efforts and dedication to the protection and conservation of the different archaeological sites and cultural assets found in the department of Ancash. At that time, it was possible to condition the Museum and the Lithic Park, in a place owned by the Father on Av. Pedro Villón, a place where a large number of cultural objects were housed, highlighting within the collection the litho sculptures belonging to the Recuay Culture. (Early Intermediate Period 200 – 600 AD). Unfortunately, the 1970 earthquake also made its impact felt in the aforementioned Museum, thus causing the loss of the premises and numerous cultural assets of considerable historical-cultural value, an example of which is the irreparable loss of the gold diadem. of the so-called Jancu Tomb, one of the few gold finds associated with a funerary context belonging to the Recuay Culture. Subsequently, and after several efforts by Father Augusto Soriano Infante, CRYRZA built the new Museum premises in front of the Plaza de Armas of the city of Huarás, which is to date the current Museum premises. Initially the Museum took the name of the Ancash Regional Museum, later changing to the Ancash Archaeological Museum, which is how it should currently be recognized.

Augusto Soriano Infante

 

Exhibition rooms:

In terms of its architecture, it presents three levels, and inside it is divided into four exhibition rooms where the different cultural manifestations of the different human groups that settled in the department of Ancash during the pre-Hispanic era are displayed, in addition This includes within the proposal, an exhibition corresponding to our living culture, with the presentation of typical costumes from the provinces of Callejón de Huaylas, and the recognized Litico Park, the largest in South America.

Room 1: Temporary Exhibitions:

It is the only room that does not have a defined exhibition theme, since this space is intended to display the different works of artists, basically from our region, in the field of painting, sculpture, engraving, etc.; Apart from also serving as an auditorium, where some conferences and talks are given on different topics of interest about our region, in the field of archaeology, history, geology, etc.

Room 2:

In it we find samples that range from the Settlement of America, and its counterpart in this part of the Andean area whose occupation dates back to the so-called Guitarrero Cave (10,500 BC), to the Early Intermediate period (200–600 AD). Here the sample belonging to the Chavín, Moche and Recuay cultures stands out mainly.

Archaeological Museum Ancash

 

Room 3:

In this we find a section corresponding to the cultural development given in the region which goes from the Wari Empire (1 700-1 100 AD) to the Inka Empire (1 432-1 532 AD); while the other section is intended for the exhibition of materials in what has been called Andean Technology, in which the achievements and advances made in medicine, architecture, agriculture, medicine, metallurgy and music are exemplified.

Passage to Room 4:

In it we find the sample corresponding to the so-called Tomb of Jancu and different monoliths, all of them belonging to the Recuay Culture, Early Intermediate period (200-600 BC).

Room 4:

In this section we have an exhibition of typical costumes corresponding to the different provinces of the Callejón de Huaylas, and a series of stone sculptures from the Recuay Culture.

Lithic Park:

The Archaeological Museum of Ancash has within its facilities the largest "Lithic Park" or "Stone Park" in America, this is the main attraction of the museum. This Park houses around 100 specimens belonging mostly to the Recuay Culture (Regional Developments Period, 200 – 600 AD), being able to observe different characters, among which male warrior characters, seated male characters, musicians, etc. stand out). In addition to this, there is a good representative sample of native flora of our region, among which the Quenual, the Puya Raymondi, the broom, the capuli, etc. stand out.

Recuay lithic art on the basis of formal analysis can be divided into (Wegner, 1980):

1.- Monoliths or statues.

2.- Vertical slabs or stelae.

3.- Horizontal slabs or lintels.

4.- Square tombstones.

5.- Nailed heads.

Address:

Luzuriaga 762

Schedule:

From Tuesday to Sunday and first Sunday of each month, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Rate:

  • Adults: S/.7.0
  • Higher education students: S/.5.0
  • School education students: S/.2.0

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