Sala de Exhibición Arqueológica IIAM-UCN — Local services in San Pedro de Atacama

Really glad we checked out this fascinating museum on our first day in San Pedro. It really gave us a lot of context for the petroglyphs we saw later on.

We spent about an hour looking at the arrowheads, necklaces and pottery. Amazingly well-preserved textiles were the stars, though. You could still see colors and the weaving was of the finest threads I have ever seen. We were also fascinated by the large collection of drug paraphernalia ... A very important part of shamanism and well-explained in the exhibit.

The museum is kind of hard to find. Go towards and then past the cemetery, as if you were heading out of town. You will see small signs pointing to the museum, which is located within a large collection of metal buildings on a small hill. When you get to the gate it says nothing about the museum, just says it is a University. Go through the gates. Hopefully someone will be there to point you to the museum, or follow the petroglyphs on the walls.

One other thing:. All the descriptions in the museum...

The museum is temporary located at the Universidad Catholica building, a bit outside the center but still walkable. The museum offers excellent quality pieces of Atacama’s rich history of more than 10.000 years. The explanation are very clear and helpful to understand, unfortunately in Spanish only. The description of the links to the neighbouring cultures such as Tiuanako and the North-East of Argentina are perfectly done and they are for those who are interested a mine of information. Pity that the famous mummy is no more at display. I was told it’s in the conservatory. Anyway, I strongly recommend a visit. Entrance fee is appr. 3 €. You will get a...

What a treasure! Loved this museum and the opportunity to learn about the people who inhabited this region thru their artifacts. Although the museum is small, there are plenty of displays and you sure get your money’s worth for the $2.50 entrance fee. I was particularly taken with the baskets and weavings. The focus on the use of stimulants and hallucinogenics was fascinating. For English language, visitors, be sure to pick up a gallery guide with information about each of the display cases. We found that really invaluable. Here’s a selection of some of my favorite items. Overall, this museum is...