The Hu-Tezzo teaching museum in Navojoa, Sonora is a journey back into the prehistoric past of Southern Sonora, Mexico. Established in February of 1997, the site is the realization of a vision by its founder Professor Lombardo Rios Ramirez, a local anthropologist and historian who has worked tirelessly to preserve and educate others about the history and culture of this region.

Hu-Tezzo is a word in the Mayo language that means “cave,” an apt name for this fascinating place, where Rios has painstakingly re-created scenes from nine caverns where prehistoric residents left paintings, petroglyph rock-art etchings and other artifacts such as remains of prehistoric animals and utinsels made of clay and stone.

Museum visitors are led through the various chambers that are reproductions of actual caverns that were discovered near Navojoa, with details that include true replicas of cave art, and other environmental aspects such as stalactites, stalagmites and running water.

Due to their fragility, and historical and cultural significance, the locations of the real caves are kept secret from the public. Because of this, Professor Rios created this marvelous place to give people the chance to experience the caves without having to be in them.

The museum is designated as a teaching museum, because its purpose is not only to show people details of the caves, but to educate them about what we can know about the lives of the prehistoric inhabitants through the art and artifacts that they left behind. The museum actively provides educational programs for students and other visitors.

If you enjoy learning about the prehistoric past, the Hu-Tezzo Educational Museum is a definite must-see when you visit Navojoa. You will need to don a safety helmet before entering the cave replicas, and some of the passageways between caverns have low ceilings that require a bit of crawling, but the museum is a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience.

In addition to this effort, Professor Lombardo Rios has been an integral part of many projects in and near Navojoa to educate the public about the history, culture and traditions of the peoples of the region. They include the Regional Museum of the Mayo, and the Eco Museum at Tehuelibampo.