Maxwell Museum of Anthropology facts for kids
Front Entrance
|
|
| Established | 1932 (current location since 1961) |
|---|---|
| Location | University of New Mexico campus, Albuquerque, New Mexico United States |
The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology is a cool museum about people and cultures. It's located on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It started in 1932 as the first public museum in Albuquerque. In 1972, it was renamed to honor Dorothy and Gilbert Maxwell, who were very generous supporters.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Maxwell Museum was created in 1932 by Edgar Lee Hewett. He was an active anthropologist who also started the University's anthropology department. The museum was built to hold and show a growing collection of artifacts. These items came from archaeological digs and research done by the UNM Anthropology Department and other groups.
Early Directors and Growth
Frank C. Hibben was the first director of the museum. He helped the museum get more items by collecting archaeological materials from all over the world. He also traded with other museums to expand the collections.
The museum's exhibits were first shown in Rodey Hall at UNM. Then, the museum moved to Scholes Hall in 1935. Finally, it moved to its current home in 1961.
Renaming and Recognition
In 1972, a big building project helped make the museum even larger. This project was paid for by Dorothy and Gilbert Maxwell, who were very kind people. The museum was renamed in their honor. Since then, the Maxwell Museum has become an important museum in the region. It is also known across the country as a great place for research.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The Maxwell Museum has five areas where they show exhibits. These exhibits help us understand the human cultural experience. Some exhibits stay for a long time, while others change.
Ancestors: Our Human Story
The Ancestors exhibit is a permanent display. It shows how humans have changed over four million years. You can see life-size models of our early human ancestors. It's like a journey through time!
People of the Southwest
Another permanent exhibit is People of the Southwest. This display tells the story of 11,000 years of culture in the American Southwest. You can see amazing artifacts from ancient groups like the Mimbres and Ancestral Puebloans. There are also displays about the work UNM has done in New Mexico. This includes a cool reconstruction of an excavation site at Chaco Canyon.
Changing Exhibits and Special Spaces
The museum also has areas for changing exhibits. These include the North Gallery, the Bawden Gallery, and the Ortiz Center Gathering Space. These spaces show different artifacts from the museum's huge collection. Sometimes, they also host traveling exhibits from other places.
The Totem Pole
The museum's courtyard used to have a very tall totem pole, about 46 feet high! It came to the museum from British Columbia in 1941. The totem pole has been fixed up and is now in the lobby of the Anthropology Department's Hibben Center building, right next to the museum.
Gallery
-
Dorothy and Gilbert Maxwell around 1970.
-
The Museum's totem pole.
