A Journey Through the Great Civilizations of the Americas

For the ancient civilizations of the Americas, the world was an immense tree, its roots reaching deep into the past, its trunk grounded in the present, and its canopy stretching toward the heavens. This powerful image lies at the heart of On Top of the World Tree, the Shanghai Museum's landmark exhibition bringing together nearly 3.000 artefacts to reveal the extraordinary cultural achievements of the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan, Aztec and Andean civilizations, restoring them to their rightful place in the history of humankind. The exhibition unfolds in two complementary sections. The first, Sacred Space and Cyclical Time, immerses visitors in the symbolic universe of Mesoamerica, where time is cyclical and the World Tree connects the heavens, the earth and the underworld. Monumental sculptures, reliefs, ceramics and ancient artefacts reveal societies that developed writing systems, sophisticated calendars and remarkable mathematical knowledge. The second section, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, explores the splendour of the Andean civilizations through exquisite gold and silver masterpieces that testify to the technical mastery and complex social organization of the Inca Empire and the cultures that preceded it. More than a celebration of exceptional archaeological treasures, the exhibition offers a compelling journey that reintroduces the Americas as one of the world's great cradles of civilization.