Buddha Statue

6-A-O

This statue is a symbol for Siddharta Guatama, who was born 2,600 years ago. He was born a prince, but realized that his living conditions could not provide lasting happiness or protection from suffering. So he began a long spiritual search to find the nature of mind. He began meditating, and achieved the state of enlightenment and lasting happiness. He then taught everyone who was interested his secret to a happy life. -G. Pirtle

Camel Saddle

5-A-I

This saddle comes from the Sahara desert and dates from the 1800's. It is partially made of wood and leather.

Grandma Old Cook malleable stove

6-A-O

The Malleable Iron Range Company was a popular company that produced kitchen products such as this grandma old cook stove. The company began in 1896 and continued to manufacture kitchen products until 1985. Although pricey, these stoves sold very well because of their quality and easy use compared to other stoves during that time. -G. Pirtle

Hornet Nest

6-A-O (ENTRY)

Hornet nest are made with a paper substance from saliva and wood pulp. The queen hornet begins the building of the nest in order to lay her eggs. She lays one egg at a time in each cell and then builds her way out. Once winter hits, the hornets die and the nest is never used again. -G. Pirtle

Fruit Drying Basket

6-A-O

Drying fruit is one of the earliest ways humans began preserving foods. Drying fruit goes back as far as 1700 BC, and since then has been a common tradition among generations. Dehydrated fruit preserves the fruit, while still maintaining the nutrients and sweetness. Baskets such as this one, are common among drying and holding fruit. -G. Pirtle

Metate

3-C-O

A metate or metlatl (or mealing stone) is a type or variety of quern, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind lime-treated maize and other organic materials during food preparation, such as making tortillas. Similar artifacts are found all over the world, including China.

-J. Del Toro

Incan Headdress

5-C-I

The Inca empire was located in Peru, Bolivia Ecuador and Southern Colombia, and lasted from 1430 to 1533 AD. The Incan government controled all clothing of their society. One would recieve two outfits of clothing, one formal and one casual pair and they would wear these outfits uptil they were worn out. A person of importance would wear a special tunic but also a llwat'u, a series of cords wrapped around the head. The leader of each ayllu, or extended family had its own headdress. - J. Manderscheid

Peruvian Textile fragments

5-C-I

These old peruvian textile fragments of the Chancay culture, were made from 1100 to 1350 AD, before the rise of the Inca empire. The Chancey were a pre-Columbian archeological civilization on the central coast of Peru. The most well known Chancay artefacts are the textiles, a variety of techniques, colors and themes were used. Many Chancay textiles are still around today and it is believed that their production was quite extensive. - J.Manderscheid

Yanomami basket

5-A-O

The Yanomami are a Native American tribe in the Amazon in Brazil and Venezuela.Yanomami means human in their language. They are one of the most numerous and best known, forest-dwelling tribes in South America. Using small strings of bark and roots, yanomami women weave and decorate baskets. -J. Manderscheid

Pueblo Cooking Pot

5-A-O

This is similar to a Taos Pueblo cooking pot, constructed of local micaceous clay and devoid of decoration. It has been smudged black from use. It comes from New Mexico.

Ancient Chinese Raincoat

Building 2- Contact Mr. Olsen to see it!

Ancient raincoats have been around for centuries. Throughout time they have gone through many evolving changes, at first they were made out of straw and called "straw rain capes." They were used by many, but especially farmers and fishermen. These ancient raincoats were described in many poems and articles in many dynasties. -G. Pirtle

NEz perce American flathead indian corn husk Bag

Building 2- Contact Mr. Olsen to see!

This corn husk bag is from the 1880's! This soft twined bag was essential for the Nez Perce culture to hunt, travel, gather food, or pick berries. These bags took a lot of time to design and make, so they were considered prized possessions. They would be passed down from generation to generation. -G. Pirtle

Paiute baby cradle boards

Building 2 - Contact Mr. Olsen to see!

Cradle boards were one of the most costly items to produce and buy, they were also very difficult to make. Most children spent the majority of their first two years of life in one. While they were in one they were swaddled in cloth, laid on a soft cushion, and binded securely. Binding them, kept their hands and legs from moving around and also made them feel like they were getting a soft hug. With the baby safely secured, family members had time to do important activities such as chores, gathering, hunting, and cooking. -G. Pirtle

Native Scraper Tools

5-A-O

Often used to scrape hides of buffalo or deer. The inside of hides would often still have muscle and connective tissue attached that needed to be removed because it would rot otherwise.

kokopelli

5-B-I

This humpbacked flute player is a fertility deity, venerated by some native american cultures in the southern United States. Like many fertility deities he watches over childbirth and agriculture, music and is also a trickster. Kokopelli has been revered since the ancient pueblo people and is still a part of Hopi culture.

Animal Skin Purses

1-A-I

Have you ever seen an alligator purse? Animal skins are treated with chemicals to preserve them and then are suitable for the use of footwear, clothing, handbags, furniture, and tools! The process of preserving the hides is a chemical treatment known as tanning. Surprisingly, alligator hide is one of the more common leathers to make accessories out of! -C. Boettcher

Ancient Greeks referred to this crystal as a word that means "icy cold" as they believed that this was a form of supercooled ice. It gives off this look because of fluid infusions of liquid, gas or both in it. This means that there are microscopic bubbles of liquid and/or gas inside the quartz. It also means this type of quartz has little to no value to gemstone applications because it isn't as high quality as other types such of rose quartz, blue quartz or Amethyst. Although it may not interest the gemstone makers, it is still a big piece of beautiful crystal. I think its somewhat snowy appearance is quite nice. - I. Trent

Moose Antlers

5-A-O

Often hung on the wall above a fire place. The antlers are bigger than deer antlers. Only males have antlers of course. It can also function as a drying rack for hats and clothing.

shrunken Head

5-B-O

Shrunken heads are severed and prepare human heads that are used for ritual, trophy and trade purposes. Headhunting occured in many regions of the world but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in certain regions of the Amazon rainforest in the northwest. The only tribes known to shrink human heads in the past are the Jivaroan tribes. Many tribe leaders would show off their heads to scare enemies.

Plains Indians stone tabaco pipe

5-A-O

Pipes like these were sometimes used for ceremonies but also for daily use. Often used to offer prayers in religious ceremony, to seal a covenant or treaty, or to make a ceremonial commitment.

Fertility statues

1-C-I

According to legend, to ensure a couple’s success with children, they must place this statue on either side of the doorway leading into the bedroom. If the man, or his spouse touches touches the statue when they enter the room, they are soon to be pregnant. However, the African legend fails to specify where they must touch the statue to ensure their pregnancy. -C. Boettcher

Ceremonial Masks

1-C-I

These masks were, and still are made from various materials, such as leather, metal, fabrics, and several types of wood. From celebrations to war preparation, masks are worn by chosen or initiated dancers. Theses masks often represent a spirit and legend has it that the spirit of an ancestors possesses then while wearing it. -C. Boettcher

Saharan neolithic

4-B-I

Saharan Neolithic is also called the Neolithic Subpluvial, this was an extended period of wet and rainy conditions in the climate history of northern Africa. The time period was from about 7500-7000 B.C.E to about 3500-3000 BC.E. The arrowheads are from about 3000-5000 years old. A. Blackwell-Besse

moccasin

4-B-I

A moccasin is a shoe made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole and sides made of one piece of leather stitched together at the top. The most common style is that of the Plains Indians moccasin. Historically, it is the footwear of many indigenous people of North America, moreover, hunters, traders, and European settler wore them.

A. Blackwell-Besse