By: Becky O’Sullivan
On Friday I skipped out on listening to papers, although there were lots of interesting ones scheduled, to go into Washington D.C. and visit a few of the Smithsonian museums. Three exhibits in particular got my attention because of the way they showcased archaeology.
The Smithsonian set up a complete house in their "Within these Walls" exhibit, that's one big artifact!
The first exhibit was at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, titled “Within these Walls“. It consisted of an entire Georgian style house that had been moved into the museum, complete with interior furnishing that exemplified different eras of the house’s occupation. While they didn’t talk specifically about archaeology, the main message of the exhibit was that the material things that people choose to have around them say something not only about the person but also about the time they were living in. A great exhibit to practice thinking like an archaeologist!
The interpretive panel makes you think about the importance of material culture in learning about past people.
Next, I went over to the National Museum of the American Indian. On the day I visited Tsimshian carver David Boxley and his son were putting the finishing touches on a beautiful totem pole that had been commissioned for the museum. It was great to watch him work, but it was also great to talk with the artist and get the story behind the figures that decorated the pole. The rest of the exhibits were equally inspiring, especially because they tell the story of America’s native peoples through their own voices.
The figures that make up the totem pole tell a story about the importance of being kind to others.
Finally, I swung over to the National Museum of Natural History to see one exhibit in particular about the archaeology of Jamestown. I really liked this one in particular because they showed the archaeological process and presented the bones along with the artifacts that were found in the burial.
Letting museum visitors piece together the mystery of a burial in Jamestown based on artifacts and forensic anthropology.
