MUSEO ARCHEOLÓGICO GUSTAVO LE PAIGE

At the entrance, a statue paying tribute to Father Le Paige, a Belgian missionary, recalls all his efforts to create this museum and collect the collection of great value.

This collection shows the evolution of Atacama's culture and its 11,000 years of history, from the first hunters of the Paleolithic to the influences of Bolivian culture in Tiwanaku. The pieces presented, including ceramics and arrow points, were selected from almost 380,000 archeological pieces. The tablets used by shamans to absorb their hallucinogens, often adorned with an animal head, whose eyes are in lapis-lazuli, will be admired. The museum also provided an opportunity to learn about mummification techniques and the importance of cranial deformation as a social rite, but it is not home to skulls or this famous mummy that the Chileans affectionately nicknamed Miss Chile, out of respect for the dead. A small herbalist will familiarize you with the plants in the region, then you arrive at the Atacamanian Treasures Room with its beautiful gold jewelry. Wall paintings show the simplicity and beauty of rock art. Finally, the last part of the visit is devoted to the influences of Tiwanaku and, later, the Incas on these cultures. The museum's particular architecture will be noted: its exhibition rooms are the branches of a star whose medium is occupied by a grave.