Last week I told you about our visit to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. We had no idea that when we got our tickets for that museum, that another museum was included in the admission price. The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is attached to the natural history museum on the 3rd floor, so you can walk right into the second museum after you are done with all the fun stuff in the The Museum of Natural History.
Because we were limited on time the day we were there, we only got to see one floor of the Peabody Museum. There are three floors, so I think another visit is in order soon. The day we were there, we got to learn a little bit about the history of Latin America. The first exhibit that we came to was called Storied Walls: Murals of the Americas.
Storied Walls: Murals of the Americas explores the spectacular wall paintings from the Maya murals of San Bartolo and Bonampak in Guatemala and Mexico, respectively; and the Moche huacas of northern Peru. The artists and artisans who adorned these walls left stunning visual accounts of some of the most significant and enduring stories of their times—stories that insist upon being read, even now, centuries after their creation.
The original art works remain for the most part in situ. Storied Walls uses the photographs and drawings of archaeologists, models, and fragments of original murals to examine the meanings and social uses of murals within the Maya, and Moche cultures; the history of their discoveries and investigations by affiliates of the Peabody Museum and others; and ongoing efforts to preserve and restore these fragile painted surfaces.
Here are a few of the pictures I took of the items on display:
The second exhibit we got a chance to check out was called Encounters with the Americas.
Encounters with the Americas explores the native cultures of Latin America before and after 1492, when the first voyage of Christopher Columbus initiated dramatic worldwide changes.Encounters considers sixteenth-century native responses to military and religious missions, the introduction of new plants and animals, and the tragic toll of new diseases.
Exploring the unique, pre-1492 civilizations, exemplified by the Classic Maya and Postclassic Aztec, Encounters presents the continuing struggle of contemporary Maya, Panamanian Kuna, and Amazonian native groups to maintain their values and autonomy.
There were lots of artifacts on display:
They also had a replica of this altar:
Some amazing sculptures:
And all the information on the ways of life back then than we could ever want to know:
I wish we had more time to explore the museum & will definitely work it into our plans the next time we go.
The Peabody Museum is located at 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the Harvard University campus. It is connected to the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and one ticket admits a visitor to both museums.
I like the mythagle exhibit they had on global warming
At first I thought you were talking about the Peabody Essex museum, but this is a completely different museum all together. I’ve never heard of it and had no idea it was there, but I would LOVE to go sometime.
I didn’t even know Harvard had a museum, and it’s one of the schools my husband works at!!!
Looked like a very educational trip and glad you got to go over to that museum, but do hope you get back to see the rest of it soon.
The artwork is so amazing!
I have heard so many great things about Massachusetts. Hope to go one day and check it out. Museums are always a fun way to learn and I try to takes the kids whenever possible. Love all the unique displays and exhibits you showed (Kim)
That’s pretty cool! I need to make a trip to the museum soon. I haven’t been to one since high school! Love the pictures!
Awesome photos. It looks like you had a great time.
My oldest daughter would love this… Not so much me or my youngest.. but the oldest.. she digs this kind of stuff.
Can you please adopt me? I am so jealous of all of the museums you have close by!
How fun! I don’t remember the last time I was at a museum and looking at your pictures makes me kind of miss it! Maybe I’ll take the kids to a museum on spring break!
That looks like so much fun! I really want to take my girls to a museum but I have to figure out which one in the area is the best.The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology looks super awesome though! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so jealous of all the great museums to visit. This looks like a place I could totally get lost in and learn a lot.
Nice museum – very interesting. You take your boys to the neatest educational places! I need to get out and visit museums in my area.
My husband would really enjoy this! He loves seeing this kinda stuff!
I just love visiting history museums! That art is absolutely gorgeous.
I like to read the signs on a lot of those things to actually learn the history, and my family rushes me along. -_- If you’re going to a museum to see and learn, I want to both see AND learn. 🙂 This one looks really great for history!
Now that’s a museum we would spend all day in. Need to make this a stopping point when we eventually travel to the New England area.
I love museums! Seeing the artifacts and the dates and imagining how people used them.
I have always found ancient burials and procedures interesting. I remember going to a museum when I was younger and I was totally fascinated by the Egyptian burial process. It was so shocking! It’s always fun to learn about how things were long long long ago.
If all of that was just on one floor, I’d definitely go back! I love when museums are large like that – three floors sounds like heaven! I’d spend an entire day exploring it!
Hahaha… I seen a pair of black capri’s in one of the showcases you showed us. I was just shopping today looking for a pair of those. Sounds like you learned a lot at the Peabody Museum.
I enjoy museums. So much too look at and learn. Sadly I haven’t been to one in awhile.
Wow, those are some very interesting exhibits. I bet I could learn a lot from visiting this awesome museum.
That all looks so interesting! So many subjects I’ve never learned about before too!
Well that was a fun surprise! That looks like a museum where I could easily spend a whole day.
I love museums like this. Such a educational experience for the whole family!
What a great looking museum with lovely exhibits. We love going to museums, but mostly go in the summer.
Loved the pictures of the Egyptians. Looks like a great way to learn about history and really bring it to life!
Have you been to the Peabody Museum in Salem? I love that place!
Another place I need to go. Thanks for sharing.
Wow what a stunning looking museum, it sounds like it has some amazing artefacts! x
I loved all the pictures you tock. I would love to visit this Museum!
Another fun museum visit for you! I bet the large sculptures were really cool to see.
There are so many great exhibits in this museum. I would like to see many of these things up close and personal.
Wow, there’s a lot there! I love the pictures of the hieroglyphics, awesome
I love the artwork! So much to see. We visited the Harvard campus and it is almost impossible to see everything unless you spend several days to a week there.
Interesting museum. I liked that it was included in your purchase from the other museum.
Wow, what a fun exhibit. I’d love to visit.
Isn’t it great to have wonderful museums nearby to go and explore. The artwork and relics are all so wonderful. I love taking my kids to a museum to see history come to life.
Some of the artwork is really quite captivating. The murals are so detailed!
This looks like a great place to visit… I have to say it again… You need to adopt me so I can go on some of these awesome adventures. Captivating!
I love museums. This looks facinating.
I loved the carved sculptures. Hope I get to visit one day!
Thanks for the tip! That’s great that you get two for the price of one. Certainly a whole day trip.
those story walls are amazingly beautiful. I want to put this on my bucket list for sure!
I would be in heaven. I absolutely love museums! And since my 13 year old aspires to going to Harvard one day, maybe I’ll get to see the Harvard museum before I’m too old to travel!
I love Boston and all the history there – so cool that you have access to it.
I just love that we have museums like this that hold so many cool treasures from years past. This museum has some really neat historical artifacts!
Beautiful pictures! I would love to take my kids there. So much history and great treasures.
I was able to walk around Harvard when I visited Boston. I loved the atmosphere!
Those are so cool! I can’t believe how bright and vivid the colors look!
I love seeing the artifacts – so much to learn!
Wow I love the Americas exhibits…never heard of The Peabody Museum before, so thanks for sharing this!
Love this , what a great exhibit!
The Peabody museum looks very interesting. I would enjoy seeing the sculptures and wall paintings. Can’t believe that altar was a replica of one back in 775? Wow!
Seriously girl, you have been taking those boys EVERYWHERE!!! You don’t miss a beat! Hope you had a good time on the field trip today!
What a fascinating visit. I’ve heard a lot about this prestigious museum but have not been to it. The pictures bring it to life for me..
I thought you found all the great places to visit. lol What a fun trip photos!
What a cool visit. It’s on my bucket list to visit Harvard.
Wow, what a fascinating museum. Would love to see that Storied Walls exhibit!
Wow, what a fun time. And so much to see, I am sure you loved it.
All the exhibits look really interesting. You visit so many cool places!
I vaguely remember going here when I was little. Of course I’d enjoy it more now!
The museum looks super interesting. I love the photos you took form the Storied Walls: Murals of the Americas exhibit.
We love this museum! It’s been a while since we’ve been there, and I can’t wait to go back.
Such A Interesting Period In Time Beautiful Art!
We seriously just need to move out there, such cool things to see.
Museums are so interesting, and this one looks awesome!
Looks like a great educational place to go, I would so use this in our homeschooling history lessons.
How cool is that!? So much information for you to soak up in just one place! I love going to places like that to see items from history.
How cool! I love going to museums. Wish there was more in my area, though.
This is stunning! I could spend hours in here.
You are just all over the place this season!! I’m going to just visit you whenever we get the weekend borings – you have given us so many different things to visit here in MA.
Another cool museum! I think I need to revisit some of my local museums!