Dr. María Eugenia Bozzoli Museum of Indigenous Cultures

Dr. María Eugenia Bozzoli Museum of Indigenous Cultures Review

Costa Rica's indigenous peoples don't get the visibility of those in Guatemala or Mexico, probably because they number only 40,000 out of a population of 4 million. The Dr. María Eugenia Bozzoli Museum of Indigenous Cultures (Museo de Culturas Indígenas Doctora María Eugenia Bozzoli), part of the Centro Neotrópico Sarapiquís, provides a well-rounded all-under-one-roof introduction to the subject. Nearly 400 artifacts of the Boruca, Bribri, Cabécar, Guaymí, and Maleku peoples are displayed, including masks, musical instruments, and shamanic healing sticks. Start by watching a 17-minute video introduction, Man and Nature in Pre-Columbian Costa Rica. A botanical garden next door cultivates medicinal plants still used by many traditional groups. In 1999 researchers discovered an archaeological site on the grounds that contains pre-Columbian tombs and petroglyphs dating from the 15th century. The site is still under study.