M u s e u m
Chronicle Inside this issue:
Moundville Museum Grand reopening
Smith Hall Centennial Celebration
• Curator James Parham • Gift Shop Manager Janet Wyatt • Collections Activities • Choctaw Nagpra Conference
Alabama Museum of Natural History • Discovering Alabama • Moundville Archaeological Park • Office of Archaeological Research • Gorgas House • Museum Collections
N e w s f r o m t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f A l a b a m a Mu s e u m s • N u m b e r 3 3 • S P RI N G 2 0 1 0
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Grand Reopening
10 Smith Hall Homecoming (AMNH): 10:00 am – noon 10 Saturdays in the Park – Native Plants & Foods (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 17 Discovering Alabama on APT– Alabama Allure (new episode): 8:30 pm 17 Saturdays in the Park – Ancient Hunting & Fishing (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 24 Saturdays in the Park – Pots and Potters (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
M A Y 1 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 8 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 15 Jones Archaeological Museum – Opening Celebration (MAP): 9:00 am – 5:00 pm 22 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 28-31 A Lily Weekend at Living River (AMNH): Field Trip 29 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
J U N E 4-6 A Lily Weekend at Living River (AMNH): Field Trip 5 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 6-8 Living Streams Teacher Workshop – The Ecology of the Cahaba River (AMNH): Session 1 10-12 Living Streams Teacher Workshop – The Ecology of the Cahaba River (AMNH): Session 2 12 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 14-18 Indian Summer Day Camp (MAP): 9:00 am to 4:00 pm 13-19 Museum Expedition (AMNH): Archaeology Camp 19 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 20-26 Museum Expedition (AMNH): Archaeology Camp 26 Saturdays in the Park – Native American Cultural Demonstrations (MAP): 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
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oundville, Alabama’s first designated National Historic Landmark, will reopen the Jones Archaeological Museum with a gala event on Saturday, May 15, 2010. The Jones Archaeological Museum, has just completed a 5 million dollar renovation that included an expansion and entirely new exhibits. Moundville Archaeological Park will host an opening celebration event on May 15th, 2010 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Half-price admission is offered to the public during the celebration and UA Museums members will be admitted free.
AMNH = Alabama Museum of Natural History (205)348-7550 MAP = Moundville Archaeological Park (205)371-2234
M u s e u m
Chronicle
Published periodically during the year by The University of Alabama Museums Robert Clouse, Ph.D. Executive Director The University of Alabama Museums
The event will feature the unveiling of the new exhibition, Lost Realm of the Black Warrior, the culmination of six years of planning that involved Native American representatives, museum education specialists, exhibit designers, and respected scholars from around the country from the disciplines of archaeology, folklore, and history. The result is a stunning display of more than two hundred outstanding Moundville artifacts presented in a rich, multisensory environment that will immerse visitors in the culture of the ancient Moundville people. According to Director Bill Bomar, “The new museum may not be one of the biggest around, but foot for foot it is one of the finest in the country. Finally this great prehistoric treasure has the museum that tells the unique story of the Moundville people.”
Board of Regents Ben Barnett, Board President Tuscaloosa, AL
Mike Jenkins Montgomery, AL
Beverly Phifer Tuscaloosa, AL
Larry Taylor, Board Vice President Moundville, AL
Steve Johnson Tuscaloosa, AL
Tom Semmes San Antonio, TX
Prescott Atkinson, Ph. D., M. D. Birmingham, AL
Thomas Joiner Tuscaloosa, AL
Marguerite Smith Short Birmingham, AL
Catherine Sloss Crenshaw Birmingham, AL
Douglas Jones, Ph. D. Tuscaloosa, AL
Nick Tew, Ph. D. Tuscaloosa, AL
Darla Graves Ada, OK
Eleanor May Tuscaloosa, AL
Terry Waters Tuscaloosa, AL
Tommy Hester Tuscaloosa, AL
Douglas McCraw Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Tom Watson Tuscaloosa, AL
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Tom McMillan Brewton, AL
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The museum uses cutting edge technology and state of the art interpretive methods to tell aspects of the Moundville story never told before. Visitors will be astonished by the life size dioramas that help tell aspects of Moundville’s history that are unique to this National Historic Landmark. The story of Moundville’s elite and their belief systems are told through rare and beautiful artifacts, some of which have not been back to Alabama since they were discovered and taken to museums in the Eastern United States more than 100 years ago. The museum also exhibits many objects from the Moundville collections that have never been displayed before. The exhibit is arguably the most extensive exhibition of high status Mississippian artifacts anywhere in the country. Clothing and adornment for the lifecast figures were fabricated by modern Native American artisans and include detailed feather work clothing, carved shell and copper ornaments. Some of the details were more than 6 months in production as each feather was sewn individually onto backing material. In addition to the use of life size figures dressed in Mississippian period clothing and finery, the museum now boasts an new and expanded gift shop and coffee-snack bar. The gift shop is stocked with a wide range of Native American made objects as well as books and reproductions of important Moundville artifacts. M
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Moundville Vulture Bowl Above: A view of the interior of the newly renovated Jones Archaeological Museum.
Ehuman xhibits include recreated Moundville scenes with lifelike figures made from lifecasts of living Southeastern Indians. Visitors will also be thrilled by a multimedia presentation in which a projection of a Moundville “Maker of Medicine” appears seemingly in thin air to tell authentic stories that provide a glimpse into the rich belief system of the Moundville people. Significantly, the exhibition includes a number of spectacular artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The most famous example is the Moundville Duck Bowl, carved from a single block of stone, one of the most important prehistoric pieces of art ever discovered in the United States.
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Moundville
alabama’s first designated national historic landmark
Above: One of four large totems anchoring the“ Joining of Worlds” exhibit. Right: Moundville greeter welcomes an entourage from the middle south.
The story of Moundville’s elite and their belief systems are told through rare and beautiful artifacts some of which have not been back to Alabama since they were discovered and taken to museums in the Eastern US over 100 years ago. “Lost Realm of the Black Warrior”
Archway cases prior to Moundville artifact installation.
is the title of the new exhibit at the
D uring the celebration event on May 15th, art and craft demonstrations, performances and hands-on activities for children
Jones Archaeological Museum.
will help visitors further connect with the new museum exhibits. One of the best examples of this will be performances by the Warriors of AniKituwah.
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These reproduction objects surround the central exhibit and offer a hands-on experience for visitors.
Lifecast figures from the exhibit are clothed and ornamented with artwork from modern Native American artisans.
WARRIORS OF ANIKITUWAH PERFORM MAY 15TH TO CELEBRATE MUSEUM REOPENING
H ailing from Cherokee, North Carolina, these living history dancers dress and decorate themselves in a manner very similar to how the Moundville Indians may have appeared. The group brings to life the Cherokee War Dance and Eagle Tail Dance as described by Lt. Henry Timberlake in 1762. The War Dance was
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used when men went to war, but also when meeting with other nations for diplomacy and peace. Within the Cherokee nation it was also used to raise money for people in need. It conveys the strength of the Cherokee nation.
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The University of Alabama Museums and Moundville Archaeological Park appreciate the generosity of the following donors for their role in the preservation of the Moundville legacy: $5,000,000 5 mil 4.5 mil 4 mil 3.5 mil 3 mil 2.5 mil 2 mil 1.5 mil 1 mil .5 mil
The renovation of the Jones Archeaological Museum was made possible by a group of generous citizens interested in preserving our great treasure, Moundville Archaeological Park. Alabama Power Foundation Mr. William G. Anderson Anonymous Dr. David Whisenant Arnold Dr. Leah Rawls Atkins Dr. and Mrs. T. Prescott Atkinson Ms. Mary Bade Bank of Moundville Mr. and Mrs. Ben T. Barnett Mrs. Dorothy T. Beckham Alan H. Belcher Timber Company Dr. Bruce Dominick Bizzoco Black Warrior Transmission Corp. Boeing Company Mr. and Mrs. William F. Bomar Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Brooke Mrs. Karen Brooks Mr. and Mrs. Harold H. Buchmann Reverend Delorn L. Caldwell, Sr. Mr. Robbie Camp Mr. Donald C. Campbell Dr. and Mrs. George Norman Carlson Mr. Joseph Cashia Mr. Brent Catchings Dr. and Mrs. James E. Chandler
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The Chickasaw Foundation Dr. Robert A. Clouse Coalbed Methane Association of Alabama Drs. Deborah and Wilmer Coggins Ms. Julie P. Cole Mr. and Mrs. Donald Comer The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Mr. Michael Hoyt Cooper Mrs. Susan P. Cork Mrs. Alice J. Cox Mr. Timothy O. Coyle Dr. Steven M. Craine Ms. Catherine Sloss Crenshaw Mr. D. Tyrone Crowley Ms. Sandi Sims Drs. Carolyn and Dennis Dahl Daughters of the American Revolution Mr. Mark F. Deleon Birmingham Museum of Art Docent Council Ms. Linda Carol Dodds Dr. William G. Doty Mr. and Mrs. John C. Duckworth, Jr. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Fred Elsas Mr. Robert P. Evans C
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Mr. George V. Eyraud, Jr. Dr. Shannon Rogers Flynt Mrs. Molly F. Gamble Dr. William B. Gardner General Electric Fund Ms. Kim Gentry Mr. J. Eric Gilliland Mr. Steven Ginzbarg Mr. Charles Edward Gleaton Mr. John R. Goodloe III Mr. and Mrs. George B. Gordon Mrs. Darla Graves Greater Horizons Dr. and Mrs. John C. Hall Commander and Mrs. Lee A. Hallman Mr. and Mrs. William S. Halsey Mr. T. J. “Duke” Harmon Mrs. Kelli Harris Mrs. Rosa Griffin Harris Mr. and Mrs. James DeFord Hays Ms. Bessie H. Hersom Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Hester Mrs. Jenny Putnam Hickey Ms. Virginia Cotten Hillhouse Ms. Susan Hodges Mrs. Amanda M. Hoogestraat Ms. Cynthia M. Houben Mrs. Diane B. Hudson Ms. Phyllis Ann Hurst Dr. Janice Faye Hutchinson Mr. Cecil Wayne Ingram Mr. Ivey Jackson Mr. and Mrs. J. Michael Jenkins IV Jim Walter Resources, Inc. Mrs. Claudia D. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Johnson Mr. Steve A. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Johnson Joiner Mrs. Mary Allen Jolley Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Jones Mr. and Mrs. Carl Jones Mrs. Elizabeth Williams Jones Mr. and Mrs. William R. Jones, Jr. Miss Mary Rose Kellerman Mr. Ray Kemp Mrs. Rhonda Majors Kimbrough Mr. and Mrs. Rodney A. Kipp Mr. Shannon Douglas Koerner Mr. Jacob S. Kornman Kresge Foundation Mr. Chris Kyle Mr. and Mrs. J. Kennon Ledbetter Russell S. Lee Floor & Tile Co Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Lowe, Sr. Mr. James R. Lowery Dr. Lisa Lumpkin Dr. and Mrs. T. Riley Lumpkin Mr. Davis Malone III Mr. Pitt Tyson Maner, Jr. Mrs. Katherine Brynn Mauter Mrs. Eleanor Weatherford May Leroy McAbee Family Foundation Mr. P. Douglas McCraw Mr. and Mrs. E. Mason McGowin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph K. McKinney
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Leigh McMillan II Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. McMillan Mr. Randall E. Mecredy Mr. Allan Dale Meyers Dr. Joan Parsons Mitchell Mr. Tim Moon Moundville Quest Club Moundville Telephone Co. Mr. Thomas C. Moxley Dr. William T. Neese Dr. David Donald Nelson Dr. Paul Donald Nelson Drs. Isabel and Jerry Oldshue Mr. and Mrs. Paul Owens Dr. Rufus Cornelius Partlow, Jr. Dr. Gillis Lavelle Payne, Jr. Mrs. Nell T. Payne Pensacola Archaeological Society Inc. Reese Phifer, Jr. Memorial Foundation Dr. Beverly C. Phifer Dr. Douglas Jay Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Howell Poole Mr. and Mrs. Phil Poole Mr. and Mrs. Victor Poole Dr. James Lendon Reeder Mrs. Margaret Rhoads Dr. Helen M. Robinson Mr. and Mrs. Ted Salters Mr. H. Phillip Sasnett The Semmes Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Semmes Mr. David Richard Shaw Drs. Craig and Elisabeth Sheldon Mrs. Susie Pradat Simpson Mr. and Mrs. Larry U. Sims Mr. and Mrs. David L. Skidmore Sloss Real Estate Group Inc. Mr. Darrell L. Smith Mr. William F. Smith Ms. Aloyis L. Sonneborn Mr. Paul Leo Sprader
Mr. Ronald Stallworth Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jeffrey Standifer Mr. John Stewart Steiner Mr. and Mrs. Elton Stephens Mr. and Mrs. James Stephens Mr. Timothy E. Stevens Ms. Nell W. Stuart Mrs. Elvira McMillan Tate Dr. and Mrs. A. R. Taylor, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Larry Taylor Dr. and Mrs. Nick Tew Dr. James H. Thomas Dr. and Mrs. Joab L. Thomas
Ms. Margaret Ann Toohey Thomas L. Turner Charitable Trust Mrs. Marguerite S. Turner Dr. Edward R. Uehling Mr. Timothy R. VandeBrake Dr. and Mrs. James H. Walburn Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Watson Ms. Jan Whyllson Mr. John Robert Wiggins Ms. Clemenceau E. Williams Dr. and Mrs. William Winternitz Ms. Kristen Marie Zschomler
Honorariums: Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Bowden in honor of Mr. E. Patrick McIntyre, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Driggers in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Epps Jones Heritage Study Club in honor of Mrs. Kelli B. Harris and Mr. William F. Bomar Modern Culture Club in honor of Mrs. Kelli B. Harris and Mr. William F. Bomar Mr. and Mrs. John Morgan in honor of Dr. Beverly C. Phifer Dr. Catherine Johnson Randall in honor of Dr. Beverly C. Phifer Southern Culture Club in honor of Mr. William F. Bomar Dr. Lisa K. Speer in honor of Dr. Douglas Epps Jones Memorials: Mr. Robert V. Chandler in memory of Dr. Walter Bryan Jones Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Driggers in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Bryan Jones Ms. Cali Fidopisastis in memory of Ms. Mary P. Fidopiastis Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Epps Jones in memory of Mrs. Sue Barnett Mr. and Mrs. Gene Renfroe in memory of Mr. David Lloyd DeJarnette Mrs. James D. Seaman in memory of Mr. James D. Seaman Mrs. Sara Taylor Thornton in memory of Mr. Edwin L. Thornton, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Terry H. Waters in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Waters Mr. and Mrs. Mrs. John Robert Wiggins in memory of Mr. Robert L. Wiggins Mr. and Mrs. Roland S. Williams in memory of Mr. Ernest M. McCray Our goal is to correctly recognize all donors. However, if you feel there is a mistake, please contact Kelli Harris at (205) 348-9826 or kharris@ua.edu. M
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One of many construction photos to be part of the centennial exhibit is this one of Smith Hall under construction in 1908.
Smith Hall Centennial Celebration by Cathy Butler
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he Smith Hall Centennial celebration opens with a homecoming event featuring the opening of the original cornerstone time capsule that was sealed on May 28, 1907 at the initiation of construction of Smith Hall, the home of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The Smith Hall Homecoming, as the centennial celebration is called, is open to the public and will take place from 10am to 12pm on April 10, 2010. The high point of the festivities will be the opening of the time capsule recovered from the interior of the marble cornerstone. A camera will be installed above the cornerstone and the opening broadcast on a widescreen TV so guests can view the contents – all of which are unknown, said Randy Mecredy, museum director.
Legendary for his devotion to both the University and the state of Alabama, Smith logged thousands of travel miles by horse and buggy across the state investigating the mineral and geological wealth that lay waiting, and preferred to enrich the University rather than himself with his findings. When asked why he didn’t use his work to make himself wealthy, the slender professor said in his quiet way, “My discoveries belonged to the people.” The collections of the natural history museum existed long before Smith Hall did. From the time the state legislature voted to form the University, people donated specimens for scientific cataloging and study. Professor Michael Tuomey gathered items from one end of the state to the
Smith Hall, as it exists today, on the University of Alabama campus.
other, but almost all were lost in 1865 when Federal troops burned the campus. As the University was gradually rebuilt after the war, so were the various museum collections. Smith donated many items, along with books from his own library. Other patrons and natural history students sent items, which were stuffed into – and eventually spilled out of – every available storage space. In 1907, it was decided to build a facility for biology classes, the geology department
The event will allow attendees to view first hand the “documents and souvenirs” that were carefully sealed inside the copper box time capsule and placed in the cornerstone at the beginning of construction. The event also will unveil an exhibition of historic photographs depicting the construction of the building and the early days of the museum. Smith Hall, the first building in the state designed as a museum, was completed in 1909 under the guidance of professor Eugene Allen Smith, state geologist for 54 years.
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SMITH H A LL HOME C OMI N G A P RIL 1 0 TH , 1 0 a m - 1 2 p m The public is invited to celebrate the centennial of Smith Hall with refreshments and open the time capsule which has been sealed in the building’s cornerstone for 100 years.
Randy Mecredy removes cornerstone from west wall of Smith Hall. A sealed copper box time capsule is located in the interior of the cornerstone.
and the geological survey, and the Alabama Museum of Natural History. Smith Hall was built of gray Indiana limestone and yellow Missouri brick, with classroom wings flanking the three-story center and eight Ionic columns to mark the front of the building. A marble staircase leads to the grand gallery on the second floor. UA art professor Robert Mellown wrote of this display space, “… The big sunlit room is one of the most beautifully proportioned interiors on campus.” More display space occupied the third floor, and the basement became the vast storage closet for collections not currently on view. A new time capsule also will be placed in the building, and a committee is currently deciding on the items that should fill it. “No doubt we will have something related to winning our latest national football championship,” Mecredy said. Not only would a championship item be timely, it would reflect on Smith’s famous love for UA sports. When he wasn’t traveling the mountains and valleys of the state, he was serving on UA’s athletic committee, devising ways to fund University teams. His special passion was baseball, and he even scored some of the games. A comment book will also be made available for suggestions of items to be included in the new time capsule that will be dedicated on May 8, 2010-- almost 100 years to the day when Smith Hall was dedicated at the University’s commencement on May 10, 1910.
COLLECTIONS ACTIVITIES
Fossil insect trackway from UA Museum’s natural history collections.
Dr. Roy J. Beckemeyer, a research associate at the Kansas University Natural History Museum, recently visited the UA Museum’s natural history collections to research the fossil insect wing trackways in the paleontology collection. During his visit, Dr. Beckemeyer also gave a lecture to the Alabama Paleontological Society. Dr. Beckemeyer studies the taxonomy and biology of dragonflies, robber flies, and other insects, Paleozoic fossil insects, and the biomechanics and evolution of flight in nature. He is on the editorial boards of The Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, Odonatologica and Notulae Odonatologicae. For more information on his research, visit http://www.windsofkansas.com.
“No museum worthy of the name ever was or ever will be complete: it is always growing. We look rather to the future than to the past. . . a museum, like a library, encourages invention and effort and so makes the state richer indirectly. Museums, like libraries and universities, are a glory to any State, the best proof of its progress and the best assurance to its safety.” Eugene Allen Smith, 1910 M
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m o un d v i l l e w e l c o m e s j a n e t w yat t We are very pleased to welcome Janet Wyatt to our staff at Moundville Archaeological Park as Museum Store Supervisor. In this position, Janet will manage the operations of the new “Knotted Bird Gifts” retail store and the “Black Warrior Coffee Company” café in the renovated museum facility. Janet brings a wealth of experience from many years managing several Tuscaloosa area specialty and gift stores and restaurants. Janet is a native of the Moundville area and has been a lifelong visitor of the park. Janet says that she “is thrilled to be a part of this exciting new chapter in Moundville’s history. The new gift shop will offer a large variety of wonderful Native American arts and crafts and other high quality educational products. It will also be a great place to enjoy some great coffee and take in the awesome view of the mounds.”
Moundville Pottery – a Social Context Erin Phillips, a graduate student in the University of Alabama’s Department of Anthropology, is currently completing her dissertation research using the UA Museum’s archaeological collections. Erin is looking at the social context of the production and use of pottery with engraved representational art from the Moundville Chiefdom. Erin is accomplishing this analysis by photographing and drawing the designs engraved on a large number of vessels and sherds from both the UA Museum’s and Smithsonian’s collections. Erin is creating roll-out drawings so she can more easily compare the designs.
U pc o m i ng C h o c ta w N A G P R A c o n f e r e nc e May 19-21 Moundville Conference Center of the Choctaw Ancestors,” will bring together Choctaw scholars, federal representatives, archaeologists and museum professionals to discuss issues surrounding the NAGPRA law that was passed some 20 years ago and its effect on the Choctaw. The conference is being funded by a federal NAGPRA grant obtained by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. NAGPRA, the acronym for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, was congressionally enacted in 1990, to address the rights of lineal descendants, Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony with which they are affiliated. Briefly, the law requires museums and federal agencies to consult with tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, provide summaries and inventories of their collections, and upon receipt of a valid claim, repatriate cultural items to the appropriate parties. The law is much more complex than this, but in general it was passed to initiate a dialogue between museum personnel and Native Americans that may have a cultural affiliation in specific museums’ collections. There are many perspectives on what NAGPRA does and does not do. The conference will discuss Choctaw genesis and history, archaeological perspectives on the past, relationships to Moundville’s archaeological record and include tours of the site and collections.
Choctaw weaver, Minnie Bell, demonstrates basket weaving at Moundville Archaeological Park.
The University of Alabama Museums is honored to host
a NAGPRA consultation conference for the Choctaw Indian Nation in the Nelson Jones Conference Building at Moundville Archaeological Park on May 19-21. The conference, titled “Chahta Tikba Aiisht Anumpoli: Speaking
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university of alabama museums membership g i v i ng l e v e l s & b e n e f i t s
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uch of the natural beauty of Alabama is found among its many rivers. To recognize the vital role these rivers play in making our state unique, the University of Alabama Museums has designated gift membership levels with the names of some of Alabama’s best-known and beloved rivers.
All membership levels are important to the Museum. We hope you will be as generous as your circumstances allow. F i r s t
f o u r t h
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coosa River $500
Alabama River $40 •
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Unlimited admission (except for special events) to: Moundville Archaeological Park Alabama Museum of Natural History Gorgas House Paul W. Bryant Museum Membership newsletter Discounts on Museum programs and Summer Expedition Membership card and decal Recognition in newsletter Invitations to special member events
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Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 10 guests Three gift memberships for one year at Black Warrior level Other benefits as listed in previous level
SI X TH
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eugene allen smith society $5000 • •
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cahaba River $250 • • • • •
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Sipsey River $1000
Receive Discovering Alabama DVD’s 10% discount at University of Alabama Museum Shops Other benefits as listed in previous level
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Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 7 guests Book on natural history from The University of Alabama Press Reduced rental rates for Museum facilities Other benefits as listed in previous level
F I F TH
B l a c k w arr i o r R i v e r $100 • • •
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Special recognition in Smith Hall foyer Special Museum excursion lead by Executive Director of The University of Alabama Museums Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 15 guests Other benefits as listed in previous level
Free admission to Moundville Native American Festival Unlimited admission to Museums for member and 5 guests Gift membership for one year at Alabama level 20% discount at University of Alabama Museum Shops Other benefits as listed in previous level
Yes, I/we want to support The University of Alabama Museums Alabama River $40
Charge to:
B l a c k Warr i o r R i v e r $ 1 0 0
MasterCard
Ca h a b a R i v e r $ 2 5 0
Account Number_______________________________________________
Coosa River $500
Expiration Date_ _______________________________________________
Sipsey River $1000
My Signature__________________________________________________
Eugene Allen Smith Society $5000
Name(s)______________________________________________________
My/our membership is enclosed My employer will match this gift
Visa
Address______________________________________________________ Phone_______________________________________________________ E-mail_ ______________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to the University of Alabama Museums and mail to: Box 870340 • Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0340 Your annual gift is tax deductible to the extent provided by law. Thank you for your support.
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Box 870340 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487–0340 (205) 348-7550 museums.ua.edu museum.programs@ua.edu
new staff member – Dr. James Parham, Curator of Paleontology The Alabama Museum of Natural History is pleased to announce that Dr. James (“Jim”) Parham has joined the staff as Curator of Paleontology. Jim earned his undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of California at Berkeley. Both his undergraduate thesis and doctoral dissertation were on the subject of fossil sea turtles. He joins us after postdoctoral positions in molecular systematic at the Joint Genome Institute in Walnut Creek, CA, and bioinformatics at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL. Jim has a longstanding commitment to museum-based research and is a passionate advocate for natural history collections. His research interests include studying evolution by integrating paleontology with molecular systematics. Although Jim has studied snakes, lizards, frogs, and salamanders, his specialty is turtles and so he is excited to be in Alabama because of its rich turtle biodiversity (both living and fossil). Turtle reasons aside, Jim is also excited to be in Alabama because much of his family live in the state and many are even alumni of the University of Alabama.
Dr. James Parham studying fossil turtle exhibit
Jim and his wife Sarah Rieboldt (also a paleontologist) are looking forward to exploring their new home region. Their hobbies include being in nature, finding wildlife, exploring geology and history, and watching football.