Ancient Ruins: Mesoamerica

One of MiniWorld 3D's primary goals is to share culture and spread education in a fun and unique way. Being from Mexico, it is a privilege to have such a rich history and culture, and I'm very proud to share it.

- Dany Sánchez, 3D artist.

Mexico is one of the most visited countries in the world, receiving 45 million tourists in 2024. A top attraction have always been the ruins and pyramids left behind by long-gone civilzations such as the Aztecs and Mayans. As MiniWorld 3D strives to have the most complete collection of landmarks, ideal for 3D printing, and all in one place-- it had been an objective for a long time to include the most representative archeological sites. As such, we launched the Mesoamerica branch of the Ancient Ruins Collection.

This article was first published in 2019 on MyMiniFactory, it has been updated for Printables.

Quick Catch-Up

According to Wikipedia, Mesoamerica is the name given to the region in North America roughly covering from Central Mexico all the way to Costa Rica, in Central America. Several civilizations flourished in this region in isolation from the rest of the world. A collective name for these cultures is "Pre-Hispanic", because everything changed in the early 1500's after the first Europeans (mostly Spaniards) arrived.

Models in the Collection

Some world-famous sites were no-brainers to be part of the Collection, such as the Pyramid of the Sun, in Teotihuacán (Central Mexico), or "El Castillo", in Chichén-Itzá, recently named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. However, we chose to include some lesser-known sites too because they represent the diversity and complexity of Mesoamerica--it wasn't all Aztecs and Mayans. In fact, even within the Maya culture, there are striking differences depending on geographical location and time period, as their history spanned more than 700 years! Within the Collection, you can learn about the different architectural styles of the Mayan sites of Tulum, Uxmal, or Guatemala's Tikal. Also in this Collection, you can 3D print buildings by other cultures such as the Toltecs and the Tarascans. 

Reconstructing History

Along with the STL file of the current-state ruins, we include a "reconstructed" version for every entry. It is hypothetically trying to show what the pyramids could have looked back in their prime, before the destruction by invaders or the pass of time. These reconstructions have solid archeological background and a bit of artistic license. We invite you to look at the work of archeologists and artists like Anxo Miján Maroño, which we used as reference for our printable 3D models.

Conclusion

We hope you learn a little bit more of the history behind each one of these pyramids, their builders, and that you feel compelled to visit them in person one day! These cultures integrated with that of the Spanish conquerors' to create the complex mixed and rich cultures of Mexico and Central America that are very much alive today.

Download the Mesoamerica Collection now

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Credits:

Mesoamerica Map: De © Sémhur / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16531092

Chichen-Itza model by Artemio García for MiniWorld3D.

All other models shown are by Dany Sánchez for MiniWorld3D.