Event 1 - National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City

During the weekend of 1/5, I travelled to Mexico City for the first time! I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Anthropology, which had quite a lot of displays showing the merge of art and science. Sadly, when I asked the people working there for a picture, they politely refused. So I decided to take a picture with the iconic fountain inside the museum. 

This amazing sculpture has metal column that depicts the merging of the Spanish and the Indigenous to create a new nation. This extravagant inverted fountain is truly a display of both art and science.¹ It is engineered such that the water is recycled from the ground and transported up to the top of the four storey fountain. Another amazing feature that it has is that if you were to walk through the curtain of water, you would be able to hear the water falling and also the echo of flute music from the front of the museum, which you wouldn’t be able to hear otherwise outside the fountain.

Another incredibly intriguing display is the miniature model of the Mayan pyramids in ancient times. According to the explanation next to the model, the Mayans were able to incorporate science into their pyramids. They had such an advanced understanding of astronomy that they were able to align the pyramid’s shadow with a carving of the Mayan serpent god. In order to build the 650-square-foot Pyramid of the Sun standing 210 feet high, they needed the help of physics to move materials, using wheels and rubber to transport heavy materials for long distances. What is even more impressive is that they were able to create 91 steps on each side of the pyramid with a platform on top, which adds to 365 steps in total - the number of days in a year.²

Perhaps the most well-known Aztec display in the museum is the 24-ton Sun Stone. This ancient art piece is heavily influenced by science. Each symbol represents a natural element - the five suns in Aztec astronomy and 20 day signs of the Aztec calendar. It is a perfect combination of artistry and geometry. It reflects the Aztec understanding of time and space as wheels within wheels.³ 

I really recommend this museum since there is so much to see! I spent half a day in this museum and still wasn't able to see everything. The massive Sun Stone just takes your breath away by its detailed sculpting and impressive size! I also learnt so much about the history of Mexico and was so blown away by how incredibly advanced the Aztecs were.

Resources:

1.Galicia, Angie. "Inside México." Inside Mexico. Inside Mexico, 7 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.inside-mexico.com/the-national-museum-of-anthropology/>.

2.Hiebert, Melissa. "Celestial and Mathematical Precision in Ancient Architecture." Celestial and Mathematical Precision in Ancient Architecture. Red Ice Creations, 10 Jan. 2006. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/2006/01jan/ancientarchitecture.html>.

3."Aztec Calendar Stone." Aztec Calendar Stone. Aztec History, n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-calendar-stone.html>.