MADRID.- The National Archaeological Museum in Madrid has opened a landmark exhibition that places Indigenous women at the heart of Mexico’s cultural history—an area long overlooked in traditional narratives of the past. Titled The Human Sphere, the exhibition forms part of the larger international project Half the World: Women in Indigenous Mexico, and brings together nearly 250 works, some of which are being shown outside Mexico for the first time.

After a preview in late October, the full exhibition is now open to the public, offering an immersive and deeply human look at women’s lives in Indigenous societies from pre-Hispanic times to the present. The Madrid museum is one of four venues participating in the ambitious project, which unfolds across the city and collectively presents more than 435 objects of exceptional artistic and historical value.

At the exhibition’s opening, Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, emphasized the significance of placing Indigenous cultures and women’s experiences at the center of the conversation. He described the exhibition as an act of recognition—one that restores visibility to voices that have been marginalized or silenced for centuries by systems of political, social, and cultural power.

Rather than focusing solely on rulers or monumental history, The Human Sphere highlights the everyday and the intimate. Women emerge as the backbone of family life, ritual practice, and economic production. Visitors encounter representations of childbirth, care, and domestic labor, alongside exquisite examples of weaving, pottery, and adornment that reveal how identity, status, and beauty were expressed through material culture.

The exhibition is organized around two main themes: daily life and power. In the first, objects such as a sculpture of a woman shelling maize, a finely crafted Jaina figurine of a weaver, and a burial offering depicting childbirth from Colima bring into focus the rhythms of women’s lived experiences. Jewelry and clothing further underscore how adornment functioned not merely as decoration, but as a language of belonging, rank, and meaning.

The second section challenges long-standing assumptions about leadership in Indigenous societies. Here, women appear not only as caregivers, but as figures of authority—priestesses, rulers, and political actors. Among the most striking examples are references to Lady Yohl Ik’Nal, one of the few women to rule the Maya city of Palenque in her own right, and La Malinche, a complex and controversial figure in Aztec and colonial history.

Beyond its cultural importance, the exhibition also holds exceptional archaeological value. Many of the works are connected to ongoing research projects, and the museum has developed an extensive public program to accompany the show. Lectures, guided and interactive tours, family workshops, and digital content aim to deepen visitors’ understanding of the historical and anthropological contexts behind the objects on display.

The project is the result of close international collaboration between Spain and Mexico, involving cultural ministries, research institutions, and museums from across both countries. It also aligns with Mexico’s designation of 2025 as the Year of the Indigenous Woman, underscoring the exhibition’s contemporary relevance.

By foregrounding women’s knowledge, labor, spirituality, and leadership, The Human Sphere invites audiences to rethink how history is told—and whose stories are considered central. Rather than filling in gaps, the exhibition reframes the narrative entirely, presenting Indigenous women not as peripheral figures, but as foundational agents in the making of Mexico’s past and present.