Museo de Arqueología de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Museum of Archaeology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

Museo de Arqueología de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico
Plaque at the entrance to the museum
Building that houses the museum
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Former name	Museo Arqueológico
Established	6 December 1972 20 November 1980 (Re-established)
Location	Biblioteca Encarnación Valdés, PUCPR, Avenida Las Américas Ponce, Puerto Rico
Type	Archaeology museum
Key holdings	Viví Archaeological Site, Bo. Viví Arriba, Utuado, El Bronce Archaeological Site, Bo. Portugués, Ponce, Canas Archaeological Site, Bo. Canas, Ponce
Collections	Taino, Pre-Taino, Igneri, El Bronce
Collection size	10,000+
Visitors	12,000
Founder	Dr. Enrique Laguerre. Co-founders: Antonio Matos Marques, and Francisco J. Carreras
Historian	Luis A. Rodriguez Gracia
Owner	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
Public transit access	SITRAS, Parada Museo de Arte
Nearest parking	Street parking

The Museum of Archaeology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a special place in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's a museum that focuses on archaeology, which is the study of human history through digging up old things.

This museum is part of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico (PUCPR) and is located in its main library. It holds over 10,000 artifacts! These are ancient objects from the past civilizations of Puerto Rico. You can see items from the Igneri, Pre-Taíno, and Taíno cultures. The museum has many more items than it can show, keeping them safe for future study.

History of the Museum

A visitor looking at artifacts at the Museum of Archaeology.

The idea for this museum started in 1971. Dr. Enrique Laguerre, a professor at PUCPR, wanted to create a program about Puerto Rican studies. This led to the first archaeology class and the dream of having a museum.

The museum was first mentioned in a publication in 1973. It was described as a room with glass cases showing old tools and items from the Igneris and Taino people of Puerto Rico. To help teach more about archaeology, the university invited Dr. Ricardo Alegría to teach a class.

Many people helped make the museum a reality. These included Mela Pons de Alegría, Juan Gonzalez, Luis A. Rodriguez Gracia, and several donors. Thanks to them, Dr. Enrique Laguerre's dream came true.

During the 1970s, the museum grew its collection. It received items from the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña and private collections. Students and friends of the university also donated many interesting artifacts.

A New Home for the Museum

Later, the university needed more space for classrooms. So, the museum had to close, and its artifacts were put into storage. But the university librarian, Antonio Matos, didn't want the museum to disappear.

He worked to create new display areas inside the university library. This made the museum a part of the library. The university president, Francisco Carreras, supported this idea and provided money for the project.

Around this time, an ancient batey (a ceremonial ball court) was found in Utuado. It was brought to the university grounds next to the library and became part of the museum's outdoor display.

More donations came in, including artifacts from the Cañas archaeological site. The museum was officially reopened on November 20, 1980. Later, the display area was made even bigger. They added models showing indigenous people playing a ball game and a burial scene in a cave.

In the mid-1980s, Mr. Luis A. Rodriguez Gracia and Dr. Luis E. Diaz Hernandez worked hard to organize and care for all the museum's artifacts. They cleaned, identified, and categorized everything. Their work helped create a detailed record of all the items.

Important Facts About the Museum

Here are some interesting facts about the museum's history:

• Prof. Mela Pons de Alegría designed the first displays for the museum in 1971.
• Prof. Ana Basso Bruno decorated the walls with art inspired by indigenous themes.
• Dr. Ricardo Alegría brought the first artifacts, including a human burial.
• The first museum showed decorated amulets, axes, and different types of pottery.
• Early artifacts included items from very old periods like the Lithic, Saladoid, and Capa cultures.
• The museum helped inspire students to form the Guaynia Archaeology and History Society.
• The museum hosted important meetings and workshops with famous archaeologists from around the world.

What You Can See: The Collection

The museum's main exhibition is on the first floor of the university's library. Here are some of the types of collections you can explore:

• Archaeological pieces donated by the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña.
• Items from Mr. Herman Ferre's private collection, found at the Barrio Canas site. These include pottery from the Hacienda Grande and Cuevas cultures.
• Dr. Luis F. Sala's collection of wooden Santos (religious figures).
• Donations from the Sociedad Guaynía de Arqueología e Historia Inc.
• Copies of indigenous pieces from Don Antonio Blasini's private collection.

Some of the most important items in the museum include:

• About 2,500 everyday objects from the Igneri culture.
• Nearly 4,000 pieces of Taíno pottery.
• Over 1,000 glass fragments and vessels.
• More than 400 Taíno inscriptions.
• A collection of Taíno burials.

Archaeological Fieldwork

The museum has been involved in archaeological fieldwork for over 40 years. This means its team has gone out to dig and study ancient sites. Some of the places they have worked include:

• El Bronce, Ponce: Dr. Gary Vescelius led work here in 1987.
• Barrio Canas, Ponce: Around 1985.
• Barrio Vivi Arriba, Utuado: Around 1985.

See also

• J. L. Montalvo Guenard. Rectificaciones históricas: El descubrimiento de Borinquen. Ponce, P.R. : Editorial del Llano, 1933.
• Cirilo Toro Vargas. Archaeology of the Americas, a Bibliography.