On March 7th 2025, a team from CNR ISPC carried out a site visit to the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome as part of the ongoing activities of the PRIN KNOT – Knowledge of Things project. The meeting brought together researchers from CNR ISPC and the Sapienza University of Rome, together with Dr. Francesca Anzelmo, curator and museum representative.

The visit focused on two significant items within the museum’s collections: the Tlahmachayatl mantle and the Quetzalin costume, both important examples of Indigenous American material culture preserved in Italy. The session provided an opportunity to discuss the historical, anthropological, and material aspects of the artefacts, while also outlining future research actions to be developed collaboratively within the framework of KNOT.

The meeting enabled the partners to define priorities for documentation, analysis, and potential diagnostic investigations, with the shared goal of enhancing knowledge, accessibility, and visibility of these culturally significant objects. The discussion also contributed to planning future activities related to digital acquisition to be planned in two weeks.

This site visit marks an important step forward in strengthening coordination between the project partners and museum institutions, ensuring a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to the study, preservation, and dissemination of Indigenous heritage in Italy.