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The Museum of Archaeology
The Museum of Archaeology, located in La Romana and inaugurated in 1981, documents the important indigenous legacy of the island of Santo Domingo and functions as a valuable source of information for the thousands of students and visitors it receives every year. The Museum’s magnificent collection of indigenous objects was assembled over 40 years by collector Samuel Pión and comprises more than 3,000 objects found in the region. These ritual and utilitarian objects demonstrate the cultural evolution of the island’s indigenous societies, from the preagricultural era to the time of the Tainos, the predominant culture when the Spanish conquistadors arrived.
As a division within the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation, The Museum functions as a center of scientific and cultural research, offering a broad program of talks, workshops, presentations, temporary exhibits, and research excursions to rural areas. It also offers skill-building workshops for teachers that delve into our origins and deepen their knowledge of our ancestors’ culture. In conjunction with this concept, two important pieces have been developed for use in schools with the support of the Falcondo Foundation: the Teacher’s Guide “Looking at Ourselves in the Mirror of Time”, in collaboration with the Latin American Institute of Museums,and the documentary “Where the Sun Rises,” featuring several short segments on indigenous history and Dominican archaeology for use with elementary education levels.
The Museum’s Discovery Room was designed to involve young visitors in activities that promote their understanding of the artifacts and exhibits they see, and of the island’s indigenous culture and history, as well as to give them an appreciation of the processes museums use to acquire and interpret their collections. The fundamental aim of the Discovery Room is to nourish a sense of curiosity and respect for the legacy of the indigenous inhabitants of The Antilles, and for their contributions to contemporary Dominican culture.
The Museum also offers the Museum in a Box, which visits schools throughout the country to introduce the richness and diversity of the Dominican Republic’s archaeological patrimony. This attractive and dynamic tool builds knowledge of and value for our cultural heritage. This project was achieved with the support of the Falcondo Foundation and the Ademi Foundation.
CONTACT
Administration
Phone:+1 (809) 523.8554
Fax:+1 (809) 523.8312
Email: museo@altosdechavon.com
Address: Altos de Chavón, La Romana Dominican Republic
Hours: Monday–Sunday 9:00 a.m – 9:00 p.m
Collaborations:
- Centro Eduardo León Jimenes
- Fundación Ademi–Banco Ademi
- Fundación Falcondo
- Bancode Reservas
- Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo
- International Council of Museums–Dominican Chapter
- Leiden University–Faculty of Archeology, The Netherlands
- Embassy of The Netherlands in the Dominican Republic
- Samp Intercontinental Museum Network–Swedish International Development Agency
Trigonolito
De acuerdo al primer cronista de la mitologia taína, Fray Ramón Pané, estos trigonolitos eran representaciones agrícolas del dios Yucahuguama, quien creían hacía crecer la yuca, alimento básico del hombre precolombino antillano.
Vasija
Junto con el murciélago, la lechuza, o buho, figura predominante en la mitología taína como otro animal asociado con la muerte.
Vasija
Vasija Circular de la cultura Chicoide, perteneciente al periodo Agro alfarero tardio.
Esferolitos
De naturaleza ceremonial, estas esferas de piedra han sido encontradas solamente en enterramientos secundarios, lugar de descanso final de los indios arcaicos. Estos sepultaban a sus muertos en tumbas individuales, luego los exhumaban y pintaban sus huesos con pigmentos rojos, para luego enterrarlos de nuevo en grupos.
