Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology facts for kids
| Former name | Robert H. Lowie Museum of Anthropology |
|---|---|
| Established | 1901 |
| Location | University of California, Berkeley, California, United States |
| Type | anthropology museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology is a special museum in Berkeley, California. It is located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. This museum focuses on anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. It even has a restaurant called Cafe Ohlone, which serves traditional Ohlone food.
Museum History
The museum started in 1901. It was founded by Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Her goal was to help collect items for studying human cultures. These items would also support a new department for anthropology at the University of California.
The museum first opened in San Francisco in 1903. It moved to the Berkeley campus in 1931. In 1959, it moved again to a new building called Kroeber Hall. For many years, it had the largest collection of its kind on the West Coast. In 1991, the museum was renamed to honor Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Today, it is an important research center for the University of California.
Many famous anthropologists have worked with the museum. These include its first director, Frederic Ward Putnam, and other experts like Alfred L. Kroeber and Robert Lowie. Ishi, a famous Native American man, also lived at the museum in San Francisco from 1911 until 1916.
Amazing Collections
The museum has about 3 million objects! It also has many fieldnotes, photos, and recordings. These help researchers learn more about the items.
Here are some of its main collections:
- California Indian Baskets: There are about 9,000 baskets from almost every Native American tribe in California. You can see many different weaving styles here.
- Ancient Egypt: The museum has about 20,000 items from ancient Egypt. Many of these are from the time before the pharaohs. These items came from excavations led by George Reisner between 1899 and 1905.
- Ancient Peru: This collection is strong in pottery and textiles (woven fabrics). It includes 9,200 objects collected by Max Uhle around 1900.
- African Artifacts: There are about 32,000 items from Africa. These were collected by anthropologist William Bascom and his students. Some also came from the digs of archaeologist J. Desmond Clark.
- Oceanic Objects: This collection includes items from the Trobriand Islands. These were collected by Bronislaw Malinowski in the early 1900s. There are also archaeological finds from Fiji and New Caledonia. These were found by E.W. Gifford in the 1940s and 1950s.
Programs and Activities
The museum does more than just show its collections. It supports scholarly research and publishes new findings. It also has exhibitions in its gallery on the UC Berkeley campus. The museum offers educational programs for the public.
The museum also works with Native American communities. They work together on issues related to cultural property. This includes returning important cultural items to their original communities.
The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology is recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for museums.
Museum Leaders
The people who lead the Hearst Museum are usually anthropologists. They are experts in studying human cultures.
