Historical documents of the National Archives of Mexico

The National Archives of Mexico stores nation’s most important historical documents and decided to go for Piql and the Arctic World Archive.

CHALLENGE

The National Archives of Mexico are among the most important national archives in the world. Their 375 million pages include documents that form part of
UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” collection.

The challenge was to ensure that future generations could read documents vital to the national identity of the Mexican people. The original paper versions are vulnerable, and digitized versions normally face challenges related to migrations and data authenticity. The mission was to store the documents in the most secure manner possible.

"We want to ensure our national memory for posterity. It is an amazing feeling to know that my nation’s memory will be kept safe for future generations."

SOLUTION

The Archive collected Mexico’s most valuable historical documents from the last 400 years. This includes heritage from pre-Hispanic people, the Independence Act from 1821 in which Mexico declared independence from Spain, and the current and past constitutions.

Piql’s technology is supposed to ensure documents remain readable for a long time, even after a disaster, be it nuclear or natural. Mexican Archive has so far deposited contemporary and ancient records, including copies of the modern Mexican constitution and historical Inca writings.

The unique and proved longevity of 500+years of piqlFilm medium was ideal for Mexican National Archive  purpose. As an additional security measure, the film is stored in the most geopolitically secure data vault in the world, in the Arctic World Archive.