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INTHEFIELD 


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February 
2000 


The     Field     Museum's     Membership 


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Masks: 

Faces  of  Culture 

Phctegraphing  th 
World  oC:^' 


From  the  President 


The  Museum's  Road  Map 
TO  THE  Next  Century 


During  his  appearance  at  The 
Field  Museum  in  August,  the  14th 
Dalai  Lama  warned  the  audience 
not  to  expect  too  much  in  the 
new  millennium: 

"Some  people  are  a  little  excited 
about  the  new  millennium.  They 
believe  it  will  bring  some  new 
things  and  happiness.  They  are 
wrong  . . .  nothing  will  be  differ- 
ent; nothing  will  be  new." 

The  Dalai  Lama,  however,  does 
believe  that  the  new  millennium 
has  significance.  It  is,  as  he  pointed 
out,  a  bench  mark  in  human  his- 
tory against  which  we  should 
examine  our  lives  and  contemplate 
the  fiiture.  But  only  through  the 
process  of  self-evaluation  and  per- 
sonal sacrifice,  he  concludes,  can 
we  effect  change  in  our  lives. 

A  similar  message  is  being  con- 
veyed by  our  board  of  trustees, 
who  recently  challenged  us  to 
transform  The  Field  Museum  into 
the  best  museum  in  the  world. 
During  a  yearlong  strategic  plan- 
ning initiative,  the  trustees 


evaluated  all  aspects  of  The  Field 
Museum,  from  our  administrative 
policies  to  our  research  initiatives. 
Upon  completing  their  evaluation 
in  September,  they  presented  us 
with  a  series  of  recommendations. 

Their  plan,  however,  is  more 
than  just  a  laundry  list  of  recom- 
mendations —  it  is  a  philosophical 
road  map  that  we  must  follow  if 
we  are  to  remain  competitive  in  the 
21st  century.  Underpinning  this 
road  map  is  the  trustees'  conviction 
that  we  should  expand  our  mission 
of  accumulating  and  disseminating 
knowledge  about  the  world  in 
which  we  live  to  include  a  renewed 
focus  on  creating  knowledge 
through  our  research  programs. 

For  instance,  they  have  man- 
dated that  we  immediately  invest 
more  resources  into  maintaining 
and  expanding  our  collection  of 
21  million  cultural  objects  and 
biological  specimens.  These  collec- 
tions are  the  lifeblood  of  this 
institution,  used  by  our  curators, 
as  well  as  scholars  throughout  the 
world.  However,  they  are  a  wasted 
asset  unless  we  maintain  and 
enhance  them  through  an  inte- 
grated research  and  conservation 
program  that  gives  our  scientists 
the  resources  they  need  to  con- 
tinue searching  for  answers  to  the 
planets  lingering  mysteries  and 
growing  environmental  problems. 

The  trustees  also  want  us  to 
breathe  new  life  into  the  visitor 
experience  by  bridging  the  gap 
between  the  research  and  public 
sides  of  the  Museum.  In  June  1998, 
we  took  the  first  step  in  this  direc- 
tion by  constructing  a  fossil  prep 
lab  in  the  public  space  where  visi- 
tors could  watch  our  researchers 
clean  and  prepare  Sue's  bones.  But 
we  can  do  more.  Why  not,  for 
instance,  allow  visitors  controlled 
access  to  the  collections  so  they 


can  see  firsthand  the  eclectic  array 
of  biological  specimens  and  cul- 
tural objects  housed  at  The  Field 
Museum?  And  why  not  build  more 
pubhc  labs  so  visitors  can  watch 
our  staff  examine  DNA  strands, 
for  example,  or  conserve  ancient 
textiles  from  places  like  Africa 
and  Indonesia? 

As  we  turn  the  Museum  "inside 
out,"  we  also  must  systematically 
update  our  permanent  exhibits, 
especially  those  dealing  with  the 
earth  sciences  and  the  cultures  of 
the  Americas.  In  addition,  we  need 
to  use  the  traveling  exhibits  that 
we  showcase  at  The  Field  Museum 
to  add  depth  to  the  content  of  our 
permanent  displays  and  to  shed 
light  on  our  mission. 

An  essential  component  of  this 
plan  is  to  design  a  more  coordi- 
nated and  creative  educational 
program,  one  that  brings  fresh 
insight  and  perspective  to  the  arti- 
facts and  specimens  on  display. 
We  also  should  search  for  tech- 
nologies that  allow  us  to  broaden 
our  outreach  and  to  shatter  the 
cultural  barriers  and  geographic 
borders  that  have  hindered  our 
ability  in  the  past  to  communicate 
with  new  audiences. 

We  already  have  spent  the  past 
few  years  developing  the  founda- 
tion on  which  to  build  the 
world-class  educational  and 
research  facility  that  our  trustees 
have  envisioned.  But  as  the  Dalai 
Lama  so  eloquently  pointed  out,  it 
takes  time  and  much  work  before 
significant  changes  can  be  realized. 

Have  a  great  New  Year  and  wel- 
come to  the  new  century. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
President  &  CEO 


We  would  like  to  know  what  you 
think  about  "In  the  Field" 


Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Robert  Vosper, 
publications  department.  The  Field  Museum, 
1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496, 
or  via  e-mail  at  rvosper@fmnh.org. 


Inside 


View  some  never-before-seen 
photographs  shot  specifically  for 
scientific  applications,  and  uncover 
the  visual  world  of  natural  history. 


8 


The  Field  Museum's  4,000-pound, 
75-foot-long  Brachiosaurus  prepares 
for  arrival  at  Chicago's  O'Hare 
International  Airport. 


In  March,  members  are  invited  to  a 
sneak  preview  of  the  temporary 
exhibit  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls." 


11 


Is  the  "Sounds  from  the  Vaults" 
exhibit  really  that  innovative?  A 
Field  Museum  exhibit  developer 
sounds  off  on  the  question. 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 

A  complete  schedule  of 
events  for  January/February, 
including  programs  offered  in 
conjunction  with  the  "Masks; 
Faces  of  Culture"  exhibit. 


In  the  new  exhibit  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture,"  Museum 
visitors  can  explore  the  role 
that  masks  play  in  human  soci- 
ety. See  the  Calendar  Section 
for  details. 


There  are  thousands  of  kinds  of 
mushrooms.  While  some  are 
edible  and  delicious,  most  can 
make  you  sick  or  even  kill  you. 


Museum  paleontologists  have 
discovered  a  wealth  of  fossils  in 
Madagascar  that  are  filling  in 
the  holes  in  some  long-held 
evolutionary  theories. 


INTHEFIELD 

January/February  2000,  Vol.  71,  No.  1 

Editor  and  Designer: 
Robert  Vosper 

Design  Consultants: 
Hayward  Blake  &  Company 


In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum.  Copyright 
©  2000  The  Field  Museum.  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  for  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscription.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field 
Museum.  Notification  of  address  change  should 
include  address  label  and  should  be  sent  to 
Membership  Department.  POSTMASTER:  Send 
address  changes  to  In  the  Field,  The  Field 
Museum,  1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago, 
IL  60605-2496.  Periodicals  postage  paid  at 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

This  issue's  cover  photograph  Is  by  Lynton 
Gardiner  of  a  bulletproof  face  mask  designed 
in  1989  by  American  Body  Armor  and 
Equipment  Inc.  The  mask  is  from  the  collec- 
tions of  the  Saint  Louis  Art  Museum. 


%i 


Field 


useum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing, 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  60605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
www.fieldmuseum.org 


Around  Campus 


Shedd  Aquarium 

Have  you  ever  wondered  what  it's  like 
at  the  Shedd  Aquarium  early  in  the 
morning  when  the  animals  wake  up? 
You  can  find  out  on  Saturday, 
February  19,  or  Saturday,  February  26, 
by  having  Breakfast  with  the  Belugas. 
Beginning  at  8  a.m.,  you'll  visit  the 
Oceanarium  to  talk  to  the  animal-care 
staff  and  watch  the  whales  start  their 
day.  Afterward,  you  can  enjoy  an  all- 
you-can-eat  buffet  breakfast  and  a 
tour  of  the  Aquarium.  The  cost  is  $28 


for  adults,  $25  for  children  ages  3  to 
1 1  and  for  seniors.  Admission  for 
children  2  and  under  is  free.  Call 
312.692.3333  for  more  information. 

Adler  Planetarium 

Now  that  the  Adler  has  reopened  its 
renovated  building  to  the  public,  it 
will  once  again  showcase  part  of  its 
History  of  Astronomy  collection  in  The 
Universe  in  Your  Hands.  This  perma- 


nent exhibit  explores  the  pretele- 
scopic  astronomy  of  the  late  Middle 
Ages  and  the  Renaissance,  an  era 
marked  by  the  rebirth  of  Greek  and 
Roman  culture  and  the  growing 
influence  of  Islamic  scientists  and 
philosophers.  Included  in  this  exhibit 
are  more  than  60  sundials,  33  astro- 
labes and  nine  armillary  spheres  from 
the  Adier's  collection,  one  of  the 
largest  assemblages  of  astronomy- 
related  material  in  the  world. 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000     1 


Photographs  in  the  Service  of  Science 


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1   Preparators  found  this  rare  baenid  turtle  skull  encased  in 
the  rock  matrix  surrounding  Sue's  67-million-year-old 
remains.  While  removing  the  matrix,  preparators  created  a 
photographic  record  oj  each  oj  the  T.  rex's  200  or  so  hones, 
as  well  as  of  the  remains  of  the  other  animals  buried  along- 
side of  her. 


2  For  the  past  two  years,  paleontologist  Lance  Grande  has 
been  researching  the  evolutionary  history,  comparative 
anatomy  and  biogeographic  distribution  of  fossil  and  living 
gars.  Grande  "clears  and  stains'  the  modern  fish  specimens  to 
highlight  their  bones  (red)  and  cartilage  (blue).  This  makes 
it  easier  to  compare  the  living  species  to  the  fossil  specimens. 


2      ;N  THE  FIELD 


Robert  Vosper 

Important  scientific  information  is  often  ft)und  in  the 
subtle  details  of  a  cultural  object  or  biological  speci- 
men —  the  wear  and  tear  on  an  animal's  tooth,  for 
instance,  the  cracks  and  sutures  on  the  fossilized 
bones  of  a  dinosaur,  the  shape  of  a  design  on  an 
ancient  pottery  shard,  or  the  texture  of  a  leaf  growing 
on  a  new  species  of  plant.  These  details  are  like  words 
in  a  book,  providing  scientists  with  a  narrative  of  the 
specimen  and  its  history.  As  a  result,  there  is  no  sub- 
stitute for  being  able  to  hold,  touch  and  examine  a 
specimen  or  artifact  in  person.  There  is  one,  however, 
that  comes  very  close. 

Each  year,  the  Museums  photography  department 
shoots  on  average  15,000  photographs,  about  half  of 
which  are  requested  by  the  Museum's  research  staff 
for  scientific  applications.  Researchers  use  these  pho- 
tographs in  everything  from  the  classes  they  teach  at 
universities  to  the  records  they  keep  on  specimens 
gathered  in  the  field.  In  addition,  the  department, 
which  maintains  a  collection  of  700,000  images,  offers 
its  services  to  scientists  and  research  institutions  all 
over  the  globe. 

For  the  most  part,  however,  scientists  use  these 
photographs  as  visual  aids  in  the  papers  they  publish 
in  scientific  journals,  the  main  vehicle  for  communicat- 
ing new  discoveries,  theories  and  collection  techniques 

Continued  on  page  5 


3  Anthropologist  Alfred  Kroeber 
unearthed  this  piece  of  pottery  while 
excavating  the  ancient  ruins  of  the 
Nazca  Valley  of  Peru  in  1926. 
Altamira  Press  recently  published 
Kroeber's  excavation  reports  from  this 
archaeological  expedition  and  included 
hundreds  of  photographs  of  the  artifacts 
he  found  that  are  now  housed  in  the 
Museum's  anthropology  collections. 

4  Robert  Welsch,  adjunct  curator  of 
anthropology,  published  this  photograph 
of  a  Sulka  dance  mask  from  New 
Britain  in  his  two-volume  book.  An 
American  Anthropologist  in 
Melanesia.  In  the  book,  Welsch  used 
photographs  to  document  the  vast  array 
of  objects  collected  by  Museum  anthro- 


pologist A.B.  Lewis  during  his  travels 
through  the  former  colonies  of 
Melanesia  from  1909  to  1913. 

5   Glass  vials  containing  alcoholic 
beverages  made  in  the  1930s  from 
various  botanicals,  such  as  corn  and 
cacao  beans.  This  photograph  is  being 
used  on  an  education-  and  research- 
based  Web  site,  funded  by  Abbott 
Laboratories,  that  documents  The 
Field  Museum's  extensive  economic 
botany  collections. 


JANUARY  .  FEBRUARY  2000     3 


1  These  three  photographs  show  the 
different  anatomical  features  of  the 
skull  of  a  female  rhesus  monkey 
(Macaca  mulatta).  Zoologist  Jack 
Fooden  will  publish  these  images  in  a 
paper  he  is  writing  on  the  morphologi- 
cal characteristics  of  the  genus. 

2  Scientists  use  herbarium  sheets  like 
this  one  of  a  Viguiera  weberbaueri, 
collected  by  botanist  Michael  Dillon  in 
Peru,  as  reference  tools  when  identify- 
ing plants.  Since  scholars  from  other 


institutions  often  need  to  borrow  these 
sheets  for  their  research,  the  Museum 
will  often  send  photographs  in  place  of 
the  real  thing  when  the  sheet  is  too 
fragile  or  important  to  travel. 

3  In  1998,  curator  Lance  Grande 
and  his  colleague  William  Bemis 
published  this  photograph  of  an  acid- 
prepared,  100-million-year-old  fossil 
of  a  Calamopleurus  cylindricus 
in  their  700-page  monograph  "A 
Comprehensive  Phylogenetic  Study  of 


amiid  fishes  (Amiidae)  Based  on 
Comparative  Skeletal  Anatomy:  An 
Empirical  Search  for  Interconnected 
Patterns  of  Natural  History."  This 
monograph  was  published  in  the 
Society  of  Vertebrate  Paleontology 
Memoir  4. 

4  A  professor  from  the  University 
of  Indiana  requested  this  photograph 
of  turn-of-the-century  ceremonial  dance 
wands  for  use  in  his  research  of 
Pawnee  culture. 

5  A  hoy's  coat,  shirt  and  leggings  from 
the  Mesquakie  (Fox)  Indians  of  Tama, 
Iowa.  In  1998,  Field  Museum  anthro- 
pologist James  VanStone  published  a 
comprehensive  study  of  Mesquakie 
material  culture  in  the  Museum's  scien- 
tific journal,  Fieldiana. 

6  Before  1998,  most  scientists  believed 
that  there  was  only  one  species  of 
mouse  lemur  inhabiting  Madagascar. 
However,  field  biologist  Steve 
Goodman  and  a  Malagasy  colleague 
proved  otherwise  by  finding  at  least 
seven  different  species.  They  will 
publish  this  photograph  in  a  paper 
they  are  writing  that  describes  the 
morphological  characteristics  of  these 
nocturnal  primates. 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


to  the  scientific  community.  These  photographs  often 
convey  inft)rmation  and  data  that  are  impossible  to 
capture  in  words  alone. 

The  Field  Museum,  like  many  other  museums  and 
research  institutions  across  the  country,  is  construct- 
ing photographic  databases  of  its  collections,  which 
allov/  the  Museum  to  share  information  without 
having  to  send  specimens  and  objects  off-site.  This  is 
especially  useful  when  an  artifact  or  specimen  is  too 
valuable  or  fragile  to  travel  or  be  handled.  Many  insti- 
tutions are  also  converting  these  photographs  into 
digital  formats  so  that  collections  can  be  shared  over 
the  Internet. 

In  addition,  anthropologists  use  photographs  in 
the  field  to  gather  ethnographical  information  about 
specific  objects  in  the  collections.  They  will  show 
these  photographs  to  members  of  the  cultures  that 
crafted  the  objects,  hoping  to  gain  new  insight  or 
gather  information  not  recorded  by  the  original 
collector.  This  technique  has  been  used  successfially 
by  Field  Museum  anthropologists  working  in  Papua 
New  Guinea  and  Panama. 

These  are  just  a  few  examples  of  how  Field 
Museum  scientists  use  photographs  in  their  research. 
We  thought  it  might  be  interesting  to  showcase  a  sam- 
ple of  these  images,  most  of  which  have  never  been 
seen  by  the  public.  ITF 


Vlfitlan  MbKbawi  s.  e.  BUto 


SK^tM  to  I  mi  ny*  na  dlac  yvlloi. 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000     5 


Field  Updates 


Fossil  Discoveries  in  Madagascar  Fill  in  the 
Holes  in  Some  Long-Held  Evolutionary  Theories 


Above:  Team  leader  John  Flynn  examines  a  fossil  embedded  in  the  red  silt  of  an 
ancient  flood  plain  in  Madagascar's  Morondava  Basin.  The  National  Geographic 
Society  and  longtime  Field  Museum  supporters  John  and  Withrow  Meeker  funded 
the  team's  research. 

Robert  Vosper 

While  digging  through  layers  of  sandy  sediment  in 
two  rift  basins  in  western  Madagascar,  an  international 
team  of  paleontologists  led  by  John  Flynn,  MacArthur 
Curator  of  Fossil  Mammals,  uncovered  two  fossil  sites 
teeming  with  the  remains  of  the  long-extinct  animals 
that  once  ruled  this  island  nation. 

These  animals,  some  of  which  have  been  entombed 
in  the  sediment  for  230  million  years,  are  helping  the 
scientists  gain  new  insight  into  the  vast  array  of  life 
forms  that  inhabited  Madagascar  during  the  Mesozoic 
Era  (65  million  years  to  245  million  years  ago).  And 
with  each  new  animal  they  exhume,  the  scientists  are 
filling  in  the  holes  in  some  long-held  theories  about 
the  evolutionary  history  of  dinosaurs  and  mammals. 

In  the  fall  of  1999,  the  team  —  which  includes 
Field  Museum  paleontologist  William  Simpson 
and  research  associates  Andre  Wyss  and  J.  Michael 
Parrish  —  published  the  results  of  their  most  signifi- 
cant discoveries  in  articles  in  the  journals  Nature 
(Sept.  2,  1999  )  and  Science  (Oct.  22, 1999).  In  N«(i<re, 
they  described  their  discovery  of  a  new  species  of 
mammal  about  the  same  size  as  a  shrew;  and  in 
Science,  they  reported  on  their  discovery  of  a  collection 
of  cynodonts  ("mammal-like  reptiles")  and  the  jaw- 
bones of  two  plant-eating  dinosaurs.  These  jawbones, 
the  team  argues,  might  be  the  oldest-known  dinosaur 
bones  ever  unearthed. 


A  Triassic  Fauna  from  Madagascar 

Toward  the  end  of  their  first  of  four  field  seasons  in 
Madagascar  in  1996,  the  team  discovered  a  promising 
fossil  bed  in  the  Morondava  Basin,  just  east  of  the 
town  of  Sakaraha  in  southwestern  Madagascar. 
Although  they  didn't  have  time  to  examine  the  site  in 
detail,  Flynn  knew  immediately  that  they  had  stum- 
bled upon  something  significant. 

"While  we  were  looking  around  on  the  first  day,  we 
found  the  skull  of  a  cynodont  sitting  on  the  surface 
with  its  eye  socket  staring  up  at  us,"  he  explains. "The 
skull  was  deeply  weathered  but  still  in  great  condition, 
so  we  immediately  knew  that  it  was  a  great  site  at 
that  point. " 

The  following  year,  the  team  returned  to  the  area 
and  unearthed  the  230-million-year-old  remains  of  a 
variety  of  cynodonts  and  true  reptiles  in  the  white 
sand  and  red  silt  of  an  ancient  river  channel  and  flood 
plain.  According  to  Flynn,  the  remains  of  these  early 
vertebrates,  which  included  some  partial  and  complete 
skeletons,  are  shedding  new  light  on  the  origins  of 
true  mammals. 

About  330  million  years  ago,  he  explains,  primitive 
land  vertebrates  (amniotes)  split  into  two  evolutionary 
branches:  the  Reptilia  (reptile  line)  and  the  Synapsida 
(the  mammal  line).  During  this  split,  some  of  the  early 
synapsids  were  the  cynodonts,  a  sort  of  physiological 
hybrid  between  warmblooded  mammals  and  cold- 
blooded primitive  land  vertebrates. 

"These  cynodont  fossils  will  help  us  complete  the 
picture  of  that  evolutionary  transformation,"  Flynn 
says. "The  fossils  are  exquisitely  preserved,  showing 
a  level  of  detail  far  superior  to  anything  else  from 
that  time." 

Only  a  few  hundred  yards  away  from  the  first  dis- 
covery, the  scientists  uncovered  the  3-inch-long  and 
5-inch-long  bleached-white  jawbones  of  two  previ- 
ously unknown  species  of  plant-eating  dinosaurs. 
These  dinosaurs,  the  team  calculates,  are  about  two 
million  years  older  than  Herrerasaurus,  a  228-million- 
year-old  flesh-eating  dinosaur  from  Argentina  that  for 
the  past  decade  has  held  the  distinction  of  being  the 
oldest  dinosaur  ever  found. 

Unlike  Herrerasaurus,  which  was  a  ruthless  13-foot- 
long  predator,  the  two  dinosaurs  from  Madagascar 
were  both  prosauropods,  gentle  kangaroo-sized  herbi- 
vores that  had  small  heads,  long  necks  and  strong 
hindquarters  that  allowed  them  to  amble  on  either 
two  or  four  legs.  Most  paleontologists  believe  that 
these  early  dinosaurs  either  shared  a  common  ancestor 
with,  or  were  themselves  the  ancestors  to,  the  mighty 
sauropod  dinosaurs  like  Apatosaurus  that  evolved 
much  later. 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


Dinosaurs  are  divided  into  nvo  major  groups:  the 
Saurischia  (the  "lizard-hipped  dinosaurs"  like 
Brachiosaurus  and  T.  rex)  and  the  Ornithischia  (the 
"bird-hipped  dinosaurs"  like  Triceratops  and 
Stegosaurus).  Within  Saurischia  are  the  two  evolution- 
ary branches  known  as  the  theropods,  or  the  meat 
eaters,  and  the  Sauropodomorphs,  or  the  plant  eaters. 
The  prosauropods  found  by  Flynn's  team  are  early 
members  of  the  latter  group. 

Although  the  two  dinosaurs  from  Madagascar 
are  fairly  primitive  in  form,  Flynn  is  quick  to  point 
out  that  they  are  by  no  means  the  ancestral  species  of 
all  dinosaurs. 

"Dinosaurs  have  to  be  older  than  this  simply 
because  of  the  fact  that  you  have  prosauropods,  which 
tells  you  that  the  major  dinosaur  branches  had  already 
split  apart.  So,  the  fact  that  you  have  a  representative 
of  some  of  the  sub-branches  of  the  tree  tells  you 
that  the  root  of  the  tree  is  deeper  in  time.  Now,  how 
much  deeper  it  goes  is  hard  to  tell.  But,  I  think  we  are 
getting  close." 

A  Middle  Jurassic  Mammal  from  Madagascar 

A  few  weeks  before  discovering  the  fossil  site  in  south- 
ern Madagascar,  the  team  found  a  much  younger  fossil 
bed  in  the  Mahajanga  Basin  in  northwestern 
Madagascar.  After  prospecting  the  site,  which  is  about 
450  miles  north  of  Sakaraha,  the  team  scooped  up  a 
few  hundred  pounds  of  sediment  and  shipped  it  back 
to  Chicago  for  analysis. 

Over  the  next  few  years.  Field  Museum  volunteers 
Dennis  Kinzig,  Ross  Chisholm  and  Warren  Valsa 
sifted  through  the  sediment  using  high-powered 
microscopes.  In  the  summer  of  1998,  they  struck  pay 
dirt  when  they  uncovered  a  jawbone  about  half  the 
size  of  a  piece  of  rice,  complete  with  three  tiny 
teeth,  each  no  larger  than  the  head  of  a  pin.  The 
scientists  have  determined  that  this  jawbone 
belonged  to  a  previously  unknown  species  of  a 
shrew-sized  mammal  that  lived  in 
Madagascar  165  million  years  ago.  In 
Nature,  the  team  argues  that  this 
mammal,  which  they  have  named 
Amhondro  mahaho,  doubles  the  age 
of  the  oldest-known  mammals 
from  the  island  and  shatters  the 
widely  held  theory  that  the  subgroup  of 
mammals  that  encompasses  most  living 
forms  (marsupials  and  placentals)  arose  first 
in  the  northern  hemisphere. 

"This  jaw  is  the  first  mammal  fossil  of  any  kind 
found  from  the  southern  continents  during  this  time 
interval,"  Flynn  says.  "And  it  is  much  older  than  any 
advanced  mammal  from  the  north,  even  though  the 


Jurassic  fossil  record  is  much  better  known  from  the 
northern  continents." 

According  to  Flynn,  Amhondro  mahaho  represents  a 
group  of  mammals  known  as  the  Tribosphenida  that 
had  an  advanced  set  of  molars  that  are  characteristic  of 
most  modern  mammals,  including  humans.  The  more 
primitive  forms  of  mammals,  he  explains,  basically  had 
a  bunch  of  cusps  (elevations  on  the  chewing  surface  of 
the  tooth)  on  their  molars  that  formed  an  elongated 
oval  pattern.  As  mammals  evolved,  however,  the  cusps 
on  their  upper  molars  formed  a  more  triangular  pat- 
tern that,  in  combination  with  basin-like  platforms 
that  developed  on  the  back  of  their  lower  molars, 
allowed  the  animals  to  use  a  more  effective  "slice  and 
grind"  method  of  chewing. 

"While  the  Jurassic  dinosaurian  giants  grab  most  of 
the  attention,  major  evolutionary  advances  were  occur- 
ring in  our  mammalian  ancestors  during  that  period, 
but  their  tiny  size  has  up  until  now  made  it  hard  to 
find  and  study  them,"  Flynn  says. 

Once  they  have  finished  studying  the  fossils,  the  scien- 
tists will  construct  cast  replicas  of  the  bones,  returning 
a  portion  of  the  original  material  to  scientists  at 
Madagascar's  Universite  d' Antananarivo.  For  the  past 
10  years.  Museum  scientists  have  been  collaborating 
with  researchers  from  this  university  on  a  number  of 
different  projects. 

"Our  Madagascar  project  illustrates  that  modern 
science  is  a  truly  international  and  collaborative 
endeavor,"  Flynn  says.  "Expeditions  in  remote  and 
little-explored  regions,  with  Malagasy  and  U.S.  scien- 
tists working  side  by  side,  have  yielded  extremely 
important  paleontological  discoveries.  Our 
teams  of  students,  professionals  and  volunteers 
are  making  key  contributions  to  understand- 
ing the  evolution  of  two  groups  near  and  dear 
to  humans:  dinosaurs  and  mammals."  ITF 


Above:  One  of  the  two  dinosaur  jawbones  the  team 
unearthed  in  the  Morondava  Basin  in  1997.  The  scientists 
believe  these  jawbones  might  be  the  oldest-known  dinosaur 
bones  ever  discovered. 


JANUARY  .  FEBRUARY  2000     7 


Field  Notes 


Museum  Dinosaur  Prepares  for  Arrival 
AT  Chicago's  O'Hare  International  Airport 


Robert  Vosper 

Museum  President  John  McCarter  recently  announced 
that  the  75-foot-Iong  Brachiosaurus  that  guards  the 
northern  end  of  Stanley  Field  Hall  will  be  moved 
January  17  to  the  United  Airlines  terminal  at  Chicago's 
O'Hare  International  Airport.  The  4,000-pound  fiber- 
glass replica,  which  has  been  a  fixture  at  the  Museum 
for  the  past  seven  years,  is  being  relocated  to  make 
room  for  the  installation  of  Sue  in  May  2000. 

"This  represents  an  extraordinary  opportunity  for 
us  to  share  our  Brachiosaurus  with  a  broad  audience 
and  to  further  establish  Chicago  as  dinosaur  central," 
he  said. 

The  Museum  will  position  the  specimen,  which  will 
be  unveiled  to  the  public  the  morning  of  January  19, 
next  to  the  escalator  at  the  United  Terminal  that  joins 
Concourse  B  with  Concourse  C. 

"After  we  truck  the  dinosaur  over  to  O'Hare,  we 
will  reassemble  it  on  a  special  carriage  with  wheels," 
explained  Richard  Faron,  director  of  exhibit  develop- 
ment at  The  Field  Museum.  "We  will  probably 
assemble  it  by  a  freight  elevator  in  the  terminal  and 
then  wheel  it  into  its  new  home  in  Concourse  B.  This 
gives  us  about  a  24-hour  window  to  put  all  the  pieces 
back  together." 

According  to  Faron,  the  only  changes  the  Museum 
will  make  to  the  Brachiosaurus  are  perhaps  some  slight 
adjustments  to  the  angle  of  its  tail  and  some  minor 
cosmetic  improvements.  These  include  repainting  the 
specimen's  sandy-colored  bones  in  a  darker,  more  real- 
istic shade  of  brown  and  replacing  the  specimen's 
2-foot-high  concrete  and  wooden  base  with  a  sleek,  6- 


to  8-inch  steel-tube  frame  that  will  accentuate  the 
specimen's  lifelike  pose.  In  addition,  the  Museum  will 
install  an  interactive  information  booth  and  merchan- 
dise kiosk  next  to  the  dinosaur. 

'As  Chicago's  hometown  airline,  we  are  pleased  to 
support  The  Field  Museum,  one  of  the  city's  pre-emi- 
nent institutions,"  remarked  Chris  Bowers,  the  senior 
vice  president  of  United  Airlines,  North  America. 
"The  presence  of  the  Brachiosaurus  in  United's  terminal 
will  be  an  exciting  addition  to  our  customers'  travel 
experience  and  will  offer  them  a  glimpse  at  the  world 
of  mystery  and  science  that  can  be  discovered  at  The 
Field  Museum." 

Fortunately,  Museum  visitors  will  not  have  to  trek 
out  to  O'Hare  to  see  their  favorite  plant-eating 
dinosaur.  During  the  summer,  the  Museum  installed  a 
clone  of  the  specimen  on  the  west  terrace  overlooking 
Lake  Shore  Drive.  The  only  difference  between  the 
two  replicas  is  that  the  one  outside  is  made  of  a 
weatherproof  fiberglass  resin.  In  addition,  the 
Museum  had  to  hire  engineers  to  design  a  special  steel 
armature  that  could  withstand  the  high  winds  and 
heavy  snowfalls  that  punctuate  a  Chicago  winter. 

Although  neither  specimen  contains  real  bone,  both 
include  cast  replicas  of  the  fossilized  remains  of  a 
Brachiosaurus  unearthed  by  Elmer  Riggs  in  western 
Colorado  in  1900.  Riggs,  the  Museum's  first  paleontol- 
ogist, discovered  about  20  percent  of  the  dinosaur, 
including  a  10-foot-long  rib  bone  and  a  6-foot-long 
femur  weighing  800  pounds.  Because  Riggs  was  the 
first  to  discover  a  Brachiosaurus,  his  specimen  stands  as 
the  holotype,  the  standard  against  which  scientists 
must  compare  all  new  Brachiosaurus  findings. 

As  for  the  missing  bones,  those  are  sculptured  from 
a  more  complete  Brachiosaurus  found  by  German  pale- 
ontologists working  in  Africa  in  1909.  Since  their 
specimen  was  smaller  than  the  one  at  the  Museum, 
designers  in  1993  had  to  increase  the  scale  of  the 
sculptured  bones  to  match  those  found  by  Riggs. 

Ironically,  because  of  the  scientific  importance  of 
the  real  bones.  Museum  officials  at  the  turn  of  the 
century  refused  to  display  Riggs'  dinosaur  —  a  deci- 
sion that  infuriated  the  paleontologist  who  wanted  to 
share  his  discovery  with  the  world.  Sadly,  Riggs,  who 
died  in  1963,  never  got  to  see  his  Brachiosaurus  on  dis- 
play. Today,  not  only  can  thousands  of  Museum 
visitors  share  in  Riggs'  discovery  each  year,  but  so  too 
can  the  180,000  airline  travelers  who  pass  through 
O'Hare  each  day.    ITF 

I    Left:  Engineers  installing  the  neck  of  the  Brachiosaurus  in 
f    1993.  In  all,  the  75-foot-long  dinosaur  is  made  up  of  about  63 
5    separate  sections. 


8      IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Members'  Viewing  Days 
The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls 

March  8  &  9;  10  a.m.  -  10  p.m. 

Join  the  membership  department  March  8  and  9  for 
an  exclusive  sneak  preview  of  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls" 
a  temporary  exhibit  co-organized  by  The  Field 
Museum  and  The  Israel  Antiquities  Authority.  In 
the  coming  weeks,  members  will  receive  an  invitation 
to  this  preview  that  will  include  more  details  about 
the  event. 

"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  which  will  be  on  display  at 
the  Museum  from  March  10  through  June  11,  features 
portions  of  15  different  parchment  and  papyrus 
scrolls,  some  of  which  represent  the  earliest  surviving 
copies  of  the  book  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  last 
time  any  of  these  2,000-year-old  scrolls  were  on  dis- 
play in  Chicago  was  in  1949  when  the  Oriental 
Institute  exhibited  three  scroll  fragments. 

The  scrolls  —  which  were  written  in  Hebrew, 
Aramaic  and  Greek  over  a  300-year  period  beginning 
in  250  B.C.  —  were  first  discovered  by  a  Bedouin 
shepherd  in  some  caves  in  the  Qumran  region  of  the 
Judean  desert,  about  17  miles  southeast  of  Jerusalem. 

Following  the  shepherds  discovery,  archaeologists 
searched  the  cave  site  for  additional  artifacts  and  dis- 
covered more  than  100,000  scroll  fragments,  which 
together  represent  about  800  individual  compositions. 
Although  many  of  these  ancient  compositions 
are  documents  from  the  Hebrew  Bible,  some 
contain  apocryphal  books  found  in  Christian  and 
Greek  scriptures. 

"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  are  one  of  the  greatest  man- 
uscript discoveries  in  the  history  of  archaeology," 
explains  Field  Museum  President  John  McCarter. 
"They  are  rarely  exhibited  outside  of  Israel." 

"We  have  worked  closely  with  The  Israel 
Antiquities  Authority  on  this  exhibit  and  we  are  very 
excited  to  bring  a  unique  collection  of  scrolls  to 


Chicago,  including  five  that  have  never  traveled  out- 
side Israel,"  he  adds. "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  are  the 
subject  of  an  extensive  and  lively  academic  debate  and 
they  provide  a  meaningful  connection  for  many  to 
ancient  times." 

In  addition  to  the  15  scroll  fragments  are  80  arti- 
facts from  Qumran  settlements,  including  coins, 
goblets,  sandals,  a  scroll  storage  jar  and  a  pottery 
inkwell.  The  exhibit  also  will  contain  books  and  manu- 
scripts from  the  collections  of  The  Field  Museum  and 
Chicago's  Newberry  Library,  as  well  as  a  modern  torah 
scroll  from  the  Spertus  Museum  in  Chicago.  The  Field 
Museum  also  plans  to  construct  a  laboratory  inside 
the  exhibit  where  conservators  from  The  Israel 
Antiquities  Authority  will  demonstrate  the  art  of  pre- 
serving ancient  manuscripts.    ITF 


Above:  This 
ancient  fragment 
of  text  contains 
commentary  on 
the  biblical  verses 
of  Hosea  2:  8-14. 


Membership  Programs  at  a  Glance 


Preview  —  "Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth" 
July  14,  21  &  23 

This  exciting  exhibit  showcases  original  artwork, 
props,  models,  costumes  and  characters  used  to  create 
the  Star  Wars  trilogy,  and  connects  the  films  to  ele- 
ments of  classical  mythology.  "Star  Wars:  The  Magic 
of  Myth"  was  developed  by  the  Smithsonian's 
National  Air  and  Space  Museum.  The  exhibit  —  which 
is  on  display  at  the  Museum  from  July  15,  2000, 
through  Jan.  7,  2001  —  was  organized  for  travel  by 
the  Smithsonian  Institution  Traveling  Exhibition 
Service  (SITES).  All  of  the  artifacts  in  this  exhibit  are 
on  loan  from  the  archives  of  Lucasfilm  Ltd. 


Members'  Nights 
June  8  &  9 

Mark  you  calendars  today  for 

Members'  Nights,  the  annual 

extravaganza  during  which  the 

Museum  throws  open  the  doors  to 

its  research  and  collections  areas 

and  lifts  the  curtain  on  exhibits  in 

the  making.  In  addition.  Museum 

curators  and  researchers  will  be  on 

hand  to  discuss  their  research  and  to  show  off  some 

of  the  specimens  they've  collected  while  conducting 

fieldwork  around  the  word. 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000     9 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

3  Calendar  of  Events 

5  Get  Smart 

7  Free  Visitor  Programs 


Masks: 

Faces  of  Culture 

Throughout  recorded  history,  masks  have 
been  part  of  the  human  experience.  In 
nearly  every  culture,  age  and  inhabited  part 
of  the  globe,  they  have  functioned  as  medi- 
ums of  expression  and  transformation.  As 
works  of  art,  masks  embody  dynamic  visual 
energy;  as  cultural  icons  they  present  a  rich 
panoply  of  diversities  and  commonalties  in 
humankind.  The  human  need  to  mask 
reveals  a  universal  desire  to  transcend 
earthly  limitations,  to  penetrate  alien  envi- 
ronments and  to  be  reinvented,  renewed, 
strengthened  and  protected. 

Field  Museum  visitors  can  experience  the 
visual  power  of  these  objects  in  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture,"  a  new  temporary  exhibit 


Top  Row:  (Left)  Nonmilitary  respirator,  United  States,  19305;  (Middle)  Devil  mask,  Mexico, 
1991;  (Right)  Theatrical  mask,  Guatemala,  1900s; 

Bottom  Row:  (Left)  Lakisi  initiation  mask,  Zaire,  1800s;  (Middle)  funerary  mask,  the  Middle 
East,  5000  -  3000  B.C.;  (Right)  Baseball  catcher's  mask,  United  States,  1985. 


on  display  at  The  Field  Museum  from 
February  19  through  May  14.  The  140  masks 
in  this  exhibit  (nearly  30  of  which  are  shown 
with  full  costumes)  represent  50  countries 
on  six  continents.  Ranging  from  prehistoric 
times  to  the  present,  these  masks  exemplify 
the  exquisite  design,  provocative  imagery 
and  compelling  purpose  found  in  one  of 
humankind's  most  enduring  art  forms. 

In  addition  to  familiar  types,  the  exhibition 
introduces  a  number  of  lesser-known 
masks  from  places  like  rural  Europe,  Central 
America  and  Siberia  —  making  this  exhibit 
the  first  to  explore  such  a  comprehensive 
range  of  masks.  The  diversity  of  the  selec- 
tion, the  visual  power  of  their  provocative 
imagery  and  the  universal  need  they  express 
offer  visitors  a  rich  mosaic  of  the  many 
faces  of  culture  and  dramatize  masking  as 
a  dynamic,  living  tradition  throughout 
the  world. 

The  exhibit  is  organized  around  six  predom- 
inant themes  that  examine  the 
fundamental,  shared  reasons  why  cultures 
mask.  As  visitors  explore  these  themes  — 


Left:  A  19th-century  Brazilian  storm  mask 
from  the  collections  of  the  Staatliches  Museum 
fUr  Volkerkunde  in  Germany.  These  bark- 
cloth  masks  are  worn  exclusively  by  men  and 
are  meant  to  represent  animals,  natural  phe- 
nomena and  useful  plants. 


which  include  discussions  of  rites  of  pas- 
sage, aggression  and  protection,  and 
theater  and  cinema  —  it  will  soon  become 
evident  that  whether  in  warfare,  religion  or 
celebration,  masks  have  always  been  agents 
of  change  and  that  the  tradition  of  masking 
has  been  predominantly  male.  For  instance, 
during  Paleolithic  times,  hunters  and 
shamans  used  masks  and  costumes  as 
decoys  and  men  performed  masquerades 
before  and  after  each  hunt  to  gain  the 
blessing  of  the  spirits.  In  addition,  masking 
has  been  important  in  the  depiction  of  real 
and  fictional  persona  in  theater  and  film, 
both  outgrowths  of  male-dominated  rituals 
in  mythology  and  religion. 

After  viewing  "Masks:  Faces  of  Culture," 
visitors  are  encouraged  to  explore  the  hun- 
dreds of  masks  on  display  in  the  Museum's 
permanent  exhibits,  such  as  Africa,  Pacific 
Spirits,  Tibet  and  Eskimos  and  Northwest 
Coast  Indians.  These  masks  not  only  open 
windows  into  the  broader  cultural  context 
in  which  they  were  created,  but  also  illus- 
trate the  extent  of  The  Field  Museum's  vast 
anthropological  collections. 

"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture,"  which  is  free 
with  general  Museum  admission,  was  orga- 
nized by  Cara  McCarty  (the  Grace  L. 
Brumbaugh  and  Richard  E.  Brumbaugh 
Curator  of  Decorative  Arts  and  Design),  and 
John  W.  Nunley  (the  Morton  D.  May  Curator 
of  the  Arts  of  Africa,  Oceania  and  the 
Americas,  at  the  Saint  Louis  Art  Museum). 


1     THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000 


Exhibits 


Sounds  from  the  Vaults 


For  decades,  more  than  6,000  musical  arti- 
facts in  the  Museum's  collections  have 
rested  in  silence.  They  come  from  around 
the  world  and  their  voices  are  as  diverse  as 
the  people  who  created  them.  Now, 
through  the  magic  of  digital  technology, 
50  of  these  artifacts  will  perform  again  — 
some  for  the  first  time  in  100  years. 

"Sounds  from  the  Vaults"  —  which  is  on  dis- 
play through  June  18,  2000  —  features  the 
digitally  recorded  sounds  of  50  musical  arti- 
facts of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  from  finger 
cymbals  to  a  12-foot-long  Tibetan  trumpet. 
Although  the  artifacts  themselves  are  dis- 
played behind  glass  in  traditional  wooden 
cases,  visitors  can  "play"  them  by  tapping 
on  large,  touch-sensitive  pads  mounted  in 
front  of  each  case. 

"This  exhibit  is  a  new  direction  for  us  .  . . 
we  wanted  to  do  something  different  for 
the  new  millennium,"  explains  Field 
Museum  anthropologist  Alaka  Wall.  "We're 
pushing  the  envelope  here,  using  the  latest 
interactive  media  technologies  to  give  visi- 
tors a  whole  new  way  of  interacting  with 
our  collections." 

When  visitors  activate  the  touch  pads  below 
each  case,  they  trigger  a  sampler  that  plays 
back  the  digitized  sound  of  the  instrument 
on  display.  And  if  a  person  keeps  their  fin- 
ger on  the  pad,  a  rhythmic  pattern  is  heard 
until  the  pad  is  released.  If  someone  does 
the  same  thing  at  the  same  time  with 
another  pad,  the  rhythms  of  the  two  instru- 

CaRTIER  1900-1939 

The  "Cartier  1900  -  1939"  exhibit,  which  is 
on  display  through  Jan.  16,  2000,  showcases 
more  than  200  objets  d'art  designed  by  the 
House  of  Cartier  from  the  turn  of  the  cen- 
tury to  the  1930s.  Many  of  the  most 
stunning  pieces  on  display  show  how  Cartier 
drew  inspiration  from  newly  discovered 
archaeological  finds  from  around  the  world. 
For  example,  the  discovery  of  King 
Tutankhamen's  tomb  and  its  ancient  trea- 
sures contributed  a  range  of  highly 
structured  motifs  and  inspired  a  new  gener- 
ation of  Cartier  designers. 

In  addition  to  the  jewelry,  cigarette  boxes, 
watches,  clocks  and  accessories  that  visitors 
will  find  on  display  are  more  than  70  design 
drawings  from  Cartier's  remarkable  archives, 
as  well  as  client  order  books,  idea  sketches 
and  recently  discovered  original  plaster  casts 
that  are  records  of  early  pieces  that  no 
longer  exist.  Together  with  new  research, 
these  materials  offer  a  rare  behind-the- 


Above:  In  "Sounds,"  visitors  can  play  50  musical  instruments,  including  this  bass  drum  from  Java 
that  had  been  sitting  on  a  shelf  in  the  Museum's  collections-storage  facilities  for  nearly  a  century. 


ments  synchronize  to  reveal  Vault  Grooves, 
an  original  composition  created  by  sound 
installation  artists  Bruce  Odiand  and 
Sam  Auinger. 

"All  the  artifacts  were  recorded  with  a  com- 
mon tempo,  so  they  can  mix  rhythmically  In 
interesting  ways,"  says  Odiand,  the  co- 
founder  of  30/70  Productions,  the  New  York 
company  that  spearheaded  the  project. 
"People  will  find  themselves  participating  in 
making  a  new  kind  of  world  music." 


scenes  look  at  the  creative  process  of 
the  world's  premier  houses  of  design. 

"Cartier  1900-  1939"  has  been  orgar 
by  The  British  Museum,  London,  and 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  New  York 
with  generous  loans  drawn  from  the 
of  Cartier  Collection,  Geneva. 


In  addition,  the  exhibit  includes  computer 
workstations  where  visitors  can  trace  the 
stories  behind  each  artifact  on  display, 
including  how  it  was  made,  what  it  was 
used  for,  who  collected  it  and  how  it  came 
to  the  Museum.  With  some  of  the  artifacts, 
visitors  can  even  view  original  field  maps, 
notes,  movie  clips  and  wax  cylinder  record- 
ings made  by  the  anthropologist  who 
collected  the  artifact. 


Admission  to  the  exhibit  is  $12  for 

adults,  $6.50  for  children  ages  3  to 

1 1  and  $8  for  seniors  and  students 

with  an  ID  (ticket  prices  include 

general  admission  fees).  During  free 

day  every  Wednesday,  tickets  to  the 

exhibit  are  $6  for  adults,  $3  for  child 

ages  3  to  1 1,  and  $4  for  seniors  and 

dents.  To  purchase  tickets  in  advance,  please 

call  Ticketmaster  at  312.902.1500. 

Members  can  also  receive  their  two  free 
tickets  (family  members  can  receive  four) 
through  Ticketmaster. 


stu- 


Above:  A  turquoise  and  pearl  vanity  case 
made  by  Renault  and  Fourrierfor  Cartier 
Paris  in  1924. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000    2 


Calendar  of  Events 


Behind-the-Scenes  Evening 
What's  so  Great  about  Dirt? 

7/74,  Friday,  6-8 p.m. 

Join  Field  Museum  mycologist  Gregory 
Mueller  on  an  expedition  into  the  Museum's 
newest  permanent  exhibit.  Underground 
Adventure,  to  learn  about  the  connections 
between  soil  and  the  food  you  eat  and 
the  clothes  you  wear.  This  15,000-square- 
foot  exhibit  —  which  opened  to  the  public 
March  27,  1999  —  allows  visitors  to  explore 
the  living  world  of  soil  while  discovering 
how  soil  affects  the  environment  and  influ- 
ences cultural  practices.  "What's  so  Great 
about  Dirt?"  is  designed  for  adults  and  chil- 
dren grades  3  and  up.  $10  per  participant 
($8  members).  Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information  or  to  register. 

Family  Workshop 
Fielding  Stories 

7/75,  2/79,  3/18,  4/15  3  5/20 
Saturdays,  9:30  -  70:30  a.m. 

Add  a  new  dimension  to  your  favorite  bed- 
time stories  by  participating  in  a  five-part 
family  workshop  in  which  Field  Museum 
educators  will  explore  a  host  of  children's 
books  that  delve  into  the  world  of  culture 
and  the  environment.  At  the  conclusion  of 
each  reading,  educators  will  then  discuss 
Field  Museum  exhibits  that  relate  to  the 


books  being  discussed.  This  workshop  is 
designed  for  children  in  second  and  third 
grade.  $20  per  participant  for  each  class 
($16  members)  or  $90  per  participant 
($70  members)  for  all  five  classes.  Please 
call  312.665.7400  for  more  information  or 
to  register. 

Family  Workshop 
All  about  Movement 

1/22,2/19,  3/11,  4/8  &  5/13 
Saturdays,  9:30  -  10:30  a.m. 

Discover  the  world  around  you  by  examin- 
ing animal  biomechanics  with  the  Green 
Light  Performing  Company,  a  Chicago-based 
theater  group.  During  the  workshop,  fami- 
lies can  get  "down  and  dirty"  exploring 
how  animals  —  such  as  polar  bears  and 
mule  deer  —  move  in,  around  and  through 
the  different  places  they  call  home.  Since 
this  program  is  basically  yoga  with  a  twist, 
participants  are  encouraged  to  wear  com- 
fortable clothes.  "All  about  Movement"  is 
offered  in  five  sessions  and  is  designed  for 
adults  and  children  ages  three  to  five.  $20 
per  participant  for  each  class  ($16  members) 
or  $90  per  participant  for  all  five  classes 
($70  members).  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  or  to  register. 


Left:  A  diorama  depicting  polar  bears  frolick- 
ing in  the  ice  along  the  Arctic  coast.  In  the 
workshop  "All  about  Movement,"  visitors  can 
learn  how  polar  bears  and  other  animals  move 
in  and  around  the  places  they  call  home. 


Lecture  —  An  Evening  with 
Jimmy  Santiago  Baca 

7/25,  Tuesday,  6:30  p.m. 

Listen  to  distinguished  poet  Jimmy  Santiago 
Baca  read  selections  from  his  new  and 
forthcoming  books  of  poetry.  Baca,  a  native 
of  New  Mexico,  has  overcome  poverty  and 
prison  to  become  one  of  America's  most 
gifted  writers.  He  is  the  author  of  several 
books  of  poetry,  one  of  which,  Martin  and 
Meditations  on  the  South  Valley,  won  the 
1988  American  Book  Award.  He  also  has 
received  the  Hispanic  Heritage  Award  for 
Literature,  the  Pushcart  Prize  and  the 
Southwest  Book  Award.  Among 
his  new  books  are  Set  This  Book  on  Fire 
and  the  novel  Healing  Earthquakes.  He 
also  has  three  movie  scripts  in  the  works, 
including  one  that  Julia  Roberts  recently 
purchased  about  the  life  of  Pancho 
Gonzales,  one  of  the  most  colorful  players 
that  the  tennis  world  has  ever  seen.  $15 
($10  members;  $12  students  and  educators). 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  informa- 
tion or  to  register. 

Adult  Course  —  Nature  Writing: 
interesting  Explanations 

7/26,  Wednesday  6:30  -  8:30  p.m. 
2/2,  2/16,  2/23  S  3/1,  Wednesdays, 
6:30-9  p.m. 

Whether  you  are  writing  a  simple  two-sen- 
tence description  of  a  tree  or  an  extended 
essay  about  a  nature  preserve,  you  not  only 
will  need  to  inform  the  reader,  but  also 
capture  their  interest  and  challenge  their 
imaginations.  In  this  course,  Laurie  Lawler, 
an  English  professor  at  Columbia  College  in 
Chicago,  will  teach  you  the  basics  of  clear, 
concise  exposition,  as  well  as  the  essential 
ingredients  that  comprise  quality  nature 
writing.  This  class  is  offered  as  part  of  the 
ongoing  Naturalist  Certificate  Program 
(NCP),  a  collaboration  with  the  Morton 
Arboretum  and  the  Chicago  Botanic 
Garden  to  offer  beginning  and  advanced 
naturalists  classes  in  nature  study.  $125 
($105  members).  Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information,  to  register  or  to 
obtain  a  complete  listing  of  NCP  classes 
offered  this  winter. 


3     THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000 


Adult  Course 

Exploring  World  Movement 

7/27,  213.  2/10,  2/17,  2/24.  3/2,  3/9  &  3/16 
Thursdays.  6-8 p.m. 

People  in  different  cultures  have  developed 
very  unique  ways  of  expressing  themselves 
through  dance,  which  they  use  in  every- 
thing from  celebrations  to  rituals.  In  this 
unique  eight-part  series  hosted  by  Terry 
Crews,  a  dance  instructor  at  the  University 
of  Chicago,  a  variety  of  guest  instructors 
will  explore  different  dance  traditions 
from  around  the  world,  including  those 
from  Spain,  West  Africa,  India  and  the 
Middle  East.  Participants  are  encouraged 
to  wear  comfortable  clothing.  $18  per 
participant  for  each  class  ($15  members) 
or  $110  per  participant  for  entire  series 
($93  members).  Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  a  complete  listing  of  session  topics  or 
to  register. 

Behind-the-Scenes  Evening 
Discovering  Sounds 

7/28,  Friday,  6-8 p.m. 

Take  a  trip  into  the  world  of  rhythm  by 
exploring  the  many  aspects  of  and  the 
instruments  used  in  percussion  music 
around  the  globe.  During  this  program, 
Chicago  drummer  Lenny  Marsh  will  lead 
participants  on  a  cultural  and  musical  jour- 
ney, with  stops  in  Africa  and  various  regions 
of  the  Pacific.  This  program,  which  will 
leave  you  tapping  your  feet  and  whistling  a 
new  tune,  is  for  adults  and  children  grades 
three  and  up.  $10  per  participant  ($8  mem- 
bers). Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 


Above:  Musicians  from  West  Africa  in  1934  playing  traditional  stringed  drums.  In  the  program 
"Discovering  Sounds,"  visitors  can  learn  how  percussion  instruments  are  used  in  African  and 
Pacific  cultures. 


Lecture  —  An  Evening 
with  Wole  Soyinka 

2/3,  Thursday,  6:30  p.m. 

Wole  Soyinka,  the  first  Nigerian  and  African 
to  win  the  Nobel  Prize  in  literature  (1986), 
has  been  called  "an  outspoken,  daring  pub- 
lic figure  deeply  engaged  in  the  main 
political  issues  of  his  country  and  Africa." 
He  is  the  author  of  a  number  of  critically 
acclaimed  plays  and  essay  collections, 
including  /  Dance  of  the  Forests,  l\/lyth. 
Literature  and  the  African  World  and  The 
Burden  of  Memory,  the  Muse  of 
Forgiveness.  In  addition  to  his  work  in  the 
arts,  Soyinka  has  become  a  symbol  for 
human  rights  throughout  the  world  and  has 
been  cited  for  excellence  by  Amnesty 
International.  He  is  currently  the  Robert  W. 
Woodruff  Professor  of  the  Arts  at  Emory 
University  in  Atlanta.  $20  ($15  members; 
$18  students/educators).  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

Left:  In  1967,  Nigerian  author  Wole  Soyinka 
appealed  for  a  ceasefire  to  the  civil  war  that 
was  ravaging  his  country  and,  as  a  result,  was 
arrested,  accused  of  conspiring  with  the  rebels 
and  held  as  a  political  prisoner  for  two  years. 


Lecture  —  An  Evening  with 
Anna  Quindlen 

2/29,  Tuesday,  6  p.m. 

Winner  of  the  Pulitzer  Prize  for  commen- 
tary, Anna  Quindlen  has  written  for  some  of 
America's  most  influential  newspapers  and 
magazines.  In  addition,  many  of  her  novels 
have  shot  to  the  top  of  the  fiction  and  non- 
fiction  best-seller  lists.  A  former  columnist 
for  The  New  York  Times  and,  most  recently, 
a  columnist  for  A/eivsi/vee/c,  Quindlen  has 
written  three  critically  acclaimed  best-selling 
novels:  Object  Lessons  (1991),  One  True 
Thing  (1994)  and  Black  and  Blue  (1998). 
Striking  a  delicate  balance  between  national 
affairs  and  personal  ones,  Quindlen  will  give 
the  audience  a  more  realistic  picture  of 
modern  life  in  America,  and  will  discuss 
choices  and  changes  in  the  21st  century. 
$18  ($12  members;  $15  students  and  educa- 
tors). For  more  information  or  to  register, 
call  312.665.7550. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000    4 


Get  Smart 


Masks:  Faces  of  Culture 
Opening  Festivities 


On  Feb.  19,  2000,  the  Museum  will  open 
"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture."  a  temporary 
exhibit  that  unites  the  visual,  cultural  and 
historical  significance  of  masks  by  present- 
ing them  not  only  as  works  of  art,  but  also 
as  cultural  icons. 

Family  Field  Days 

Saturday  &  Sunday,  February  19  8  20. 
11  a.m.  -3  p.m. 

After  exploring  the  "Masks:  Faces  of 
Culture"  exhibit,  visitors  are  encouraged  to 
take  a  self-guided  tour  showcasing  masks 
from  different  cultures  on  display  in  the 
Museum's  permanent  exhibit  halls.  Once 
inspired,  you  can  then  design  your  own 
mask  to  take  home  as  a  souvenir.  This  pro- 
gram, which  also  includes  a  number  of 
performances  and  activities,  is  free  with 
general  Museum  admission.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

Between  Dark  and  Daylight: 
Cultures  of  Masks  Revealed 

Saturday  &  Sur\day,  February  19  &  20 
11  a.m.,  12:30  p.m.  &  1:30  p.m. 
Saturday  &  Sunday,  February  26  &  27 
11  a.m.  &  Noon 

See,  hear  and  enjoy  stories  about  masks  and 
their  uses  in  this  specially  commissioned 
puppet  play  by  Walkabout  Puppets,  a 
Chicago-based  performance  group  that 
combines  puppets  and  actors  to  create  a 
unique  visual  and  animated  theatrical  expe- 
rience. During  these  free  performances, 
visitors  will  learn  about  the  powerful  and 
provocative  imagery  and  role  of  masks 
throughout  the  world. 


Curator  Lecture: 
Behind  the  Masks 

Sunday,  February  20,  2  p.m. 

Cara  McCarty  and  John  Nunley,  the  curators 
who  developed  the  "Masks:  Faces  of 
Culture"  exhibit,  will  discuss  the  central 
themes  of  the  exhibit,  as  well  as  the  univer- 
sal human  fascination  with  masks  and  the 
desire  to  wear  them.  Their  presentation  will 
also  highlight  some  of  the  extraordinary 
works  in  the  exhibit,  the  contexts  in  which 
the  masks  were  used  and  personal  anec- 
dotes about  the  difficulties  they  had  in 
securing  these  objects  for  display.  For  more 
information  about  this  lecture,  which  is  free 
with  general  Museum  admission,  please  call 
312.665.7400. 


Mask  and  Puppet  Making 

Saturday,  February  26 
2-4  p.m. 

This  hands-on  workshop  presented  by 
Walkabout  Puppets  is  designed  to  comple- 
ment the  "Masks:  Faces  of  Culture"  exhibit, 
as  well  as  to  highlight  masks  on  display  in 
the  Museum's  permanent  exhibits.  In  this 
workshop,  participants  will  learn  how 
to  design  and  make  puppets,  and  will 
hear  about  the  techniques  used  to  bring 
them  alive.  $15  ($10  members  $12  stu- 
dents/seniors). Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information. 


Above:  Chinese  and  Tibetan  masks  collected  on  a  190S  Field  Museum  expedition. 


Cartier  1900  -  1939  Closing  Festivities 

Sunday,  January  16,  11  a.m.-  3  p.m. 


In  celebration  of  the  successful  run  of  the 
"Cartier  1900-  1939"  exhibit  The  Field 
Museum  will  host  a  variety  of  free  activi- 
ties for  visitors  of  all  ages  that  highlight 
the  connections  between  jewelry  and  the 
natural  world.  There  also  will  be  a  num- 
ber of  hands-on  programs  that  will  allow 
visitors  to  explore  different  methods  of 
jewelry  making  and  design  from  around 
the  world. 


In  addition,  jewelry  specialist  Eve  Reppen 
Rogers  will  give  a  slide  presentation  at 
2  p.m.  about  the  magnificent  jewels  sold 
through  Sotheby's  auction  house.  Many 
of  these  jewels  were  once  owned  by 
some  of  the  most  famous  women  in 
the  world,  including  Jacqueline  Kennedy 
Onassis  and  the  Duchess  of  Windsor 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  infor- 
mation about  this  festival. 


5     THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000 


African  Heritage  Festival:  Talking  Roots 

February  5  &  6,  11  a.m.  -  4  p.m. 
February  7  &  8,  10  a.m.  -  1  p.m. 

This  year's  African  Heritage  Festival  explores 
the  history  of  Africa  through  music,  dance, 
scientific  research  and  hands-on  activities, 
with  a  special  focus  on  the  spoken  and  writ- 
ten word.  Throughout  this  four-day  festival, 
visitors  can  learn  about  African  traditions 
and,  in  the  process,  find  connections 
to  their  own  lives  by  discovering  how 
American  culture  is  influenced  by  and 
draws  inspiration  from  African  art,  music 
and  history. 

The  festival  will  kick  off  on  Thursday, 
February  3,  with  a  6:30  p.m.  lecture  by  Wole 
Soyinka,  the  Robert  W.  Woodruff  Professor 
of  the  Arts  at  Emory  University.  Soyinka  is 
the  first  Nigerian  and  African  to  win  the 
Nobel  Prize  in  literature  (1986).  In  1967, 
Soyinka  appealed  for  a  cease-fire  to  the  civil 
war  that  was  ravaging  his  country  and,  as  a 
result,  was  arrested,  accused  of  conspiring 
with  the  rebels  and  held  as  a  political  pris- 
oner for  two  years.  Since  his  release, 
Soyinka  has  published  about  20  works  in 
English,  ranging  from  novels  to  poetry. 

On  Saturday,  February  5,  the  first  official 
day  of  the  festival,  the  council  of  elders 
from  Dance  Africa  will  inaugurate  the  pro- 
gram by  offering  libations  in  honor  of  past 
ancestors.  The  festival  will  continue  with  a 
variety  of  programs  showcasing  African  sto- 
ries, poetry,  traditions  and  Field  Museum 
research,  and  will  include  performances  by 
S.P.I. R.I.T.S.,  the  Kuntu  Drama  Players  and 
award-winning  poet  Michael  Warr. 

During  the  festival,  visitors  also  can  partici- 
pate in  a  number  of  interactive  activities 


'^■fv^J^^'V^ 


Above:  An  intersection  in  the  Kenyan  town  ofVoijust  outside  oJTsavo  National  Park.  For  the 
past  year,  Field  Museum  researchers  have  been  studying  the  cause  of  tnanelessness  in  male  lions 
that  inhabit  this  park.  During  the  African  Heritage  Festival,  visitors  can  hear  about  this  and 
other  Field  Museum  research  projects  being  conducted  in  Africa. 


that  explore  the  rich  cultures  and  environ- 
ments of  Africa.  For  example,  they  can 
watch  a  mask-making  demonstration,  help 
write  a  poem,  play  traditional  African 
instruments,  listen  as  storytellers  examine 
African  culture  and  history,  and  talk  to  Field 
Museum  scientists  about  their  fieldwork  on 
the  African  continent  and  in  Madagascar. 


All  festival  activities  are  free  with  general 
Museum  admission,  except  the  Wole 
Soyinka  lecture,  which  is  $20  ($15  members; 
$18  student/educators).  For  more  informa- 
tion about  this  festival  or  Soyinka's  lecture, 
please  call  312.665.7400. 

The  Field  Museum's  African  Heritage 
Festival  is  made  possible  through  the  gen- 
erosity of  Abbott  Laboratories. 


Talking  Roots:  A  Poetry  Happening  at  The  Field 


Saturday,  February  5,  7:30  p.m. 
$7  ($5  members) 

Explore  African  culture  through  the  spo- 
ken word  by  participating  in  a  number  of 
poetry-related  lectures  and  activities.  This 
event  also  includes  a  special  invitation  to 
attend  the  official  release  party  of 
Quraysh  Ali  Lansana's  recently  published 
collection  of  poems  titled  "southside 
rain. "  As  part  of  this  celebration,  poet 


Left:  Poet  Quraysh  Ali  Lansana. 


Regie  Gibson  will  join  forces  with  some  of 
Chicago's  finest  jazz  musicians  to  create 
an  improvisational  experience  that  blends 
the  spoken  words  of  poetry  with  music. 
The  evening  will  also  include  an  open 
microphone  so  visitors  can  share  their 
poems  about  Africa  and  African  ancestry 
with  others. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  .  FEBRUARY  2000    6 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Above:  A  man  relaxes  with  his  family  outside  their  home  in  a  rural  village  in  Kenya.  During  the 
African  Heritage  Festival,  which  begins  February  5,  visitors  can  learn  about  African  traditions 
and  family  life,  and,  in  the  process,  find  connections  to  their  own  lives  by  discovering  how 
American  and  African  cultures  are  linked. 


Every  Saturday  and  Sunday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 

Learn  new  songs  and  stories,  and  have  fun 
creating  artworl<  —  all  in  a  20-minute  pro- 
gram sponsored  by  the  Siragusa  Foundation 
Early  Childhood  Initiative.  In  January  and 
February,  visitors  can  listen  to  music  from 
around  the  world  and  hear  stories  about 
the  lives  of  children  in  other  cultures. 

Interpretive  Station  Activities.  Drop  by 
hands-on  stations  located  throughout  the 
Museum  (check  informational  directories 
for  daily  listings)  and  delve  into  the  fasci- 
nating world  of  natural  history. 

January  8  — Saturday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  Watch  the  Teens  Together 
Ensemble  perform  "Gongs,  Ghosts  and 
Ancient  Anthems:  Releasing  the  Spirits  of 
Sound,"  an  original  musical  play  based  on 
the  "Sounds  from  the  Vaults"  exhibit. 

January  9  —  Sunday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 


January  15  —  Saturday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

January  16  —  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Cartier  Family  Field  Day: 
The  Nature  of  Jewelry.  Take  part  in  a  variety 
of  programs  designed  to  complement  the 
"Cartier  1900  -  1939"  exhibit. 

2  p.m.  Lecture:  Famous  Jewels  —  Their 
Famous  Owners  and  Designers.  Jewelry  spe- 
cialist Eve  Reppen  Rogers  will  give  a  slide 
presentation  about  some  of  the  magnificent 
jewels  that  have  been  sold  through 
Sotheby's  auction  house. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

January  22  —  Saturday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

January  23  —  Sunday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 


January  29  —  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
View  rarely  displayed  specimens  from  the 
collections  and  listen  to  Field  Museum 
mycologist  Gregory  Mueller  discuss  his 
research  and  how  it  relates  to  the  new 
Underground  Adventure  exhibit. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

January  30  —  Sunday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

February  5  —  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  African  Heritage  Festival: 
Talking  Roots.  Explore  the  history  of  Africa 
through  music,  dance,  oral  traditions,  scien- 
tific research  and  hands-on  activities.  See 
"Get  Smart"  page  for  details. 

February  6  —  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  African  Heritage  Festival: 
Talking  Roots.  See  February  5. 

February  7  —  Monday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  African  Heritage  Festival: 
Talking  Roots.  See  February  5. 

February  8  —  Tuesday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  African  Heritage  Festival: 
Talking  Roots.  See  February  5. 

February  12  —  Saturday 

2  p.m.  Film:  Changing  our  Role.  Watch  a 
film  that  examines  how  the  roles  of  women 
have  changed  within  African  society  and 
how  younger  generations  of  women  are 
breaking  with  tradition  at  the  risk  of  losing 
their  families. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

February  13  —  Sunday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 


Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Take  a  guided  tour  of  the  exhibits  that 
maice  this  Museum  one  of  the  world's 
finest  and  learn  about  the  history  of 
these  displays.  Tours  are  offered  Monday 
through  Friday  at  11  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 
Check  the  informational  directories  for 
weekend  tours. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


7     THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000 


February  19  —  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Field  Days:  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture."  Celebrate  the  power  of 
masks  at  The  Field  Museum  during  a  day 
of  performances  and  hands-on  activities 
for  all  ages. 

2  p.m.  Film:  African  Odyssey.  Watch  a  film 
that  explores  some  of  the  environmental 
problems  in  Africa  and  documents  the 
return  to  Zambia  of  two  expelled  scientists 
determined  to  continue  their  controversial 
environmental  research. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

February  20  —  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Field  Days:  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture."  See  February  19. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 


2  p.m.  Masks  Lecture.  Cara  McCarty  and 
John  Nunley,  the  curators  of  "Masks:  Faces 
of  Culture,"  will  discuss  the  central  themes 
of  this  temporary  exhibit  and  the  universal 
fascination  that  people  have  with  wearing 
and  making  masks. 

February  26  —  Saturday 

11  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 

View  rarely  displayed  specimens  from  the 
collections  and  listen  to  Field  Museum 
entomologist  Margaret  Thayer  discuss  her 
research  and  how  it  relates  to  the  new 
Underground  Adventure  exhibit. 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 

February  27  —  Sunday 

2  p.m.  Performance:  Teens  Together 
Ensemble.  See  January  8. 


Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through  a 
variety  of  resources,  including  computer  pro- 
grams, books,  activity  boxes  and  much  more 
at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and  the  Daniel 
R  &  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research  Station. 
Open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m.  See 
below  for  information  on  the  Webber 
Resource  Center  and  the  Crown  Family  Place 
for  Wonder. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on  the 
Great  Plains.  Open  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 
on  weekends  and  at  1  p.m.  during  weekdays. 
Check  the  informational  directories  or  the 
sign  in  front  of  the  lodge  for  program  times. 

Ruatepupuke: 

The  Maori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people 
of  New  Zealand  at  their  treasured  and 
sacred  Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily 
from  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work 
on  a  variety  of  dinosaur  bones.  Open  daily 
from  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 


Please  Excuse  our 
Renovations 


As  you  plan  a  visit  to  the  Museum, 
please  note  that  the  following  resource 
centers  and  exhibits  are  currently  closed 
for  renovations  until  Memorial  Day 
weekend:  the  Webber  Resource  Center, 
the  Webber  Gallery,  the  Crown  Family 
Place  for  Wonder  and  the  North 
American  ethnographic  collection  (arti- 
facts from  the  Native  American  cultures 
of  the  South,  Southwest,  Plains  and 
Great  Lakes  regions).  In  addition,  the 
Museum's  North  American  archaeology 
collections,  including  the  Hopewell  mate- 
rials, will  be  unavailable  to  the  public 
until  next  winter,  and  the  Reptiles  Hall 
will  be  closed  from  the  end  of  February 
until  Memorial  Day  weekend. 


Above:  Sulka  dance  masks  from  New  Britain,  located  about  100  miles  off  the  New  Guinea  coast- 
line in  the  Bismarck  Archipelago.  On  February  20,  visitors  can  listen  to  the  curators  of  the 
"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture"  exhibit  talk  about  how  people  from  different  cultures  use  masks. 

Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JANUARY  •  FEBRUARY  2000     8 


Field  Updates 


Mycologist  Develops  a  New  Weapon  to 
Combat  Deadly  Mushroom  Poisonings 


Robert  Vosper 

Above:  The  The  vomiting,  diarrhea  and  abdominal  cramps  kick  in 

deadly  Amanita        about  eight  to  12  hours  after  you've  eaten  an  Amanita 
verna  contains  verna,  or,  for  that  matter,  any  of  the  other  five  deadly 

a  toxic  peptide  mushroom  species  found  growing  in  Illinois  that  con- 

known  as  f^ri  amatoxins.  After  spending  hours  wishing  that 

amatoxin  that  someone  would  put  you  out  of  your  misery,  the  symp- 

damaves  the  tis-         toms  often  just  disappear.  Within  a  few  days,  however, 
sue  and  cells  in  ^he  violent  waves  of  nausea  will  return,  at  which  point 

the  liver.  the  toxins  in  your  blood  have  caused  irreversible  dam- 

age to  your  liver  and  kidneys.  Your  only  chance  for 
survival  now  is  a  liver  transplant.  And  without  any 
form  of  treatment  along  the  way,  death  will  come 
knocking  about  12  days  after  you  took  the  first  bite 
out  of  Amanita  verna,  more  commonly  known  as  the 
"destroying  angel." 

Fortunately,  most  of  the  hundreds  of  mushroom 
poisonings  that  occur  each  year  in  Illinois  are  the 
result  of  people  eating  one  of  the  many  nondeadly 
species  of  toxic  mushrooms  that  spring  up  in  back- 
yards and  forest  preserves  around  the  state.  Although 
the  initial  symptoms  of  the  two  different  types  of  poi- 
sonings can  be  similar,  the  nondeadly  mushrooms 
don't  contain  any  organ-damaging  toxins.  But  this  is 
little  comfort  to  doctors  who,  based  on  symptoms 
alone,  have  no  way  of  telling  how  much  danger  their 
patients  are  in. 

This  is  where  Field  Museum  mycologist  and  botany 
department  chairman  Gregory  Mueller  steps  in. 

Since  joining  the  Museum  in  1985,  Mueller  has 
been  identifying  mushrooms  for  physicians  around  the 
state  as  a  nonpaid  consultant  for  the  Illinois  Poison 
Control  Center.  In  a  few  cases,  Mueller  can  identify  a 


mushroom  over  the  phone  based  on  a  doctor's  descrip- 
tion. However,  because  many  mushroom  species  are 
similar  in  appearance,  Mueller  usually  needs  to  exam- 
ine the  mushroom  in  person. 

"There  have  been  times  when  I've  had  the  state 
police  or  a  relative  of  a  patient  drive  for  hours  to  give 
me  a  mushroom  to  identify,"  Mueller  says. 

Since  deadly  mushroom  poisonings  require  imme- 
diate treatment,  doctors  often  can't  wait  this  long.  As  a 
result,  they  have  to  treat  the  poisoning  as  though  it 
was  deadly,  which  means  pumping  a  patient's  stomach 
or  pouring  activated  charcoal  down  their  throats  to 
absorb  the  toxins,  rather  than  just  waiting  for  the 
patient's  body  to  expel  the  mushroom  naturally. 

This  past  summer,  Mueller  and  Connie  Fischbein,  a 
poison  information  specialist  at  the  Center,  began 
experimenting  with  a  system  that  might  take  some  of 
the  guesswork  out  of  treatment.  This  system  allows 
hospital  staff  with  access  to  digital  cameras  to  e-mail  a 
photograph  of  the  mushroom  directly  to  Mueller.  To 
date,  Mueller  and  Fischbein  have  used  the  system  in 
three  cases,  all  of  which  resulted  in  an  identification 
being  made  within  an  hour. 

"In  one  case,  I  had  a  doctor  who  began  describing  a 
mushroom  that  sounded  like  it  was  one  of  the  deadly 
poisonous  varieties,"  Mueller  says. "From  the  photo- 
graph, however,  it  was  obvious  that  the  mushroom 
was  a  green-spored  lepiota,  a  nonfatal  toxic  mushroom 
that  causes  severe  gastrointestinal  problems." 

As  a  result,  the  doctor  was  able  to  modify  the 
course  of  treatment,  saving  the  patient  unnecessary 
discomfort  and  expense. 

The  obvious  drawback  is  that  the  system  relies  on 
people  saving  enough  of  the  mushroom  they've  eaten 
for  a  mycologist  to  identify.  Based  on  experience,  how- 
ever, Mueller  doesn't  see  this  as  much  of  a  problem: 

"What  often  happens  is  that  if  the  patient  is  a  child 
then  their  parents  will  catch  them  eating  the  mush- 
room and  bring  it  with  them  to  the  emergency  room. 
If  it  is  an  adult,  then  they  usually  were  greedy  and 
grabbed  more  mushrooms  that  they  could  eat  in 
one  sitting." 

Although  the  new  system  seems  to  be  working  just 
fine,  Fischbein  is  hesitant  to  declare  victory. 

"We  still  have  to  collect  a  lot  more  data  before  we 
can  really  evaluate  it,"  she  says.  "Right  now,  we  are 
developing  the  protocols  that  our  staff  can  use  to 
instruct  doctors  on  the  kinds  of  photographs  we  need 
to  make  an  identification." 

If  the  program  is  as  successful  as  the  initial  data 
suggest,  Mueller  and  Fischbein  will  write  a  paper 
instructing  poison  control  centers  around  the  country 
on  how  to  set  up  similar  systems.    ITF 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


Q&A 

Playing  The  Field  with  Richard  Faron, 
A  Field  Museum  Exhibit  Developer 


For  more  than  a  year,  Richard  Faron,  director  of 
exhibit  development  at  The  Field  Museum,  and  his 
staff  worked  with  a  team  of  designers,  computer  pro- 
grammers and  musicians  from  30/70  Productions  in 
New  York  to  create  "Sounds  from  the  Vaults,"  a  tempo- 
rary exhibit  currently  on  display  through  June  18.  In 
this  exhibit,  visitors  can  interact  with  and  play  50 
musical  instruments  from  the  Museum's  anthropology 
collections.  See  "Exhibit"  page  in  the  calendar  section 
for  details. 

In  the  Field:  Is  "Sounds"  really  that  much  different  from 
our  other  exhibits? 

Richard  Faron:  Yeah,  It's  different.  And  thank  God, 
because  that  is  what  we  set  out  to  do.  A  big  part  of  our 
mission  was  to  create  something  unique  and  to  discover 
something  new.  You  know,  the  old  Star  Trek  thing:  "To  go 
where  no  one  has  gone  before."  We  especially  wanted  to 
surprise,  please  and  maybe  even  upset  the  visitor  a  little. 
Basically,  we  wanted  to  make  them  think.  We  had  a  suspi- 
cion that  our  audience  might  have  become  complacent  or 
used  to  a  certain  routine.  It  was  a  challenge  to  break  our 
own  mold. 

ITF:  And  what  is  that  mold? 

RF:  It's  the  tradition  of  collecting,  conserving  and  inter- 
preting. This  Is  the  formula  that  has  served  us  well  for  100 
years.  It  fuels  the  kinds  of  exhibits  that  we  are  so  familiar 
and  comfortable  with.  You  know,  exhibits  with  objects, 
labels  and  handicrafts  like  dioramas  and  models.  It's  how  I 
learned  to  do  things  15  years  ago. 

ITF:  So,  how  is  "Sounds"  different? 

RF:  It's  truly  interactive.  People  use  "Sounds."  They  touch 
it  and  toy  with  it  and  grab  the  person  next  to  them 
and  make  them  join  in.  There  is  conversation  and  play 
happening  in  "Sounds."  The  interactions  are  surprising 
and  beyond  anything  I've  seen  in  any  other  venue.  It's 
truly  innovative. 

ITF:  How  so? 

RF:  'Experience'  Is  the  big  buzzword  in  museums  today.  In 
a  sense,  "Sounds"  creates  an  experience.  Museums  have 
struggled  to  make  interactive  elements  in  exhibits  deliver; 
however,  I  think  "Sounds"  has  succeeded  where  the  oth- 
ers have  failed. 

ITF:  How  does  technology  contribute  to  that  experience? 

RF:  Technology  has  finally  caught  up  with  our  desires  and 
has  allowed  exhibit  developers  to  turn  their  daydreams 
into  reality.  Without  getting  too  caught  up  in  the  details, 
"Sounds"  is  basically  driven  by  a  customized  computer 
network  that  makes  the  interactions  immediate,  elegant 
and  seamless. 


ITF:  Who  came  up  with  the  idea  for  the  exhibit? 

RF:  It  took  a  partnership.  30/70  supplied  designers,  the 
hardware  and  the  software  jocks.  We  provided  content 
expertise,  management  skills,  awareness  of  the  visitor  and 
a  vision  of  what  The  Field  Museum  is  all  about.  The  intro- 
duction of  a  collaborator  helped  us  break  with  tradition 
by  introducing  fresh  ideas.  The  outsiders  asked  questions 
that  we've  been  trained  not  to  ask,  such  as  "Can  we 
touch  and  play  these  artifacts?"  and  "Can  we  record  their 
sounds?"  These  were  important  questions  that  made  the 
difference  and  shaped  the  product.  To  my  knowledge,  no 
one  has  ever  played  a  priceless  museum  collection  before. 

ITF:  You  mentioned  a  vision.  What  did  you  mean  by  that? 

RF:  At  the  Museum's  core  there  is  a  collection,  which  is 
the  institution's  soul.  But  how  does  one  deliver  and  com- 
municate that  soul  to  the  public?  Members'  Night  does  it, 
but  only  once  a  year.  I  think  "Sounds"  delivers  a  daily 
helping  of  that  soul. 

ITF:  Do  you  think  that  "Sounds"  is  a  preview  of  what 
exhibits  will  look  like  in  the  21st  century? 

RF:  I  think  so,  but  it  doesn't  mean  the  older  exhibits  are 
obsolete.  This  type  of  exhibit  simply  strengthens  our  over- 
all program  by  adding  to  our  repertoire.  Exhibits  that 
focus  on  objects  and  interpretation  will  last  as  long  as 
real  objects  fascinate  people  and  for  as  long  as  we  can 
learn  from  them.  In  a  sense,  "Sounds"  needed  to  happen. 
We  needed  to  know  that  we  could  pull  it  off  and  that  the 
public  could  learn  from  it  and  enjoy  it. 


Above:  To  the  left  of  Richard  Faron  is  one  of  the  exhibit  cases  where  visitors  can 
play  a  selection  of  musical  instruments  from  different  cultures. 


JANUARY  .  FEBRUARY  2000     1 1 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


In  August,  travel  throughout  Peru  with  Field  Museum 
anthropologist  Jonathan  Haas  and  visit  some  of  South 
America's  most  captivating  Pre-Columbian  archaeological 
sites,  including  Paracas,  Nazca,  Cuzco,  Machu  Picchu  and 
Moray.  The  tour  also  includes  an  optional  extension  to  the 
Amazon  rainforest. 

British  Columbia  and  Alaska's 
Inside  Passage 

May  18 -May  27 

Duration:  10  days 

Museum  Leader.  Gregory  Mueller, 

chairman  of  the  botany  department 

Price:  Starts  at  $2,340,  not  including 

airfare  of  $750  from  Chicago 

Fire  &  Ice:  Japan,  the  Kuril 
Islands  and  Kamchatka 

May  21  -June  1 

Duration:  12  days 

Guest  Leader:  Explorer  and  oceanog- 

rapher  Don  Walsh 

Price:  Starts  at  $5,490,  not 

including  airfare 

Archaeology  and  Landscapes 
of  China 

May  23  -June  10 

Duration:  19  days 

Museum  Leader.  Archaeologist 

Deborah  Bakken 

Price:  $5,695,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Northwest  Submarine  Safari 

Three  departures:  June  30  -  July  4; 

July  3  -  July  7;  or  July  5  -  July  9 

Duration:  5  days 

Guest  Leader.  Marine  biologist 

Joe  Valencic 

Price:  $3,890,  not  Including  airfare 


For  more  information  or 
free  brochures,  please  call  Field 
Museum  Tours  at  800.811.7244, 
or  send  them  an  e-mail  at 
fmtours@sover.net. 

Galapagos  Island  Adventure 

July  19 -July  29 
Duration:  1 1  days 

Museum  Leader.  Conservation  ecolo- 
gist  Doug  Stotz 

Price:  Approximately  $3,900,  includ- 
ing airfare  from  Chicago 

Archaeological  Treasures 
of  Peru 

August  25  -  September  5 

Duration:  12  days 

Museum  Leader.  Anthropologist 

Jonathan  Haas 

Price:  TBA 

Wildlife  of  Southern  Africa: 
Botswana  and  Zimbabwe 

Ortober  5  -  October  19 
Duration:  14  days 
Museum  Leader:  Zoologist 
David  Willard 

Price:  $8,535,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Egypt  Revisited 

October  15  -  October  29 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leader.  Egyptologist 
Frank  Yurco 

Price:  Approximately  $5,000,  includ- 
ing airfare  from  Chicago 


On  the  Drawing  Board 

Egyptian  Odyssey 
Amazon  by  Riverboat 
Treasures  of  Israel 
Tunisia  Unveiled 
Wildlife  of  Borneo 


Join  Field  Museum  botanist  Gregory 
Mueller  in  May  on  a  tour  of  British 
Columbia  and  Alaska's  Inside  Passage 
aboard  a  69-cabin  cruise  ship.  During 
this  11-night  voyage,  you  will  visit 
many  magnificent  bays,  hidden  ^ords 
and  vast  glaciers,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
cultural  sites  of  the  indigenous  peoples 
of  the  northwest  coast. 


■  m 


In  October,  explore  some  of  the  finest  wildlife  parks  of  southern  Africa  on  a  safari 
with  Field  Museum  zoologist  David  Willard.  While  traversing  through  Botswana 
and  Zimbabwe  in  4-wheel  drive  vehicles  and  small  riverboats,  you  will  see  many  of 
the  region's  most  spectacular  natural  wonders,  including  the  Okavango  Delta, 
Victoria  Falls  and  the  Hwange  National  Park. 


Please  Note:  Dates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subject  to  change.  Prices  are  per  person,  double  occupancy. 


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Field     Museum's     Membership     Publication 


March 

April 

2000 


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The  Dead^ejaScrolls 

March  10  through  Jurie  ll 


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4i 


Keeping  the  Peace  in 
Tsavo  National  Park 


From  the  President 


Cultural  Diversity  in 
THE  21  ST  Century 

The  story  of  evolution  is  like  that 
of  a  mighty  river  slicing  through 
the  landscape  of  time  —  powerful, 
unpredictable  and  ever  changing. 
Yet,  this  river  would  soon  stagnate 
if  it  weren't  for  the  thousands 
of  small  streams  that  infuse  it 
with  life  and  energy  along  the  way. 
The  same  is  true  for  human 
evolution,  which  today  relies  on 
the  rich  mosaic  of  the  world  s 
cultures  to  propel  it  forward  and 
shape  its  course. 

Over  the  past  few  centuries, 
this  cultural  mosaic  has  begun  to 
crumble,  the  victim  of  warfare, 
ethnic  cleansing,  rapid  industrial 
development  and  a  global  culture 
that  is  spreading  rapidly  to  every 
society  and  community.  Together, 
these  forces  have  stripped  many 
people  of  their  knowledge  systems, 
languages  and  ways  of  life.  No 
longer  exposed  to  the  new  ideas, 
creativity  and  knowledge  that 
diversity  fuels,  the  mighty  river  of 
human-cultural  evolution  could  be 
in  danger  of  running  dry. 

Sounds  extreme,  doesn't  it? 
Well,  not  to  those  who  study  cul- 
tures for  a  living. 


For  years,  anthropologists  have 
been  sounding  the  alarm  that  cul- 
tural diversity,  which  they  believe 
is  as  essential  to  our  survival  as 
biological  diversity,  is  under  attack. 
To  illustrate  the  extent  of  this 
problem,  they  often  point  out  that 
of  the  6,000  or  so  languages  that 
were  spoken  at  the  turn  of  the 
20th  century,  more  than  half  have 
vanished,  threatening  the  distinct 
cultural  identities  of  many  peoples 
around  the  world. 

About  six  years  ago,  we  cre- 
ated a  department  within  the 
Academic  Affairs  division  to 
address  these  urgent  cultural 
issues.  The  mission  of  this  depart- 
ment, called  the  Center  for 
Cultural  Understanding  and 
Change  (CCUC),  is  to  promote 
understanding  and  respect  for 
cultural  diversity  through  the 
use  of  the  Museum's  various 
anthropological  resources. 

Recently,  CCUC  has  been 
using  more  and  more  of  these 
resources  to  bring  the  cultural 
crisis  to  the  forefront  of  public 
attention  and  to  understand  the 
effect  it  is  having  on  the  interna- 
tional and  local  cultural  landscape. 

With  the  many  different  cul- 
tures and  traditions  practiced  here, 
Chicago  is  really  a  microcosm  of 
the  diversity  found  around  the 
world.  At  times,  this  diversity  can 
lead  to  confusion  and  conflict 
among  diverse  groups —  which 
often  spills  over  into  our  school- 
yards, neighborhoods  and  places  of 
work.  Part  of  the  solution  to  this 
problem  is  to  educate  people  about 
the  many  contributions  different 
cultures  have  made  to  our  lives  and 
how  these  cultures  continue  to 
enrich  them. 

To  that  end,  CCUC  developed 
Cultural  Connections,  a  yearlong  pro- 
gram that  exposes  participants  to 
local  cultures  through  the  help  of 


14  ethnic  museums  and  cultural 
centers  in  the  city.  At  these  institu- 
tions, participants  interact  with 
people  from  different  cultures, 
explore  the  collections  housed  at 
these  institutions  and  engage  in 
activities  that  shed  light  on  the 
role  local  cultures  have  played  in 
Chicago's  social,  political  and  eco- 
nomic development. 

On  the  research  front,  CCUC 
and  its  partners  have  created  a  pro- 
gram called  the  Urban  Research 
Initiative  in  which  university  stu- 
dents work  with  community 
organizations  to  learn  how  anthro- 
pological research  methods  can  be 
used  to  study  local  diversity.  So  far, 
the  graduates  of  this  program  have 
investigated  a  wide  range  of  issues, 
from  the  effect  that  gentrification 
has  had  on  Chicago's  West  Town 
community  to  how  generational 
issues  are  reshaping  Chicago's 
Korean-America  community.  In 
addition,  CCUC  is  working  with 
Museum  ecologists  to  foster  com- 
munity conservation  efforts  that 
tap  into  indigenous  peoples'  knowl- 
edge of  the  environment. 

Obviously,  we  can't  resolve  the 
cultural  crisis  alone.  However,  we 
are  dedicated  to  bringing  this  issue 
to  the  same  level  of  public  con- 
sciousness as  the  environmental 
crisis  and  to  lend  our  support  to 
the  many  people  around  the  world, 
as  well  as  here  at  home,  who  are 
fighting  to  protect  and  preserve 
their  cultural  identities. 

You  can  learn  more  about 
CCUC's  activities  and  partnerships 
at  www.fieldmuseum.org/ccuc. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
President  &  CEO 


We  would  like  to  know  what  you 
think  about  "In  the  Field" 


Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Robert  Vosper, 
publications  department.  The  Field  Museum, 
1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496, 
or  via  e-mail  at  rvosper@fmnh.org. 


Save  the  Date! 


Friday,  May  19 

Celebrate  Sue's  unveiling  at  an  action-packed 
Sue  Family  Festival  on  Friday,  May  19!  Start  with  a 
1^  special  5  p.m.  screening  of  Disney's  new  Dinosaur  movie 

in  Arie  Crown  Theatre  on  the  day  of  its  national 
premiere.  Then  join  a  Dino-parade  up  the  lakefront  to  The  Field  Museum  to  see  Sue  in 
person!  Kid-friendly  food  and  lots  of  fun  activities  make  this  a  night  to  remember. 

Tickets  are  limited,  so  call  now  or  respond  with  this  postcard  to  receive  a  ticket  purchase  form. 
Sue  Family  Festival  Night  Hotline:  312-665-7552. 

ICS;  I  want  ticket  purchase  information! 


Address 


Phone . 


Pri^fin    +l-fc^i    Owr\r'l^r\wf%* 


BUSINESS  REPLY  MAIL 

FIRST-CLASS  MAIL     PERMIT  NO  7401      CHICAGO  IL 


NO  POSTAGE 

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Inside 


Roland  Kays  reveals  how  the 
Kenya  Wildlife  Service  keeps  the 
peace  between  animals  and 
humans  in  Tsavo  National  Park. 


8 


What  do  diamonds  and  football 
helmets  have  in  common  with 
canoes  and  totem  poles? 


11 


Botanist  William  Burger  retires 
after  34  years  of  collecting  plants 
in  Costa  Rica.  But  don't  expect 
him  to  stop  working. 


13 


An  indigenous  group  from  the 
Amazon  has  used  a  Museum  speci- 
men to  overturn  a  U.S.  patent  on  a 
sacred  medicinal  plant. 

Your  Guide  to  The  Field 

A  complete  schedule  of  events 
for  March/April,  including  pro- 
grams offered  in  conjunction  with 
"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  exhibit. 


K'     "V 

V^S 

iIPI^^S 

fcirrflj^'E^'^^;^^^^  py     HF^H 

^^^^^ 

On  March  10,  the  Museum  will 
unveil  one  of  the  greatest  manu- 
script discoveries  in  the  history 
of  archaeology.  See  the 
Calendar  Section  for  details. 


Africa  was  the  cradle  of 
civilization  for  thousands  of 
years.  So,  why  do  non-Africans 
continue  to  ignore  the  contribu- 
tions Africans  have  made  to  our 
cultural  heritage? 


When  things  go  horribly  wrong 
in  the  field.  Museum  scientists 
are  turning  to  the  heavens  for 
some  assistance. 


INTHEFIELD 

March/April  2000,  Vol.  71,  No.  2 

Editor  and  Designer: 
Robert  Vosper 

Design  Consultants: 
Hayward  Blake  &  Company 


In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum.  Copyright 
©2000  The  Field  Museum.  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  for  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscription.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field 
Museum.  Notification  of  address  change  should 
include  address  label  and  should  be  sent  to 
Membership  Department.  POSTMASTER:  Send 
address  changes  to  In  the  Field,  The  Field 
Museum,  1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago, 
IL  60605-2496.  Pehodicals  postage  paid  at 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

This  issue's  cover  photograpli  is  by  the  Israel 
Antiquities  Authority  of  the  Hosea 
Commentary  scroll. 


useum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing, 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  60605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
www.fieldmuseum.org 


Around  Campus 


Shedd  Aquarium 

With  so  many  depleted  fish  stocks, 
what's  a  seafood  lover  to  eat?  Find 
out  at  the  Shedd  Aquarium's  Right 
Bite  on  Friday,  Saturday  and  Sunday, 
April  21  to  23.  At  this  program,  you 
will  learn  that  you  can  help  protect 
the  health  of  the  oceans  by  avoiding 
depleted  species,  such  as  swordfish 
and  orange  roughy,  and  instead 
select  delicious  alternatives  that  are 
abundant  and  thriving.  The  Shedd 
will  let  you  sample  some  of  these 
"right  bites,"  such  as  mahi-mahi  and 


Alaska  salmon,  during  seafood  tastings 
on  Friday  and  Saturday.  On  all  three 
days,  you  can  win  prizes,  watch 
films  and  partake  in  some  fun  activi- 
ties. Please  call  312.939.2428  for 
more  information. 

Adler  Planetarium 

In  the  StarRider  Theater™  show 
Blueprint  for  the  Red  Planet,  you  can 
take  a  voyage  to  Mars  and  investigate 
the  secrets  of  this  mysterious  red 


planet.  After  arriving  on  Mars,  you 
can  then  play  the  role  of  pioneer  by 
building  a  new  community  and  flying 
through  your  completed  settlement. 
If  taking  a  journey  to  Mars  doesn't 
interest  you,  come  relax  in  the  Sky 
Theater  and  catch  Millennium 
Mysteries,  a  traditional  Zeiss  plane- 
tarium presentation  that  emphasizes 
the  relationship  between  the  cycles 
observed  in  the  heavens  and  calen- 
dars created  on  Earth.  Please  call 
312.322.0304  for  more  information. 


MARCH  .  APRIL  2000     1 


Keeping  the  Peace  in 
TsAvo  National  Park 


Above:  A  Kenya  Wildlife  Service  ranger  escorts  a  group  of  Field  Museum  researchers  through  the  thick 
thorn  brush  ofTsavo  National  Park.  In  addition  to  hungry  lions,  the  park  is  also  full  of  elephants  and 
buffalo  that  will  charge  without  warning  when  they  feel  threatened.  As  a  result,  tourists  and  scientists 
are  not  allowed  to  walk  around  the  park  unless  accompanied  by  armed  KWS  personnel. 


2     IN  THE  FIELD 


Roland  Kays 

Curator  of  Mammals  at  the  New  York  State  Museum 

The  tale  was  just  too  bizarre  to  be  true  —  the  Hair 
Ball  of  Death?  Sarah  Lansing,  my  assistant,  shot  me  a 
covert  skeptical  glance.  Surely  I  didn't  believe  this  leg- 
end. I  responded  with  my  own  skeptical  look.  After 
all,  most  legends  and  superstitions  stem  from  fear  of 
and  mystery  in  the  natural  world.  Lions  have  hunted 
the  thick  scrub  of  Tsavo  National  Park  in  Kenya  since 
before  the  dawn  of  time,  and  humans  have  always 
been  on  the  menu.  Not  surprisingly,  local  tribal  lore  is 
full  of  fearsome  lion  stories.  The  tale  of  the  Hair  Ball 
of  Death  fit  the  legend  profile  so  perfectly  that  we 
assumed  it  was  just  that  —  a  legend. 

Over  dinner  at  our  camp  in  Manyani,  Tsavo,  Kisio 
and  Chui  were  talking  about  the  final  seconds  in  the 
life  of  a  Tsavo  lion.  Sergeant  Kisio,  a  Wakamba 
tribesman  employed  by  the  Kenya  Wildlife  Service 
(KWS),  and  Mr.  Chui  of  the  Kikuyu  tribe  explained 
that  some  lions  cough  up  a  ball  of  hair  just  before 
dying.  In  the  Kikuyu  language  this  ball  of  hair  is 
known  as  a  Kio  Ngero.  Anyone  who  finds  one  will 
have  great  luck  from  that  day  forward.  If  a  man  walks 
around  the  village  with  it  in  his  pocket,  other  men  will 
instinctively  respect  and  fear  him.  But  the  Kio  Ngero 
is  not  easy  to  find.  This  mass  of  feline  hair  does  not 
just  plop  out  onto  the  ground;  it  rockets  forth  from 
the  last  breath  of  this  king  of  beasts  and  usually  disap- 
pears into  the  undergrowth  of  the  African  savanna. 

Imagine  our  surprise  a  few  days  later  when 
William  Mukabane  showed  us  his  Kio  Ngero.  He 
obtained  it  from  a  large  male  lion  he  shot  a  few  years 
ago.  Mukabane,  an  expert  KWS  lion  hunter,  was  help- 
ing us  survey  the  lions  in  Tsavo  as  part  of  an  ongoing 
Field  Museum  research  project.  His  job  is  to  defend 
civilians  from  the  untamed  wildlife  in  Tsavo.  He  is  not 
a  coldblooded  lion  killer,  but  a  friendly  man  with  great 
bush  knowledge  and  a  compassion  for  the  animals  he 
tracks,  as  well  as  the  people  he  protects.  As  a  sharp- 
shooter with  the  Problem  Animal  Control  (PAC)  unit 
of  the  KWS,  Mukabane  has  shot  222  lions  in  the  past 
12  years,  but  has  found  only  the  one  Kio  Ngero. 

Working  with  Mukabane  is  always  interesting.  We 
were  introduced  over  a  lioness  that  had  been  horribly 
gored  by  a  buffalo  and  had  to  be  put  down  before  it 
wandered  into  a  tourist  lodge  or  began  attacking  goats 
in  the  nearby  village.  While  we  were  examining  the 
animal  at  a  KWS  camp,  Mukabane  entered  the  scene, 
led  by  a  wide  smile  and  followed  by  a  little  boy  and  a 
herd  of  goats.  A  tall  man  from  western  Kenya,  he  has 
a  friendly  demeanor  that  offsets  his  large  build.  He 
and  his  family  live  in  the  KWS  compound  where  the 
PAC  unit  is  based.  Like  most  of  the  constituency  he 
protects,  his  family  keeps  a  herd  of  goats.  His  son 
took  the  goats  home  while  Mukabane  told  us  about 
the  unfortunate  lion  at  our  feet  and  the  nature  of 
problem  animal  control  in  Tsavo. 

According  to  Mukabane,  conflict  between  humans 
and  wildlife  is  on  the  rise  in  the  region  and  the  KWS 


Above:  In  1898,  two  maneless  male  lions  like  this  one  stalked  and  ktlled  130 
workers  who  were  building  a  railroad  bridge  in  Tsavo  for  the  British  army. 
Eventually,  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  bridge  killed  the  two  lions  and  sold  their 
remains  to  the  Museum.  For  the  past  few  years,  Bruce  Patterson,  Mac  Arthur 
Curator  of  Mammals,  has  been  leading  a  comprehensive  research  program  to  deter- 
mine why  so  many  ofTsavo's  male  lions  are  maneless.  Kays'  surveys  in  1999  were 
part  of  this  program. 

rangers  in  the  Tsavo  PAC  unit  are  always  busy.  At 
stake  is  the  safety  of  local  herders  and  the  survival  of 
the  threatening  wildlife  populations.  Conflict  with 
humans  is  the  number  one  mortality  factor  for  African 
lions.  If  problem  situations  are  left  unchecked,  lions 
can  be  wiped  out  of  an  area  by  vigilante  herdsmen. 
Mukabane  and  his  KWS  colleagues  are  skilled  experts 
who  remove  offending  individuals  before  the  locals 
take  more  extreme  measures.  The  KWS  rangers  do 
not  enjoy  killing  lions.  In  fact,  they  try  to  stop  con- 
flicts by  scaring  the  animal  away  with  blank  gunshots 
or  by  relocating  the  animal  to  another  region.  If  a  lion 
must  be  killed,  the  rangers  use  their  tracking  skills  and 
bush  knowledge  to  pursue  only  the  offending  individ- 
ual. When  dealing  with  problem  lions,  ranchers  with 
hungry  families  are  not  likely  to  be  as  discriminating. 
The  boundaries  of  Tsavo  National  Park  were  not 
drawn  with  the  human-animal  conflict  in  mind.  The 
heavily  populated  areas  of  Voi  Town  and  the  Taita 
Hills  were  excluded  from  the  park,  and  their  human 
populations  continue  to  grow.  However,  these  areas  lie 
virtually  in  the  middle  of  4,536  square  miles  of  pro- 
tected national  park,  forming  a  human  center 
completely  ringed  by  wildlife.  Other  areas  of  potential 


MARCH  •  APRIL  2000     3 


conflict  encircle  the  park,  including  Masai  ranch  land, 
the  Tanzanian  border  and  a  dangerous  no  man's  land 
buffering  the  Somali  border. 

Tsavo  National  Park  is  an  incredible  landscape  of 
thorn  scrub,  grassland,  rock  and  red  dirt.  A  typical 
view  from  the  top  of  a  kopje  (rock  outcropping)  in 
September  shows  a  parched  wasteland  of  red  sandy 
soil  barely  concealed  by  lifeless  bush  twigs  and  thin 
grass.  Acacia  trees  break  up  the  landscape  here  and 
there,  but  are  nowhere  abundant.  This  is  the  long  dry 
season.  Vegetation  and  rivers  are  so  dry  that  grazing 
animals  are  forced  to  concentrate  around  the  few 
remaining  water  sources.  This  is  the  best  time  to  fully 
appreciate  the  diversity  and  abundance  of  mammal  life 
in  the  park.  Hundreds  of  buffalo  race  for  a  drink  on 
one  side  of  a  water  hole  while  bull  elephants  trumpet 
and  spar  for  control  of  the  other.  This  is  the  fat  season 
for  lions.  Pride  members  find  shade  near  a  water 
source  and  wait  for  dinner  to  come  to  them. 

When  the  rains  return,  Tsavo  is  transformed  — 
the  red  dirt  is  shaded  by  new  leaves  sprouting  from 
the  thorn  bushes.  Ungulates  spread  out  across 
the  landscape  to  harvest  the  bounty  and  drink  from 
the  abundant  small  streams  and  rejuvenated  water 
holes.  The  lion  prides  no  longer  have  it  easy  — 
they  must  cover  much  more  ground  to  find  their 
dispersed  quarry. 

In  the  past  decade,  wildlife  populations  within 
Tsavo  National  Park  have  started  to  recover  from 
uncontrolled  poaching  in  the  1970s  and  1980s.  The 
KWS  anti-poaching  patrols  used  military  methods 
and  shoot-to-kill  orders  to  vanquish  the  poachers.  The 
growing  population  of  animals,  however,  regularly 
cross  out  of  the  unfenced  park  and  into  neighboring 
private  lands,  weaving  their  way  around  towns  and 
through  herds  of  livestock.  It  is  surprising  that  there 
are  not  more  problems  with  Tsavo  wildlife.  Millennia 
of  conflict  with  humans  have  produced  a  guild  of  car- 
nivores that  is  wary  of  humans  and  their  stock,  and 
rural  inhabitants  who  are  used  to  the  ways  of  African 
predators.  Nonetheless,  conflict  does  occur.  Goats  and 
cows  are  the  perfect  helpless  victims  in  comparison  to 
the  savvy  buffalo  and  fleet  gazelle  within  the  park. 
Some  individual  lions  are  unusually  bold;  others 
become  sick  or  injured  and  must  resort  to  easier  prey 
at  the  risk  of  being  shot. 

Field  Museum  scientists  are  studying  the  details 
of  these  carnivore  attacks  by  looking  for  patterns  in 
Mukabane's  reports.  Julian  Kerbis,  an  associate  profes- 
sor at  Roosevelt  University  and  adjunct  curator  of 
mammals  at  the  Field  Museum,  and  Tom  Gnoske,  a 
Field  Museum  zoologist,  predict  a  temporal  pattern  of 
increasing  attacks  during  wet  seasons,  when  lions  are 
hungry.  During  the  dry  season,  the  lions  have  little 

Right:  William  Mukabane  is  one  of  eight  KWS  rangers  in 
Tsavo  responsible  for  dealing  with  problem  animals.  Unlike 
his  colleagues  who  use  automatic  weapons,  Mukabane 
prefers  the  accuracy  of  a  rifle. 


reason  to  risk  attacking  livestock.  Kerbis  and  Gnoske 
will  also  test  the  idea  that  smaller  women  and  children 
are  more  vulnerable  to  deadly  attack  than  men,  and 
that  certain  areas  in  Tsavo  are  more  risky  than  others. 
In  the  end,  it  is  hoped  that  this  study  will  help  identify 
the  most  dangerous  situations  and  help  KWS  rangers 
focus  their  education  and  prevention  efforts. 

Although  killing  livestock  is  the  most  common 
strife  brought  by  rogue  carnivores  around  Tsavo,  mod- 
ern man-eating  lions  are  not  unheard  of.  Trouble 
typically  starts  with  sneak  attacks  on  goats  or  cows, 
which  can  lead  directly  to  attacks  on  humans  when 
herdsmen  try  to  ward  off  the  lions  and  are  themselves 
attacked.  This  has  happened  at  least  six  times  in  the 
past  four  years.  Luckily,  Tsavo-area  herders  have 
learned  to  travel  in  groups,  and  five  of  these  lions  were 
chased  off  before  they  could  finish  the  man  off. 
Unfortunately,  in  the  sixth  case  the  poor  man's  compa- 
triots were  so  scared  by  the  lion  that  they  ran  off  in 
terror  and  the  victim  was  completely  eaten.  It  pays  to 
have  good  friends  in  Tsavo. 

Mukabane  may  be  the  best  friend  of  all.  He  and 
the  other  KWS  rangers  who  staff  the  Tsavo  PAC 
office  travel  all  over  the  region  in  response  to  com- 
plaints about  problem  animals.  Kenya  does  not  permit 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


civilians  to  hunt  except  on  certain  game  ranches;  only 
trained  KWS  staff  are  allowed  to  kill  rampaging  lions. 
If  caught  early,  these  animals  may  be  permanently 
scared  off  by  loud  blank  gunshots.  More  determined 
lions  are  trapped  and  moved  away  from  population 
centers  to  the  National  Park.  As  a  last  resort,  the 
rangers  stake  out  the  area  in  an  all-night  vigil,  perch  in 
a  tree  above  a  recently  killed  cow,  and  wait  for  the  cul- 
prit to  return  to  the  scene  of  the  crime. 

After  a  successful  hunt,  the  lion  is  killed  and  its 
carcass  is  brought  to  park  headquarters  where  the 
skull  and  hide  are  locked  away  to  prevent  black-mar- 
ket theft.  These  specimens  have  proved  valuable  to 
Field  Museum  scientists  who  are  interested  in  the 
genetics  and  morphology  of  Tsavo  lions.  Bruce 
Patterson,  The  Field  Museums  MacArthur  Curator  of 
Mammals,  and  the  other  Museum  scientists  are  work- 
ing with  Mukabane  to  improve  the  quality  of  his  data. 
Using  Field  Museum  tags,  Mukabane  is  now  collecting 
more  information  when  a  lion  is  shot  (e.g.,  location, 
date  and  sex),  preserving  the  full  skeleton  and  arrang- 
ing to  store  the  specimens  at  the  National  Museums 
of  Kenya  in  Nairobi. 

Carnivores  are  not  the  only  problem  in  Tsavo 
National  Park.  In  the  dry  season,  some  elephants  leave 
the  park  boundaries  and  stream  across  private  prop- 
erty in  search  of  food  and  water.  A  group  of  elephants 
can  eat  and  completely  trample  a  small  family  farm  in 
minutes.  African  elephants  are  rarely  intimidated  by 
farmers  who  try  to  scare  them  away  by  banging  pots 
or  machetes.  The  PAC  crew  has  more  success  with 
blank  gunshots  and  can  usually  scare  off  problem  ele- 
phants without  being  forced  to  shoot  them. 

Problems  are  expected  to  increase,  however,  as  the 
park's  population  of  about  8,000  elephants  continues 
to  grow.  During  a  long  dry  season,  Mukabane  is  fre- 
quently called  to  chase  elephants  away  from  farms.  In 
one  situation  a  villager  was  trampled  and  gored  to 
death  as  he  stumbled  between  a  mother  elephant  and 
her  calf  at  night.  Some  conservationists  predict  that 
the  Tsavo  ecosystem  can  hold  40,000  elephants.  When 
asked  what  his  job  would  be  like  with  five  times  more 
elephants,  Mukabane  responded,  "40,000  elephants? 
That  would  be  a  nightmare." 

On  our  way  out  of  Tsavo  we  found  Mukabane  at 
the  Voi  market  and  stopped  to  say  goodbye. 
Mukabane's  friendly  nature  and  reputation  for  bush 
knowledge  are  world-renowned.  His  tracking  skills 
have  helped  many  scientists  and  film  crews  locate  and 
document  the  growing  wildlife  in  Tsavo  and  the  result- 
ing conflict  with  humans.  By  the  end  of  our  survey, 
Mukabane  had  helped  us  track  a  number  of  lion 
prides  and  showed  us  firsthand  the  delicate  and  dan- 
gerous work  of  problem  animal  control  in  Tsavo. 

Now,  as  to  the  Kio  Ngero  —  the  Hair  Ball  of 
Death.  Tracking  and  killing  dangerous  lions  requires 
great  skill,  but  luck  is  also  important.  Mukabane  gets 
his  luck  from  his  Kio  Ngero,  to  which  he  credits  his 
perfect  personal  safety  while  on  the  job.  I  was  privi- 


Above:  Mukabane  found  his  Kio  Ngero  about  five  years  ago  when  he  shot  a  large 
male  lion  that  was  wreaking  havoc  in  the  region.  According  to  Mukabane,  the  lion 
coughed  up  the  object  just  before  taking  its  last  breath. 

leged  to  hold  and  photograph  his  prize.  The  ball  of 
fur  was  about  2  inches  in  diameter  and  sand-colored, 
like  the  body  hair  of  Tsavo  lions.  The  hair  was  tightly 
packed  and  amazingly  smooth  over  most  of  the 
surface.  Historically,  tribesmen  tie  these  to  their  arms 
for  luck,  but  Mukabane  keeps  his  in  his  pocket  or  in 
a  drawer  at  home.  He  said  that  the  hair  ball  has 
brought  him  good  luck  in  his  lion  encounters  and 
with  the  Western  film  crews  that  have  come  to  docu- 
ment his  work. 

So  the  Hair  Ball  of  Death  is  a  true  story.  We 
could  not  deny  it  now  that  we  had  heard  from  the 
most  experienced  lion  hunter  in  Kenya  and  actually 
held  the  evidence  in  our  hands.  But  why  do  lions 
cough  it  up  before  dying?  Which  lions  expel  hair  balls? 
What  kind  of  hair  is  in  the  ball?  We  had  plenty  of  new 
questions,  but  these  will  likely  remain  unanswered 
since  Kio  Ngero  are  so  rare  and  Mukabane  is  not 
about  to  give  up  his  lucky  charm  for  scientific  dissec- 
tion. Given  the  nature  of  his  dangerous  profession,  I 
don't  blame  him.  If  Mukabane  attributes  his  years  of 
success  during  thousands  of  dangerous  field  experi- 
ences to  the  Hair  Ball  of  Death,  how  can  anyone  argue 
with  the  power  of  its  legend?    ITF 

During  this  research  project,  Roland  Kays  was  a  post-doc- 
toral fellow  working  at  The  Field  Museum  on  the  Tsavo 
Lion  Project.  In  January,  he  accepted  a  position  as  the  cura- 
tor of  mammals  at  the  New  York  State  Museum  in  Albany, 
N.Y.  Sarah  Lansing,  Kays'  assistant,  is  a  high-school  senior 
at  Phillips  Academy,  Andover,  Mass.,  and  a  summer  volun- 
teer in  The  Field  Museum's  mammal  division. 


MARCH  •  APRIL  2000     5 


Field  Updates 


What  Does  Africa  Mean  to  You? 


Chapurukha  Kusimba 

Curator  of  African  Archaeology  and  Ethnology 

and  Bennet  Branson 

Curator  of  Asian  Archaeology  and  Ethnology 

There  are  striking  contradictions  in  the  ways  people 
see  Africa's  role  in  the  past  and  present  world.  Few 
people  still  question  that  Africa  was  the  birthplace  of 
the  modern  human  lineage  and  that  it  was  the  only 
home  known  to  humans  until  about  a  million  years 
ago.  Nevertheless,  non- Africans  still  devalue  both  the 
historical  and  contemporary  contributions  that 
Africans  have  made  around  the  globe. 

Before  10,000  B.C.,  Afi-ica's  greatest  contribution 
was  advanced  stone-tool  technologies.  For  instance, 
the  invention  of  the  stone  knife  and  spear  either 
occurred  in  Africa  and  spread  to  Eurasia  or 
occurred  in  Africa  at  the  same  time  as  the  rest 
of  the  Old  World. 

After  10,000  B.C.,  Egyptians  and  other  north 
Africans  began  to  tame  animals  and  raise  food  plants, 
while  Africans  further  south  domesticated  crops  like 
sorghum,  three  species  of  millet,  legumes,  yams,  coffee, 
oil  palm  and  possibly  watermelon.  It  didn't  take  long 
for  Eurasians  to  begin  growing  several  of  these  African 
crops,  including  sorghum  and  two  species  of  millet, 
and  for  Africans  to  begin  raising  such  Eurasian  domes- 
ticates as  cattle,  sheep,  wheat,  barley  and  bananas. 
Genetic  and  linguistic  evidence  shows  that  people,  as 
well  as  crops,  were  moving  in  and  out  of  Africa  during 
this  period,  which  might  explain  why  the  Semitic  (i.e., 
Hebrew,  .\ssyrian  and  Arabic)  and  ancient  Egyptian 
languages  seem  to  have  originated  in  central  Africa. 


Left:  This  62-year-old  Field  Museum  mural,  painted  by 
Julius  Moessel,  shows  French  merchants  purchasing  coffee  in 
Yemen  in  1706.  Coffee  was  first  domesticated  in  Africa  and 
then  introduced  to  Yemen  during  the  first  millennium  A.D. 


Most  people  know  that  civilization  in  ancient 
Egypt  is  now  thought  to  be  as  old  as  in  the  Middle 
East  with  regard  to  such  key  developments  as 
writing,  architecture,  royalty,  written  laws  and 
bureaucracy.  But  few  are  aware  that  Egypt  was  in  close 
and  almost  constant  contact  with  regions 
further  south.  Extremists  on  both  sides  of  the  "Black 
Cleopatra"  controversy  have  tended  to  ignore  the  evi- 
dence that  sub-Saharan  Africa  regularly  supplied 
Egypt  with  workers,  entertainers,  soldiers  and  even 
ruling  dynasties. 

Although  most  direct  evidence  of  what  Egypt  sent 
south  in  return  has  vanished,  one  impiortant  export 
has  survived:  the  Coptic  form  of  Christianity,  which 
was  brought  to  Ethiopia  from  Egypt  more  than  1,200 
years  ago.  The  ancient  rock  churches  of  Lalibela  in 
Ethiopia  bear  witness  to  the  intensity  of  this  early  cul- 
tural interchange  between  the  Nile  Valley  and  parts  of 
sub-Saharan  Africa. 

Around  3,000  years  ago,  trade  between  the  sub- 
Saharan  region  and  the  rest  of  the  world  became 
almost  routine.  For  instance,  the  Egyptians  and 
Carthaginians  were  conducting  overland  trade  on  a 
regular  basis  at  the  beginning  and  middle  of  the  first 
millennium  B.C.  As  early  as  the  first  century  A.D., 
improvements  in  ship  building  and  the  introduction  of 
the  camel  made  it  possible  for  Eurasians  to  trade 
across  the  Indian  Ocean  with  East  Africa  and  across 
the  Sahara  with  West  Africa.  In  northeast  Africa, 
important  urban  centers,  including  the  kingdoms 
of  Kush  and  Axum,  began  emerging  at  this  time.  In 
eastern  and  southern  Africa,  long-distance  trade  stim- 
ulated urban  development  along  the  East  African  coast 
and  in  the  interior,  especially  in  Zimbabwe.  In  West 
Africa,  the  trans-Saharan  caravan  trade  led  to  the 
birth  of  a  series  of  large,  highly  centralized  kingdoms, 
such  as  Ghana,  Mali  and  Songhai.  One  sub-Saharan 
African  group,  the  Almoravids  of  the  upper  Niger 
area,  expanded  northward  beyond  the  desert  in  the 
12th  century.  Conquering  first  Morocco  and  then 
Spain,  they  eventually  established  one  of  the  most 
impressive  dynasties  of  the  Islamic  Middle  Ages. 

So,  why  did  a  negative  image  of  Africa  emerge  and 
persist  even  among  people  in  parts  of  the  world  who 
had  little  or  no  direct  contact  with  Africans?  We  think 
there  are  at  least  three  reasons. 

The  first  is  slavery.  Because  some  parts  of  Africa 
were  p)opulous,  poor  and  militarily  weak,  they  became 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


the  major  source  and  suppliers  of  slaves.  In  Christian 
Europe  and  the  Americas,  although  not  necessarily  in 
Islamic  countries,  slaves  were  low  in  social  status,  an 
identification  that  eventually  rubbed  off  on  all 
Africans,  whether  in  chains  or  free. 

The  second  reason  is  that  as  European  imperial- 
ism grew  in  the  19th  and  20th  centuries,  Africa  was 
forced  from  its  role  as  an  equal  trading  partner  to  a 
supplier  of  raw  materials,  such  as  ivory,  gold,  platinum, 
diamonds,  chromium,  manganese,  bauxite  and  ura- 
nium. Because  Africa  was  seen  as  producing  nothing 
from  its  resources,  it  lost  much  of  its  prestige  among 
Europeans  as  a  major  manufacturing  and  trade  center. 
However,  very  few  Europeans  noticed  that  the  colonial 
and  post-colonial  systems,  which  they  themselves 
erected,  kept  Africans  from  building  plants  to  convert 
their  raw  materials  into  finished  goods. 

Third,  East  Asians  and  Westerners  were  often  "cli- 
matological  chauvinists."  Both  groups  had  light  skin 
and  lived  in  chilly  climates;  so  it  was  quite  natural  for 
them  to  think  that  partial  nudity  was  immoral,  that 
dark-skinned  people  were  inferior  and  that  warm  cli- 
mates encouraged  laziness,  messiness  and 
undisciplined  attitudes.  Europeans  also  believed  that 
Africans  and  people  from  other  tropical  regions  shared 
another  "uncivilized"  trait:  They  bathed  too  much. 
Europeans,  on  the  other  hand,  bathed  infrequently 
and  tended  to  regard  this,  along  with  their  heavy 
clothes,  as  symbols  of  their  civilized  status. 

None  of  these  reasons,  however,  fully  account  for 
Africa's  negative  image,  especially  in  places  like  the 
Far  East  where  people  had  little  historical  contact 
with  Africa.  Yet,  this  image  has  persisted  with  some 
serious  consequences. 

One  such  consequence  is  a  general  lack  of  interest 
in  Africa's  agricultural  and  cattle-breeding  practices. 
Western  experts  have  spent  more  than  a  century  try- 
ing to  persuade  Africans  to  raise  European  and 
American  breeds  of  cattle,  even  though  these  breeds 
do  poorly  in  Africa's  tropical  climates.  Only  recently 
have  breeders  realized  that  African  cattle,  once  consid- 
ered primitive,  are  the  product  of  hundreds  of 
generations  of  carefully  controlled,  patient  and  intelli- 
gent selection.  One  of  the  first  results  of  this  new 
attitude  is  the  introduction  of  the  Tuli  breed  to  the 
United  States.  With  the  quality  of  its  meat  on  a  par 
with  that  of  an  Angus  steer,  its  exceptionally  docile 
nature  and  its  ability  to  thrive  in  spite  of  extreme  heat 
and  drought,  the  Tuli,  which  originated  in  Zimbabwe, 
may  replace  many  of  the  breeds  that  are  currently 
popular  on  American  cattle  ranches. 

Another  consequence  of  this  negative  image  is 
that  much  of  the  material  culture  of  traditional  Africa 
has  disappeared.  For  several  millennia,  African  com- 


munities had  earthenware  industries  that  were  well- 
adapted  to  their  own  functional  and  symbolic  cultural 
needs.  Yet  today,  many  African  nations  import  ceramics 
at  the  expense  of  the  indigenous  industries,  harming 
local  economies  and  leading  to  the  deterioration  of  tra- 
ditional skills  among  craftspeople. 

In  addition,  this  negative  image  has  led  to  the  loss 
of  centuries-old  knowledge  about  architectural  and 
urban-planning  methods  that  work  well  in  the  African 
environment.  In  recent  years,  many  elegant  houses  con- 
structed out  of  indigenous  material  have  been  allowed 
to  decay  and  collapse  without  any  effort  to  preserve 
them.  Others  have  been  remodeled  without  any 
thought  about  how  they  will  fare  in  the  African  cli- 
mate. Additionally,  modern  structures  built  from 
imported  materials  tend  to  be  poorly  designed,  deterio- 
rate quickly  and  are  difficult  to  repair.  This  has  led  to 
the  increased  perception  around  the  world  that  mega- 
slums  are  overrunning  African  cities. 

We  could  cite  more  examples  of  how  this  negative 
image  has  impacted  Africa  and  the  achievements  of  its 
people;  however,  the  point,  we  think,  has  been 
made.  While  many  communities  around  the  world  may 
be  aware  of  how  Africa  has  contributed  to  their  cul- 
tural heritage,  they  seem  to  ignore  the  contributions 
that  Africans  have  made  to  their  lives  today.  The  solu- 
tion, we  think,  is  educating  people  about  Africa's 
contributions  through  programs  developed  not  only  by 
non- Africans,  and  Americans  and  Europeans  of 
African  ancestry,  but,  more  importantly,  by  Africans 
themselves.  When  Africans  can  confidently  and  knowl- 
edgeably  offer  their  heritage  as  solutions  to  the 
problems  of  other  continents,  Africa's  historical  place 
in  the  modern  world  will  no  longer  be  questioned.    ITF 


Below:  At  his 
excavation  site  in 
Mtwapa  on  the 
Kenyan  coast, 
Chap  Kusimba  has 
found  evidence  of 
a  sophisticated 
trade-orientated 
society  that  dates 
hack  to  1000  A.D. 


MARCH  •  APRIL  2000     7 


Field  Notes 


Exploring  the  Anthropology  of 
Diamonds  and  Football  Helmets 


The  following  was  written  by  Gary  Feinman,  chair- 
man of  the  anthropology  department,  and  Bennet 
Bronson,  curator  of  Asian  archaeology  and  ethnology, 
in  response  to  a  letter  they  received  from  a  volunteer. 
In  the  letter,  the  volunteer  asked  for  their  thoughts  on 
the  anthropological  significance  of  some  recent  tempo- 
rary exhibits  showcased  at  the  Museum,  specifically 
"Carrier:  1900-1939,"  "The  Art  of  the  Motorcycle"  and 
"The  Chicago  Bears:  80  Years  of  Gridiron  Legends." 

We  appreciate  your  letter  and  believe  it  deserves  an 
answer  from  both  of  us. 

All  the  objects  in  these  exhibits  are  every  bit  as 
relevant  to  understanding  the  diverse  nature  of 
humanity  as  are  those  on  display  in  our  permanent 
exhibition  halls.  The  jewelry  is  an  especially  obvious 
case  since  designers  at  Carrier  made  so  much  use  of 
non-Western  shapes  and  motifs  found  in  objects 
housed  at  museums  like  ours.  Even  the  reasons  why 
Carrier's  clients  wore  that  jewelry  are  familiar  to  every 
anthropologist.  Rarely  has  status  competition  been 
more  frenetic  than  it  was  during  the  rivalries  among 
the  Euro-American  and  colonial  elite  in  the  first  four 
decades  of  the  20th  century.  In  fact,  as  we  look  around 
the  globe,  it  is  unusual  to  find  status  markers  that  are 
as  functionless  and  arbitrary  as  the  enormous,  exquis- 
itely set  Cartier  gems  favored  by  Indian  maharajahs, 
French  duchesses  and  American  millionaires.  In  gen- 


Above:  Some  of  the  objects  on  display  in  the  recent  "Chicago 
Bears"  exhibit  included  a  Super  Bowl  trophy,  jerseys  worn 
by  some  of  the  team's  greatest  legends,  leather  helmets  from 
the  early  years  of  the  franchise  and  even  Papa  Bear's 
brown  fedora. 


eral,  we  think  the  exhibit  is  strangely  exotic,  highly 
educational  and  in  line  with  what  a  museum  like  ours 
should  be  exhibiting. 

In  addition,  all  the  artifacts  on  display  here, 
whether  in  "Cartier"  or  "Ancient  Egypt,"  were  made  and 
used  in  a  real  human  society.  They  may  seem  over- 
whelmingly exotic,  but  they  are  not  fictional,  which  is 
one  of  the  main  reasons  why  good  anthropology  dis- 
plays are  so  compelling. 

You  also  wanted  to  know  how  we  differ  from  art 
museums.  Well,  we  think  that  in  many  ways  we  are 
very  similar. "The  Art  of  the  Motorcycle,"  for  example, 
meshes  nicely  with  our  traditional  approach,  which 
has  always  been  to  showcase  a  lot  of  art.  After  all,  we 
have  a  lot  of  art  in  our  collections  and,  judging  by  the 
size  and  quality  of  our  artistic  holdings,  we  are  one  of 
the  top  art  museums  in  the  Midwest.  The  anthropolo- 
gists in  our  department  are  in  agreement  with  the 
Solomon  R.  Guggenheim  Museum  (the  developer  of 
"The  Art  of  the  Motorcycle")  that  the  symbolism  of 
motorcycles  can  sometimes  be  as  important  as  their 
uses.  However,  our  only  problem  with  the  exhibit 
was  that  our  New  York  colleagues  chose  too  many 
pretty  and  unusual  machines  to  display,  whereas  we 
probably  would  have  picked  more  routine  and  perhaps 
"uglier"  ones. 

And  this  is  why  Chicago  Bears  memorabilia  were 
worth  exhibiting;  not  because  they  are  ugly,  but 
because  their  beauty  or  lack  of  it  doesn't  matter.  In 
fact,  we  judge  the  appearance  of  the  helmets,  jerseys 
and  trophies  as  surpassingly  important  symbols, 
encapsulating  more  emotion  and  cultural  meaning 
than  most  other  artifacts  in  American  society.  True, 
they  are  on  exhibit  because  they  are  popular,  but 
should  we  take  them  off  display  because  of  this?  No, 
we  should  do  a  better  job  of  educating  the  public 
about  the  anthropological  meaning  of  these  objects. 
In  addition,  we  should  spend  more  time  putting 
these  objects  and  items  in  their  social,  cultural  and 
economic  contexts. 

You  will  be  pleased  to  know  that  most  of  our 
upcoming  exhibits,  such  as  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls,"  are 
more  straightforward  in  their  anthropological  content 
and  contexts,  and  more  reflective  of  the  anthropology 
department's  mission.  However,  there  are  a  few 
upcoming  exhibits  that  are  causing  some  debate  in  the 
department.  One  such  show  is  "Star  Wars:  The  Magic 
of  Myth,"  which  opens  this  summer.  Some  stafi^  mem- 
bers think  the  exhibit  is  a  brilliant  example  of  the 
anthropology  of  human  imagination;  others  view  it  as 
devoid  of  anthropology. 

We  hope  that  you  and  your  friends  will  continue 
to  let  us  know  what  you  think  and  like  about  all  of  the 
marvelous,  diverse  and  curious  things  that  we  plan  to 
exhibit  during  the  year  ahead.    ITF 


8     IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Membership  Department  Announces 
Price  Changes 


On  April  1,  2000,  we  will  be  increasing  membership 
rates  across  all  categories.  These  new  rates  will  be  $60 
for  families;  $50  for  individuals;  $40  for  seniors;  $35 
for  students;  and  $30  for  national  affiliates. 

This  rate  change,  only  the  second  in  12  years,  in 
part  reflects  the  dramatic  increase  over  the  past  few 
years  in  the  value  of  a  Field  Museum  membership,  as 
well  as  some  new  benefits  that  we  will  begin  offering 
this  spring.  The  change  also  coincides  with  the 
Museum's  plan  to  raise  the  general  admission  price  for 
adults  by  $1  on  March  1,  2000. 

Some  of  the  new  benefits  we  plan  to  offer  you  this 
spring  includes  reciprocal  admission  privileges  to  more 
than  225  museums  around  the  country,  such  as  the 
Exploratorium  in  San  Francisco  and  the  Orlando 
Science  Center  in  Florida.  Depending  on  your  mem- 
bership category,  you  can  now  receive  up  to  four  free 
passes  to  special  exhibits  that  can  be  used  at  any  time 
during  the  run  of  the  exhibit  (you  can  even  pass  them 
on  to  friends  and  family).  With  the  upcoming  special 
exhibition  lineup  to  include  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls," 
"Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth"  and  "Kremlin  Gold," 
you  will  be  receiving  up  to  $72  worth  of  tickets  this 
year  alone.  These  new  benefits  are  in  addition  to  some 
improvements  we  have  already  made  to  membership, 
such  as: 

Free  admission  to  Underground  Adventure,  the  new 

permanent  exhibit  that  allows  you  to  explore  the 
world  beneath  your  feet  (admission  for  non-members 
is  $4  per  adult  and  $2  per  child). 

An  additional  day  added  to  Members'  Nights, 
as  well  as  a  change  in  policy  that  allows  you  to 
bring  two  guests  for  free  to  this  annual  behind-the- 
scenes  extravaganza. 

Membership  Updates 

Free  Passes  for  'The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls" 

Members  are  eligible  to  receive  up  to  four  free  passes 
to  see  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  exhibit,  which  is  on  dis- 
play from  March  10  through  June  1 1  (family  members 
can  receive  four  tickets;  all  others  can  receive  tvi/o). 
Passes  are  coded  for  timed  entry  every  half  hour 
from  9  a.m.  to  4  p.m.  Since  we  anticipate  record 
attendance  for  this  exhibit,  we  recommend  that  you 
reserve  your  free  passes  by  coming  down  to  the 
Museum  and  ordering  tickets  for  a  future  date  (no 
service  charge)  or  by  calling  Ticketmaster  at 
31 2. 902.  T  500  (a  service  charge  and  transaction  fee  will 
be  assessed).  Please  remember  that  these  free  passes 
are  in  addition  to  those  you  may  have  already 
received  for  the  Members'  Preview  on  March  8  and  9. 
For  more  information,  please  call  312.665.7700. 


Above:  At  the  new  membership  desk  at  the  south  entrance,  members  can  order  and 
pick  up  tickets  to  special  exhibitions,  get  their  questions  answered  and  even  renew 
their  membership  cards. 

A  new  and  improved  magazine-style  In  the  Field  that 
features  more  in-depth  coverage  of  Field  Museum 
events,  exhibits  and  the  work  of  our  scientists. 

Free  members-only  previews  to  all  ticketed  exhibits 
(this  is  in  addition  to  the  free  passes  described  above). 

As  in  the  past,  you  will  continue  to  receive  a  compli- 
mentary Field  Museum  calendar  and  a  10  percent  dis- 
count in  the  new  Corner  Bakery  restaurant  and  the 
vastly  improved  Museum  Store.  We  appreciate  the 
loyal  support  of  our  members  and  look  forward  to 
serving  you  in  the  years  to  come. 


The  Membership  Department 


Members'  Nights  —  June  8  &  9 

Mark  your  calendars  today  for  Members' 
Nights,  the  annual  extravaganza  during 
which  the  Museum  throws  open  the 
doors  to  its  research  and  collections  areas 
and  lifts  the  curtain  on  exhibits  in  the 
making.  In  addition.  Museum  scientists 
will  be  on  hand  to  discuss  their  research 
and  to  show  off  some  of  the  specimens 
they've  collected  while  conducting  field- 
work  around  the  word.  The  theme  of  this 
year's  Members'  Nights  is  Sue,  who  will  be  on  display 
in  all  her  ferocious  glory  in  Stanley  Field  Hall. 


MARCH  .  APRIL  2000     9 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

3  Calendar  of  Events 

5  Get  Smart 

7  Free  Visitor  Programs 


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The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls 


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Above:  Datingfrom  200  B.C.,  this  scroll  frag- 
ment is  a  portion  of  the  apocryphal  Book  of 
Enoch,  which  is  quoted  in  Jubilees  and  the 
Testaments  of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs,  and 
referred  to  in  the  New  Testament  (Jude  1:14). 


For  the  first  time  in  50  years,  the  Dead  Sea 
Scrolls  will  be  on  display  in  Chicago  in  a 
special  exhibition  at  The  Field  Museum  from 
March  10  through  June  11.  Written  on 
parchment  and  papyrus  more  than  2,000 
years  ago,  these  scrolls  are  one  of  the 
greatest  manuscript  discoveries  in  the 
history  of  archaeology  and  are  rarely  exhib- 
ited outside  Israel. 

The  scrolls  —  which  were  written  in 
Hebrew,  Aramaic  and  Greek  over  a  300-year 
period  beginning  in  250  B.C.  — were  discov- 
ered in  1947  by  a  Bedouin  shepherd  in  caves 
in  the  Qumran  region  of  the  Judean  desert, 
about  17  miles  southeast  of  Jerusalem. 
Following  the  shepherd's  discovery,  archae- 
ologists searched  the  area  and  discovered 
more  than  100,000  scroll  fragments  in  1 1 
caves.  Together,  these  fragments  represent 


about  800  individual  compositions. 
Although  many  of  these  ancient  composi- 
tions are  books  of  the  Hebrew  Bible,  some 
contain  apocryphal  books  found  in  Christian 
and  Greek  scriptures,  while  others  are  sec- 
tarian documents,  such  as  community  laws. 

Portions  of  15  different  scrolls  will  be  on 
display  at  The  Field  Museum,  including  five 
that  have  never  traveled  outside  Israel.  One 
of  those  five  is  a  segment  from  the  book  of 
Deuteronomy,  which  includes  the  Ten 
Commandments.  The  other  four  contain 
language  and  concepts  similar  to  those  later 
found  in  the  Gospels  of  the  New  Testament. 

Many  scholars  believe  that  these  scrolls 
were  created  by  the  Essenes,  a  group  of  sec- 
tarians who  broke  away  from  mainstream 
Judaism  and  set  out  to  live  a  communal  life 
in  the  desert.  When  the  Romans  invaded 
the  region  around  58  A.D.,  this  group  hid 
their  manuscripts  in  nearby  caves.  The 
archaeological  ruins  of  Qumran,  located 
at  the  base  of  the  caves,  are  believed  by 
many  to  represent  the  communal  homes 
of  these  people. 

"Whoever  was  writing  these  documents  was 
not  in  the  mainstream  of  Judaism  at  the 
time,"  says  James  Philips,  an  anthropologist 
at  the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago  and  a 
Field  Museum  adjunct  curator  who  has 
worked  in  the  Sinai  and  Judean  deserts  for 

Lefr:  One  of  the  many  storage  jars  found  in 
the  caves  at  Qumran. 


more  than  35  years.  "We  have  no  idea  what 
happened  to  these  people  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  Qumran." 

Despite  the  probable  connection  between 
Qumran  and  the  scrolls,  a  few  scholars 
believe  the  Essenes  were  not  the  exclusive 
authors  of  these  ancient  documents.  They 
assume  that  at  least  some  of  the  manu- 
scripts were  written  in  Jerusalem  and  later 
deposited  or  hidden  in  the  caves  at  Qumran 
when  the  Romans  invaded. 

The  exhibit,  which  is  coorganized  by  The 
Field  Museum  and  the  Israel  Antiquities 
Authority,  also  features  80  artifacts  from 
Qumran  settlements,  including  coins,  gob- 
lets, sandals,  a  scroll  storage  jar  and  a 
pottery  inkwell.  It  also  contains  books  and 
manuscripts  from  the  collections  of  The 
Field  Museum  and  Chicago's  Newberry 
Library,  as  well  as  a  modern  torah  scroll 
from  the  Spertus  Museum  in  Chicago. 

"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  is  sponsored  by  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints, 
The  Fourth  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chicago, 
Chicago  Sinai  Congregation,  the 
Archdiocese  of  Chicago  and  the  Jewish 
United  Fund/Jewish  Federation  of 
Metropolitan  Chicago.  Additional  support  is 
provided  by  The  Joseph  and  Bessie  Feinberg 
Foundation,  the  Dorot  Foundation,  Claire 
and  Gordon  Prussian,  Marshall  and  Doris 
Holleb  and  Fern  and  Manfred  Steinfeld.  This 
exhibition  is  indemnified  by  the  Federal 
Council  on  the  Arts  and  the  Humanities. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS       1 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Exhibits 


Masks:  Faces  of  Culture 


"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture,"  which  is  currently 
on  display  through  May  14,  presents  139 
masks  from  nearly  50  countries  on  six  conti- 
nents. Ranging  from  prehistoric  times  to  the 
present,  these  masks,  some  of  which  are  on 
view  with  full  costume,  exemplify  the 
exquisite  ciesign,  provocative  imagery  and 
compelling  purpose  found  in  mask-making 
—  one  of  the  most  enduring  forms  of  artis- 
tic expression.  The  largest  global  exhibit  to 
explore  the  visual  power  of  masks,  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture"  unites  visual,  cultural  and 
historical  perspectives  to  present  these 
anthropological  artifacts  as  works  of  art  and 
cultural  icons. 

Throughout  recorded  history,  masks  have 
been  part  of  the  human  experience.  In 
nearly  every  culture,  age  and  inhabited  part 
of  the  globe,  they  have  functioned  as  medi- 
ums of  expression  and  transformation.  As 
works  of  art,  they  embody  dynamic  visual 
energy;  and  as  cultural  icons,  they  present 
the  rich  panoply  of  diversities  and  common- 
alties in  humankind.  The  human  need  to 
mask,  so  vividly  emphasized  in  the  exhibit, 
reveals  a  human  desire  to  transcend  earthly 
limitations,  to  penetrate  alien  environments 
and  to  be  reinvented,  renewed,  strength- 
ened and  protected. 

One  highlight  of  the  exhibit  is  a  230-year- 
old  Siberian  shaman's  costume  discovered  in 
Gottingen,  Germany,  that  has  not  been 
removed  from  its  case  in  more  than  50 
years.  Another  remarkable  piece,  the  oldest 
in  the  exhibit,  is  a  5,000-year-old  funerary 


Above  (from  left  to  right):  Funerary  mask  from  Guatemala,  circa  400  A.D.  to  500  A.D.; 
Dzonoqua  mask  of  the  Kwakwaka'wakw  people  of  Canada,  1800s. 


mask  from  the  Middle  East  that  was  made 
to  resemble  a  grinning  human  skull.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  139  masks  on  display  are  music 
and  video  footage  of  masquerades,  carni- 
vals and  festivals  in  which  masks  play  a 
central  role. 

"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture,"  which  is  free 
with  general  Museum  admission,  was 
curated  by  Cara  McCarty  (the  Grace  L. 
Brumbaugh  and  Richard  E.  Brumbaugh 
Curator  of  Decorative  Arts  and  Design),  and 
John  W.  Nunley  (the  Morton  D.  May  Curator 


of  the  Arts  of  Africa,  Oceania  and  the 
Americas,  at  the  Saint  Louis  Art  Museum). 

The  exhibit  was  organized  by  the  Saint 
Louis  Art  Museum.  The  exhibition  and 
catalogue  were  made  possible  by  a 
grant  from  AT&T.  Additional  generous 
funding  was  provided  by  the  National 
Endowment  for  the  Arts,  a  federal  agency; 
the  Jordan  Charitable  Foundation;  the 
Rockefeller  Foundation;  the  Helen  Clay 
Frick  Foundation;  and  Jefferson 
Smurfit  Corporation. 


Sue  is  on  her  way 


On  May  17,  The  Field  Museum  will  unveil 
Sue,  the  largest  and  most  complete  T.  rex 
ever  discovered. 

When  fully  erected  in  Stanley  Field  Hall, 
Sue  will  stand  13  feet  high  at  the  hips  and 
42  feet  long  from  head  to  tail.  One  of  the 
only  pieces  of  Sue  that  will  not  be  mounted 
is  her  5-foot-long  skull,  which  is  too  heavy 
to  be  placed  on  the  steel  armature  that  will 
hold  together  her  200  or  so  fossilized  bones. 
As  a  result,  the  Museum  will  install  a  cast 
replica  of  the  skull  on  the  skeleton,  placing 
the  real  one  on  display  in  an  exhibit  on  the 
second-floor  balcony  overlooking  Stanley 
Field  Hall.  Here,  visitors  will  be  able  to  get 
an  up-close  view  of  the  predator's  massive 
head,  as  well  as  some  insight  into  the 
mounting  process  and  the  story  of  how  Sue 
ended  up  at  The  Field  Museum.  In  addition, 
visitors  can  view  animated  CT  scans  of  the 


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skull  and  touch  a  variety  of  casts  of  Sue's 
bones,  including  a  rib,  forelimb  and  tooth. 

To  celebrate  Sue's  unveiling.  The  Field 
Museum  will  be  hosting  a  number  of  special 
dino-related  programs  from  May  17  to 
May  21,  including  a  family  event  featuring 
a  special  screening  of  Walt  Disney  Pictures' 
spectacular  new  animated  action  movie. 
Dinosaur,  a  theater  piece  written  specially 


for  The  Field  Museum  that  offers  a  peek 
into  the  life  and  times  of  Sue;  and  a 
family  concert  featuring  the  Chicago 
Chamber  Musicians. 

"Sue  at  The  Field  Museum"  is  made  possible 
in  part  by  McDonald's  Corporation  and 
Walt  Disney  World  Resort.  Additional  exhi- 
bition support  is  provided  by  the  Elizabeth 
Morse  Charitable  Trust. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Calendar  of  Events 


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Above:  Gary  Feinman's  excavation  site  in  Oaxaca,  Mexico.  On  March  18,  Feinman,  the  chair- 
man of  the  Museum's  anthropology  department,  will  talk  about  his  more  than  20  years  of 
fieldwork  in  the  Valley  of  Oaxaca  in  southeast  Mexico. 


Family  Workshop: 
All  About  Movement 

3/11,  4/8  a  5/13 
Saturdays,  9:30  -  10:30  a.m. 

Discover  the  world  around  you  by  examin- 
ing animal  biomechanics  with  the  Green 
Light  Performing  Company,  a  Chicago-based 
theater  group.  During  the  workshop,  fami- 
lies can  get  "down  and  dirty"  exploring 
how  animals  —  such  as  polar  bears  and 
mule  deer  —  move  in,  around  and  through 
the  different  places  they  call  home.  Since 
this  program  is  basically  yoga  with  a  twist, 
participants  are  encouraged  to  wear  com- 
fortable clothes.  "All  about  Movement"  is 
offered  in  three  sessions  and  is  designed  for 
adults  and  children  ages  three  to  five. 
$20  per  participant  for  each  class  ($16  mem- 
bers). Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 

New  Discoveries: 

Unraveling  the  Economy  of  the 

Ancient  Valley  of  Oaxaca,  Mexico 

3/18,  Saturday,  2  p.m. 

In  his  first  public  lecture  at  The  Field 
Museum,  Gary  Feinman,  the  new  chairman 
of  the  anthropology  department,  will  talk 
about  his  more  than  20  years  of  fieldwork 
in  the  Valley  of  Oaxaca  in  southeast  Mexico. 
Specifically,  Feinman,  who  is  also  the 


Adult  Course: 

Mining  the  Museum  —  Exploring 

Identity  Through  Mask-Making 

3/25,  4/1  &  4/8,  Saturdays, 
10  a.m.  -  12:30  p.m. 

Join  Museum  educator  Cyd  Engel  for  an  in- 
depth  journey  into  the  "Masks:  Faces  of 
Culture"  exhibit,  which  uses  139  masks  to 
explore  the  universal  desire  of  people 
around  the  world  to  transcend  earthly  limi- 
tations, penetrate  alien  environments  and  to 
be  reinvented,  strengthened  and  protected. 
The  program  also  will  include  a  tour  of 
masks  from  various  cultures  that  are  on  dis- 
play in  the  Museum's  permanent  exhibition 
halls.  Many  of  these  masks  illustrate  how 
people  around  the  world  have  used  masks 
to  disguise  their  identities  during  celebra- 
tions, ceremonies,  performances  and 
warfare.  After  learning  about  the  reasons 
people  mask,  you  will  retreat  to  a  classroom 
to  create  your  own  mask.  No  prior  art  expe- 
rience is  required.  $70  ($60  members).  Call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


Museum's  curator  of  Mesoamerican  archae- 
ology, will  reveal  the  different  field 
procedures  and  techniques  he  has  used  to 
decipher  the  systems  of  production  and 
exchange  employed  by  the  peoples  of  this 
region.  $12  ($10  students/educators; 
$8  members).  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  or  to  register. 

A  World  of  Words:  Literary 
Reading  with  Jhumpa  Lahiri 

5/27,  Tuesday,  6:30  p.m. 

During  this  evening  of  literary  and  cultural 
exploration,  author  Jhumpa  Lahiri  will  read 
selections  from  her  critically  acclaimed  book 
of  short  stories.  Interpreter  of  Maladies.  Set 
in  the  United  States  and  India,  these  stories 
chart  the  emotional  journeys  of  different 
characters  in  search  of  love  beyond  the  bar- 
riers of  nations  and  generations.  Imbued 
with  sensual  details  of  Indian  culture,  the 
stories  also  speak  to  everyone  who  has  ever 
felt  like  a  foreigner.  As  one  reviewer  noted, 
the  author,  who  was  born  in  London  and 
grew  up  in  Rhode  Island,  is  "a  sensitive 
chronicler  of  the  immigrant  experience,  and 
her  collection  is  wise  and  sophisticated." 
$15  ($10  members;  $12  students/educators). 
Call  312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


Above:  On  April  20,  nature  writer  Peter 
Friederici  will  talk  about  the  amazing  wildlife 
that  can  be  found  in  the  suburbs  of  Chicago. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


New  Discoveries: 

Medicine  Quest  —  in  Search  of 

Nature's  Healing 

414,  Tuesday,  6:30  p.m. 

On  this  night  of  botanical  exploration  and 
adventure,  ethnobotanist  Mark  Plotkin  will 
reveal  how  scientists  are  harvesting  nature's 
pharmacy  in  the  hope  of  finding  cures  to 
some  of  the  world's  nastiest  diseases. 
Plotkin  —  president  of  the  Amazon 
Conservation  Team  and  a  research  associate 
at  the  National  Museum  of  Natural  History 
in  Washington,  D.C.  —  has  spent  15  years 
trying  to  uncover  the  medicinal  "secrets"  of 
the  shamans  of  the  Amazon  rain  forest,  a 
sojourn  made  famous  in  his  book  Tales  of  a 
Shaman's  Apprentice.  With  his  latest  book. 
Medicine  Quest,  Plotkin  takes  readers  on  a 
journey  from  the  freezing  Arctic  Circle  to 
the  burning  jungles  of  South  America  in 
search  of  the  source  of  new  medicines. 
$12  ($8  members;  $10  students/educators). 
Call  312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Lecture: 

An  Evening  with  Elaine  Pagels  and 

Michael  Eric  Dyson 

4/13,  Thursday,  6:30  p.m. 

Join  scholars  Elaine  Pagels  and  Michael  Eric 
Dyson  as  they  explore  "Issues  in  Christianity: 
From  the  Ancient  World  to  the  Modern 
Day."  Pagels  gained  international  acclaim  as 
the  author  of  the  bestselling  book  The 
Gnostic  Gospels,  which  won  the  National 
Book  Critics  Circle  Award  and  the  National 
Book  Award.  Dyson,  an  ordained  Baptist 
minister  and  professor  at  DePaul  University, 
has  been  called  "one  of  the  youngest  stars 
in  the  firmament  of  black  intellectuals." 
In  1993,  he  published  Reflecting  Black: 
African  American  Cultural  Criticism,  which 
won  the  Gustavus  Myers  Center  for  Human 
Rights  Award.  $20  ($15  members;  $18 
students/educators).  Call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information. 


Family  Presentation: 

Dr.  Art's  Environmental  Show 

4/15,  Saturday,  1  p.m. 

For  the  past  20  years.  Art  Sussman,  an  envi- 
ronmental educator  and  creator  of  the 
popular  "Dr.  Art's  Planet  Earth  Show,"  has 
been  developing  fun  and  exciting  demon- 
strations that  teach  adults  and  children 
about  complex  ecological  and  environmen- 
tal concepts.  Using  the  principles  of  matter, 
energy  and  life,  he  provides  the  audience 
with  a  simple,  yet  powerful  framework  to 
understand  how  the  planet  has  been  oper- 
ating for  more  than  a  billion  years  and  how 


Right:  A  Sulka  dance  mask  from  New  Britain. 
On  March  25,  April  1  and  April  8,  you  can 
explore  the  art  of  mask-making  and  the 
different  reasons  why  people  wear  masks. 


the  actions  of  humans  are  threatening  this 
delicate  operating  system.  Members  who 
attend  this  performance,  which  is  free  with 
general  Museum  admission,  will  receive 
free  copies  of  Sussman's  book  Dr  Art's 
Guide  to  Planet  Earth.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

1999  Chicago  MVP 
Chess  Tournament 

4/19,  Wednesday,  9  a.m.  -  5  p.m. 

To  some,  chess  is  art;  to  others  it  is  science. 
Find  out  for  yourself  as  students  of  all  ages 
from  125  Chicago  public  schools  battle  it 
out  for  $10,000  in  scholarship  money  from 
the  David  R.  MacDonald  Foundation.  This 
daylong  tournament  celebrates  the  Chicago 
Public  Schools'  innovative  chess  program, 
which  teaches  students  about  the  art  and 
science  of  chess  through  summer  instruc- 
tion, team  and  private  tutoring,  and 
organized  competitions.  During  the  tourna- 
ment. Field  Museum  visitors  can  watch  as 
the  students  compete  at  three  different  lev- 
els, beginning  with  novice  matches  in 
Stanley  Field  Hall  and  ending  with  the 
championship  match  in  the  Maori  Meeting 
House  at  4  p.m.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  about  this  free  program. 

New  Discoveries: 
The  Suburban  Wild 

4/20,  Thursday,  6:30  p.m. 

Spend  some  time  with  author  and  field 
biologist  Peter  Friederici  and  learn  about 
the  rich  and  fragile  environments  that  exist 
in  Chicago's  North  Shore  suburbs.  During 
this  lecture,  Friederici  will  discuss  his  new 
book.  The  Suburban  Wild,  which  traces  the 
seasons  from  one  spring  to  the  next  in  the 
Chicago  suburbs,  revealing,  along  the  way, 
a  host  of  natural  miracles  and  a  landscape 
less  tamed  than  you  might  imagine. 
Friederici  was  raised  in  Chicago  and  now 
lives  in  Arizona.  His  writings  about  the 
beauty  of  the  American  wilderness,  the  mir- 
acles of  nature  and  the  damage  caused  by 
human  indifference  have  been  widely  pub- 
lished in  magazines  and  journals  across  the 
nation.  $12  ($8  members,  $10  students/edu- 
cators). For  more  information  or  to  register, 
please  call  312.665.7400. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Get  Smart 


The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Opening  Festivities 


March  10-12,  Friday  to  Sunday 
10-3  p.m. 


On  March  10,  The  Field  Museum  will  unveil 
"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls,"  a  temporary 
exhibit  featuring  portions  of  15  different 
papyrus  and  parchment  scrolls  written  in 
what  is  now  Israel  more  than  2,000  years 
ago.  In  celebration  of  the  exhibit's  opening, 
the  Museum  has  designed  a  number  of 
programs  that  delve  into  the  history, 
significance  and  meaning  of  these  ancient 
religious  and  secular  manuscripts.  All 
opening  weekend  activities  are  free  with 
general  Museum  admission.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  a  more  complete  and 
detailed  list  of  programs. 

Family  Activities 

Friday,  Saturday  &  Sunday, 
March  10,  11  &  12 
10  a.m.  -  3  p.m. 

During  the  family  activities  portion  of  the 
festival,  you  can  learn  about  the  science 
used  to  unmask  the  mysteries  of  the  scrolls 
and  watch  as  a  Jewish  safer  (scribe)  demon- 
strates the  art  of  scroll  writing.  Younger 
visitors  can  put  together  a  map  of  the 
Middle  East  or  piece  together  fragments 
of  a  scroll. 

Exhibit  Meet  and  Greet 

Friday  &  Saturday,  March  10  &  11 
10:30  -  1 1:30  a.m. 

Listen  as  a  Field  Museum  scientist,  designer 
and  exhibit  coordinator  offer  their  insights 
into  the  development  of  the  exhibit,  the 
significance  of  the  manuscripts  and  some  of 
the  controversies  surrounding  the  scrolls. 


/thove:  In  addition  to  the  IS  icrolh  that  will  he  on  display  in  the  exhibit  are  more  than  80  arti- 
facts that  were  found  in  and  around  the  Qumran  caves.  These  objects  include  storage  jars,  coins, 
inkwelb,  baskets  and  these  two  combs,  which  were  used  for  straightening  hair  and  removing  lice. 


Family  Presentation: 
Storytelling  and  Puppetry 

Friday  &  Saturday  March  10  &  11 
1 1  a.m.,  1  p.m.  &  2  p.m. 

Watch  as  Marilyn  Price,  a  storyteller  and 
puppeteer,  shows  how  the  values  espoused 
in  the  2,000-year-old  scrolls  can  be  applied 
to  modern  life.  Price  also  will  lead  a  story- 
telling and  scroll-writing  family  workshop 
on  Saturday,  March  25. 


Sunday  Symposium: 
Opening  Lecture 

Sunday,  March  12,  2  p.m. 

Listen  to  Eric  Meyers  of  Duke  University  dis- 
cuss the  historical  development  of  Judaism 
and  Christianity.  Meyers'  appearance  is  part 
of  an  ongoing  series  of  lectures  in  which 
world-renowned  experts  will  explore  the 
content  and  controversies  surrounding  the 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls. 


Africa:  From  Eritrea  with  Love 


On  Display  Through  July  2,  2000 

The  exhibit  "Africa:  From  Eritrea  with 
Love"  presents  paintings  by  Betty  LaDuke 
that  capture  the  diverse  cultures  of 
Eritrea,  one  of  the  youngest  nations  in 
northeastern  Africa.  LaDuke,  a  painter, 
activist  and  former  professor  at  Southern 
Oregon  State  University,  first  traveled 
to  this  nation  on  the  Red  Sea  in  1993, 
just  three  years  after  it  won  a  30-year 
struggle  for  independence  from  Ethiopia. 
During  her  travels  there  over  a  four-year 
period,  she  recorded  on  canvas  the  daily 
life  of  the  Eritrean  people,  their  depen- 
dency on  the  region's  mountainous 


terrain  and  their  agricultural  and  spiritual 
practices  and  beliefs. 

Throughout  her  career,  LaDuke  has  devel- 
oped a  number  of  exhibitions  on  cultural 
themes,  such  as  "Impression  of  India. " 
"China,  an  Outsider's  Inside  View"  and 
"Totems  and  Creation  Myths."  She  also 
has  organized  exhibits  of  women's 
art  from  India,  Borneo,  Latin  America 
and  Africa. 

Left:  Saho  Basket  Weavers,'  1997,  acrylic, 
54  inches  by  50  inches. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVBNTS 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


It's  Wild  in  Chicago  2000: 
Taking  Action 

April  1  &  2,  11  a.m.  -  4  p.m.;  April  3  &  4,  10  a.m.  -  1  p.m. 


April  22,  2000,  marks  the  30th  anniversary 
of  Earth  Day,  an  event  that  many  regard  as 
the  birthday  of  the  modern  environmental 
movement.  In  celebration  of  this  anniver- 
sary, The  Field  Museum  will  host  "It's  Wild 
in  Chicago,"  the  kickoff  event  for  Chicago's 
Earth  Day  celebrations.  Together  with 
members  of  the  Chicago  Wilderness  organi- 
zation and  Chicago's  Earth  Month  Coalition, 
the  Museum  will  offer  visitors  a  unique 
opportunity  to  learn  about  the  work  of 
some  100  organizations  that  are  giving  back 
to  Mother  Earth  so  that  future  generations 
will  have  a  healthy  environment  in  which 
to  live. 

During  this  four-day  program,  Chicago 
Wilderness  will  highlight  its  new 
Biodiversity  Recovery  Plan.  This  regional 
action  plan  identifies  the  most  significant 
ecological  communities  in  the  greater- 
Chicago  region,  evaluates  the  condition  of 
these  communities  and  outlines  recommen- 
dations for  restoring  and  protecting  them. 
In  addition.  Field  Museum  scientists  will 
be  on  hand  to  discuss  their  environmental 
research  programs,  shed  light  on  how 
humans  are  impacting  the  biological 
world  and  encourage  visitors  to  become 
more  involved  in  environmental  issues  in 
their  communities. 


--fe>^^ 


::^y 


-^  -'^ 


^tiS^: 


Above:  Chicago  Wilderness  is  comprised  of  90  organizations,  including  The  Field  Museum,  that 
are  working  together  to  restore  the  natural  communities  of  the  Chicago  region.  This  photograph 
was  taken  in  Pilcher  Park,  about  40  miles  southwest  of  Chicago. 


"It's  Wild  in  Chicago"  also  will  include  a 
number  of  fun  activities  for  visitors  of  all 
ages,  including  puppet  shows,  scientific  pre- 
sentations and  musical  performances  by  the 
likes  of  the  Green  Light  Performing 
Company  and  musician  Stan  Slaughter,  who 


has  written  more  than  30  award-winning 
songs  and  melodies  about  the  environment. 

"It's  Wild  in  Chicago"  is  free  with  general 
Museum  admission.  Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information. 


The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Performing  Arts  Programs 


Join  the  Museum  for  a  series  of  musical  and 
artistic  performances  that  examine  the 
cultural  and  historical  significance  of  the 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls.  All  programs  are  $15 
($10  members;  $12  students/seniors)  unless 
otherwise  noted. 

Shesh-Besh 

Sunday,  April  9,  7  p.m. 
Shesh-Besh  is  an  ensemble  of  four  musicians 
from  Israel  whose  sounds  and  melodies 
meld  classical  and  jazz  music  with  tradi- 
tional elements  from  the  Middle  East  and 
the  Far  East. 

The  Golden  Age 

Monday,  April  10,  7  p.m. 
Listen  to  Ofri  Eliaz  and  the  Sahar  Ensemble 
explore  the  music  of  the  Sephardic  Jews, 
who  settled  in  North  Africa,  the  Balkans, 
Turkey,  Greece  and  present-day  Israel  after 
being  expelled  from  Spain  in  1492. 


To  the  Land  of  Sheba 
and  Back  Again 

Sunday  April  16,  11  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m. 
Through  storytelling  and  song,  Zipporah 
Sibahi  Greenfield  will  explore  the  role  of 
women  in  the  Jewish  family  and  the  fasci- 
nating culture  preserved  by  Jews  in  Yemen. 
Free  with  general  admission. 

Live  at  The  Field! 
Body  Scriptures 

Saturday,  June  3,  8  p.m. 
Watch  the  world-renowned  Liz  Lerman 
Dance  Exchange  perform  material  from 
their  ongoing  project  that  examines  the 
role  of  faith  and  identity  in  community. 
Call  312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


Right:  Singer  Ofri  Eliaz  will  perform  the 
music  of  the  Sephardic  Jews  with  the  Sahar 
Ensemble  on  April  10. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Above:  During  the  "It's  Wild  in  Chicago"  festival  in  April,  visitors  can  learn  about  the  rich  biolog- 
ical diversity  that  surrounds  Chicago.  This  photograph  was  taken  in  November  at  Hogwash 
Slough  in  Palos  Hills,  III,  about  20  miles  southwest  of  downtown  Chicago. 


Every  Saturday  and  Sunday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 
Learn  new  songs  and  stories,  and  have  fun 
creating  artwork  in  the  Grainger  Gallery  — 
all  in  a  20-minute  program  sponsored  by 
The  Siragusa  Foundation  Early  Childhood 
Initiative.  In  March  and  April,  you  can  hear 
stories  about  a  heroine  in  the  tundra,  ani- 
mals that  spend  their  lives  underground 
and  the  beauty  and  diversity  of  the  wilder- 
ness that  surrounds  Chicago. 

Interpretative  Stations  Activities.  Drop  by 
hands-on  stations  located  throughout  the 
Museum  (check  informational  directories 
for  daily  listings)  and  delve  into  the  fasci- 
nating world  of  natural  history. 

March  4  —  Saturday 

9  a.m.  -  3:30  p.m.  Ibeji  2000  International 
Festival:  Creation  Stories  and  Dances  of 
Women.  Celebrate  the  first  Women's 
History  Month  of  the  new  millennium  by 
taking  advantage  of  musical  performances, 
craft  demonstrations  and  storytelling.  The 
Ibeji  2000  festival  seeks  to  unite  women  of 
different  social  backgrounds  and  traditions 
in  order  to  explore  the  universality  of 
women's  aims,  goals  and  purposes. 


March  10  —  Friday 

11  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Family 
Field  Days.  Visitors  are  invited  to  discover 
the  mysteries  surrounding  the  Dead  Sea 
Scrolls,  one  of  the  greatest  manuscript  dis- 
coveries in  the  history  of  archaeology. 
Programming  will  include  demonstrations, 
storytelling  and  highlight  tours  of  the 
exhibit.  See  "Exhibit"  page  in  the  calendar 
section  for  more  information. 

March  11  —  Saturday 

11  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Family 
Field  Days.  See  March  10. 

1:30  p.m.  Tibet  Today  and  Bhutan,  Land  of 
the  Thunder  Dragon.  This  slide  presentation 
takes  you  to  places  now  open  to  tourists  in 
Tibet  and  the  Himalayan  Buddhist  country 
of  Bhutan. 

March  12  —  Sunday 

11  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Family 
Field  Days.  See  March  10. 

2  p.m.  -  4  p.m.  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Sunday 
Symposia:  Second  Temple  Judaism  and  the 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls.  As  an  introduction  to  the 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Symposia,  Eric  Meyers,  a 
professor  at  Duke  University,  will  share  his 


thoughts  on  the  religious  sects  that  once 
inhabited  Qumran,  the  site  in  the  Judean 
desert  where  a  Bedouin  shepherd  discov- 
ered the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls. 

March  18  —  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
Join  scientists  from  the  U.S.  Department 
of  Agriculture  to  learn  about  soil  science 
and  careers  relating  to  agriculture.  The 
scientists  also  will  discuss  how  they 
work  to  educate  the  public  about  the 
importance  of  soil,  one  of  the  planet's  most 
valuable  resources. 

April  1  —  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  —  4  p.m.  Festival:  It's  Wild  in 
Chicago  2000.  To  kick  off  the  first  Earth 
Month  of  the  new  millennium.  The  Field 
Museum  will  host  "It's  Wild  in  Chicago 
2000,"  a  festival  comprising  activities, 
demonstrations  and  performances  designed 
to  introduce  families,  kids,  school  groups 
and  other  visitors  to  issues  of  local  conserva- 
tion. See  "Get  Smart"  page  in  the  calendar 
section  for  more  information. 

Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance:  Stan  Slaughter. 
Experience  the  amazing  sounds  of  award- 
winning  "eco-troubadour"  Stan  Slaughter, 
who  uses  his  music  to  educate  the  public 
about  sustainable  environmental  practices. 

April  2  —  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  Festival:  It's  Wild  in  Chicago 
2000.  See  April  1. 

Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance:  Stan  Slaughter. 
See  April  1. 

April  3  —  Monday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  Festival:  It's  Wild  in  Chicago 
2000.  The  featured  performers  for  this  day 
of  environmental  celebration  will  include 
the  Green  Light  Performing  Company  at 
noon  and  Hody  Coyote,  a  puppeteer  whose 
performance  at  11  a.m.  will  focus  on  the 
natural  wonders  of  prairie  ecosystems. 
See  the  "Get  Smart"  page  in  the  calendar 
section  for  more  information. 

10:30  a.m.  Performance:  Stan  Slaughter. 
See  April  1. 

Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Take  a  guided  tour  of  the  exhibits  that 
make  this  Museum  one  of  the  world's 
finest  and  learn  about  the  history  of 
these  displays.  Tours  are  offered  Monday 
through  Friday  at  1 1  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 
Check  the  informational  directories  for 
weekend  tours. 


i 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


April  4  —  Tuesday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  Festival:  It's  Wild  in  Chicago 
2000.  The  featured  performers  for  this  day 
of  environmental  celebration  will  include 
the  Green  Light  Performing  Company  at 
noon  and  Hody  Coyote,  a  puppeteer  whose 
performance  at  1 1  a.m.  will  focus  on  the 
natural  wonders  of  prairie  ecosystems. 

See  the  "Get  Smart"  page  in  the  calendar 
section  for  details. 

April  15  —  Saturday 

Noon  -  3  p.m.  Hall  Demonstrations:  Artists 
In  the  Field.  Watch  student  artists  from  The 
School  of  the  Art  Institute  demonstrate  the 
drawing  and  painting  techniques  they  use 
to  capture  the  beauty  of  the  Museum's 
many  dioramas  and  cultural  artifacts. 

1  p.m.  Presentation  &  Book  Signing: 
Dr.  Art's  Environmental  Show.  Join  Art 
Sussman,  a  world-renowned  scientist  and 
environmental  educator,  as  he  makes  sci- 
ence come  alive  in  this  exciting  show  for  all 
ages.  As  an  added  bonus.  Field  Museum 
members  who  attend  this  free  program  will 
receive  a  complimentary  copy  of  Art's  book. 
Dr.  Art's  Guide  to  Planet  Earth. 

April  16  —  Sunday 

11  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m.  Storytelling:  To  the 
Land  of  Sheba  and  Back  Again.  Storyteller 


Zipporah  Sibahi  Greenfield  will  transport 
you  back  in  time  to  a  distant  land  filled 
with  unfamiliar  melodies.  Greenfield  has 
designed  her  performances  to  shed  light  on 
the  role  of  women  in  the  Jewish  family. 

April  19  —  Wednesday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  The  1999  Chicago  MVP  Chess 
Tournament.  The  Field  Museum  is  proud  to 
host  the  1999  Most  Valuable  Player  Chess 
Tournament,  an  event  celebrating  the 
Chicago  Public  Schools'  chess  program.  See 
the  "Calendar"  pages  for  more  information. 

April  22  —  Saturday 

11  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Earth  Day  Festivities.  Enjoy 
a  variety  of  environmental  programs  and 
activities  designed  to  help  you  celebrate 
Earth  Day. 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 

See  March  18. 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Interpretive  Station:  Mud 
Management.  Learn  about  soil  and  the 
work  of  soil  scientists  through  activities  that 
demonstrate  soil  classification  techniques, 
the  tools  used  to  study  soil  and  the  differ- 
ent types  of  life  forms  that  inhabit  the  soil. 


Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through  a  vari- 
ety of  resources,  including  computer 
programs,  books,  activity  boxes  and  much 
more  at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and  the 
Daniel  F.  &  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research 
Station.  Open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 
See  below  for  information  on  the  Webber 
Resource  Center  and  the  Crown  Family  Place 
for  Wonder. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on  the 
Great  Plains.  Open  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 
on  weekends  and  at  1  p.m.  during  weekdays. 
Check  the  informational  directories  or  the 
sign  in  front  of  the  lodge  for  program  times. 

Ruatepupuke: 

The  Maori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people  of 
New  Zealand  at  their  treasured  and  sacred 
Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work  on  a 
variety  of  dinosaur  bones.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 


Please  Excuse  our 
Renovations 

We  are  on  the  move!  As  you  plan  your  next 
visit  to  The  Field  Museum,  you  should  note 
that  some  of  our  exhibit  halls  and  resource 
centers  are  temporarily  closed  for  reorgani- 
zation. These  include  the  Crown  Family 
Place  for  Wonder,  the  Webber  Gallery, 
Webber  Resource  Center,  and  Place  for 
Wonder  —  all  of  which  will  reopen  this 
summer.  Although  the  new  "Ancient 
Mesoamerica  and  North  America"  hall  will 
not  be  complete  until  mid-July,  sections  of  it 
are  currently  available  for  public  viewing.  In 
addition,  portions  of  our  North  American 
archaeology  collections,  including  some  of 
the  Hopewell  material,  are  currently 
unavailable  to  the  public.  The  reinstallation 
of  these  collections  will  occur  in  stages 
beginning  in  late  winter.  This  summer,  the 
Museum  also  will  be  opening  a  Plains  and 
Southwest  Native  American  Gallery.  For 
more  information,  please  call  312.665.7400. 


Above:  Join  students  from  The  School  oj  the  Art  Institute  on  April  15  as  they  reveal  the  secrets  to 
painting  the  Museum's  world-renowned  dioramas,  such  as  this  one  of  mule  deer  in  the  "Nature 
Walk"  exhibit. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MARCH/APRIL  2000 


8       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Field  Updates 


Satellite  Phones  Keep  Field  Museum 
Scientists  Out  of  Trouble 


Robert  Vosper 

Just  about  every  medical  emergency  imaginable  has 
befallen  a  Field  Museum  expedition  at  one  time  or 
another.  For  instance,  scientists  in  the  field  have  bro- 
ken their  legs,  been  bitten  by  deadly  venomous  snakes, 
stricken  with  acute  appendicitis  and  contracted  a  slew 
of  unpronounceable  tropical  diseases.  Since  most  of 
these  emergencies  occur  in  remote  locations  far  from 
civilization,  the  expedition  team  usually  carries  their 
fallen  comrade  out  of  the  field  on  their  backs.  And 
although  nobody  has  died  in  the  field  in  recent  years, 
the  concern  hangs  over  the  head  of  every  scientist  who 
conducts  fieldwork. 

To  help  alleviate  that  concern.  Motorola  Inc. 
recently  donated  six  satellite  phones  that  work  off  the 
new  Iridium  System,  a  network  of  66  low-orbit  satel- 
lites 485  miles  above  the  Earths  surface.  This  network 
allows  you  to  call  anyone  in  the  world,  whether  you 
are  in  the  Andes,  the  African  savanna,  the  Amazon 
rain  forest  or  the  middle  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

"If  one  of  your  researchers  is  in  Afi^ica,  for  exam- 
ple, and  calls  The  Field  Museum,  their  voice  will  travel 
from  one  satellite  to  the  next  and  then  down  to  a  gate- 
way (a  land-based  switching  station)  where  it  will 
travel  through  a  land  line  to  Chicago,"  says  Eva 
Valentine,  a  spokeswoman  for  Motorola's  satellite 
phone  division. "Basically,  it  will  help  them  keep  in 
touch  when  they  are  in  places  where  there  is  no  com- 
munication or  they've  gone  outside  the  boundaries  of 
traditional  terrestrial  cellular  sites." 

In  addition  to  expanding  the  range  of  wireless 
communication,  these  state-of-the-art  phones  are  ideal 
for  fieldwork:  They  weigh  only  16  ounces  and  can  run 
on  a  high-capacity  battery  that  provides  72  hours  of 
standby  time  and  nearly  eight  hours  of  continuous 
talk  time.  The  phones,  which  can  be  recharged  with 
an  optional  solar  charger,  also  can  receive  voice  and 
written  messages. 

So  far.  Field  Museum  scientists  have  used  these 
phones  during  fieldwork  in  North  America,  South 
America  and  Africa.  Although  no  one  has  had  to  use 
the  phones  in  an  emergency,  they  have  found  them  to 
be  invaluable  logistical  tools.  For  example,  Bruce 
Patterson,  MacArthur  Curator  of  Mammals;  Doug 
Stotz,  a  conservation  ecologist;  and  Sergio  Solari,  a 
research  associate,  used  the  phones  to  reprovision 
their  field  camp  in  Manu,  a  five-million-acre  nature 
preserve  located  on  the  remote  edge  of  the  Amazon 
Basin  in  Peru. 

For  nearly  nine  weeks  this  past  fall,  these  Field 
Museum  scientists,  joined  by  a  small  army  of  biolo- 
gists, trekked  through  the  rain  forests  of  Manu 
conducting  biological  surveys  along  an  elevation  gradi- 
ent of  1,320  feet  to  11,550  feet  above  sea  level. 


"The  schedule  of  this  fieldwork  required  that  we 
head  out  to  camp,  spend  three  weeks  sampling  birds, 
mammals,  ticks,  fleas,  bat  flies  and  lice;  then  picking  up, 
moving  to  another  site  along  this  gradient  and  doing  it 
all  over  again,"  Patterson  says. 

With  each  move,  the  team  had  to  resupply  the  camp 
with  food  and  replace  broken  equipment.  In  the  past, 
this  meant  someone  would  have  to  miss  at  least  three 
days  of  fieldwork  traveling  to  and  from  Cuzco,  the  near- 
est town.  However,  on  this  trip  the  scientists  were  able 
to  use  the  phones  to  call  a  colleague  in  town  who  sent 
the  needed  supplies  by  bus. 

"I  really  wouldn't  have  wanted  to  do  this  Peruvian 
project  without  these  phones,"  Patterson  says. "They  are 
that  vital  to  the  coordination  of  our  fieldwork.  Basically, 
they  gave  us  the  flexibility  to  cope  with  changing  needs 
and  problems." 

Patterson  also  found  one  other  use  for  the  phones: 
While  in  Manu,  he  called  his  4-year-old  son,  Dan,  to 
wish  him  a  happy  birthday. 

"I  spent  a  total  of  five  months  in  the  field  last  year, 
which  is  insane.  For  somebody  like  me,  these  phones 
make  a  big  difference  in  terms  of  security,  convenience 
and  keeping  my  family  supportive  of  my  work.  And  it 
really  makes  the  difference  for  my  son  to  be  able  to  call 
me  when  I  am  working  on  the  other  side  of  planet."    ITF 


Above:  The  new  Motorola  Satellite  Series  9505  portable 
phone  is  water,  shock  and  dust  resistant,  and  can  be  used  as 
either  a  satellite  or  cellular  phone. 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


Botany  Curator  Retires  After  34  Years  of  Service 


Robert  Vosper 

There  isn't  much  that  William  Burger,  curator  of  vas- 
cular plants,  would  change  about  his  life. 

"I  was  awfully  lucky,  gee,  was  I  lucky,"  remarks 
the  65-year-old  botanist,  who  announced  on  Dec.  31, 
1999,  that  he  was  retiring  after  34  years  of  service  to 
the  Museum. 

"I  really  can't  think  of  doing  anything  different. 
Part  of  that  reflects  my  personality.  I  simply  don't  have 
the  kind  of  personality  that  would  have  allowed  me  to 
succeed  in  business,  medicine  or  law." 

However,  his  personality  was  well-suited  for 
botany,  where  he  became  a  world-renowned  expert  on 
the  flowering  plants  of  Costa  Rica. 

Ironically,  Burger,  who  grew  up  on  the  streets  of 
Manhattan  in  the  1930s  and  1940s,  admits  that  botany 
wasn't  what  he  really  wanted  to  study. 

"What  I  really  wanted  to  do  was  study  insects,  but 
the  premeds  at  Columbia  University  were  so  competi- 
tive that  I  couldn't  score  higher  than  a  B  in  zoology. 
So,  when  it  came  to  applying  to  graduate  school,  I 
decided  that  I  had  a  better  chance  in  botany  where 
I  had  gotten  an  A.  It  worked  out  pretty  well,  don't 
you  think?" 

It  did.  After  graduating  from  Columbia  with  a 
B.A.  in  biology  in  1953,  Burger  was  drafted  by  the 
Army  and  sent  to  Western  Europe  where  he  served  as 
a  soil  analyst.  After  returning  stateside  two  years  later, 
he  used  the  GI  Bill  to  help  pay  his  way  through  gradu- 
ate school  at  Cornell  University  and  earn  his  Ph.D.  at 
Washington  University.  It  was  in  St.  Louis  that  his  life 
took  a  dramatic  change  when  he  decided  in  July  1961 
to  enroll  in  a  teaching  program  at  an  agricultural  col- 
lege in  Ethiopia. 

"This  was  an  incredible  experience,"  says  Burger, 
who  spent  four  years  at  the  college  teaching  plant  tax- 
onomy. "Within  a  three-hour  Jeep  ride  we  could  be  in 
subdesert  grassland,  acacia  thorn  bush  or  agricultural 
areas  that  were  once  broadly  forested.  We  also  could 
trek  into  the  mountains  to  explore  evergreen  forests 
and  unique  alpine  habitats." 

But  his  time  in  this  botanical  paradise  was  soon  to 
be  over.  During  a  break  from  teaching  in  1964,  he 
attended  a  botanical  conference  in  Scotland  where  he 
met  former  Field  Museum  botany  chair  Louis 
Williams.  Williams  was  so  impressed  by  the  young 
botanist  that  he  asked  Burger  on  the  spot  to  help  him 
start  a  research  and  collecting  program  in  Costa  Rica. 
Knowing  that  this  was  a  chance  of  a  lifetime.  Burger 
agreed  to  relocate  to  the  urban,  mountain-starved 
landscape  of  Chicago. 

For  the  next  three  decades.  Burger  immersed  him- 
self in  the  botanical  world  of  Costa  Rica,  spending  on 
average  one  month  each  year  in  the  field  collecting 
plants  for  the  Museum's  herbarium,  studying  the 


Above:  William  Burger  taking  some  photographs  of  coconut 
palms  at  Punta  Cahuita,  Costa  Rica,  in  1981. 

regions  plant  diversity  and  developing  a  comprehen- 
sive survey  of  all  the  flowering  plants  of  Costa  Rica. 

"His  work  in  Costa  Rica  is  really  seminal,"  says 
Gregory  Mueller,  chair  of  the  botany  department. 
"His  plant  treatments  are  so  elucidating  that  everyone 
wants  to  use  them.  The  other  thing  that  makes  his 
work  so  important  is  that  he  chose  the  most  difficult 
flowering-plant  families  to  study.  He  also  has  been  a 
valuable  member  of  the  department,  serving  eight 
years  as  the  botany  chair  and  six  years  as  editor  of 
the  Museum's  scientific  journal." 

His  sense  of  service,  however,  was  not  just 
reserved  for  his  department.  Throughout  his  career, 
he  has  gone  out  of  his  way  to  provide  assistance  to  the 
education,  fund-raising  and  exhibition  departments. 
But  to  Burger,  this  is  only  part  of  the  story.  What  he  is 
most  proud  of  are  his  "nonscientific"  accomplishments. 

"My  daughters  and  my  wife  have  been  the  most 
wonderful  aspects  of  my  life,"  he  says. "The  business  of 
watching  little  human  beings  grow  up  has  got  to  be 
one  of  the  most  satisfying  things  in  life." 

As  for  the  future.  Burger  plans  to  continue  study- 
ing and  collecting  the  plants  of  Costa  Rica,  as  well  as 
leading  Museum  tours  to  Central  America. 

"My  other  plan  is  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  nature 
for  as  long  as  I  can,"  he  adds.    ITF 


MARCH  .  APRIL  2000     1 1 


The  Archives 


From  the  Photo  Archives 


You  can  learn 
more  about  Jame} 
MacEride  at 
www.iacha.org 


Around  noon  on  March  22, 1922,  Museum  botanist 
James  MacBride,  pictured  here  with  an  unidentified 
child  outside  a  bar  along  the  Higaris  River  in  Peru, 
boarded  the  SS  Teresa  in  New  York  Harbor  on  what 
became  the  most  grueUng  eight  months  of  his  life. 

MacBride,  a  29-year-old  newcomer  to  fieldwork, 
had  been  assigned  the  daunting  task  of  collecting  the 
plants  of  the  Peruvian  Andes  —  a  challenge  that 
thrilled  this  native  of  Rock  Valley,  Iowa. 

"We  stood  astern  until  we  could  no  longer  see  the 
Statue  of  Liberty;  then  I  seemed  to  have  started  my 
adventure,  to  me,  a  great  adventure,"  he  wrote  in  his 
field  diary. 

However,  after  a  few  months  of  trekking  across 
the  cold,  rugged  terrain  of  the  Andes,  dodging  roving 
bands  of  thieves  and  trying  to  ignore  the  dysentery 
that  was  ravaging  his  system,  MacBride  had  lost  much 
of  his  initial  enthusiasm. 

"Today,  about  15  miles  further  —  very  tired,  no 
alfalfa  —  a  grain  country  entirely  and  the  people 
either  too  lazy  or  stupid  to  have  hay.  Slept  in  a  field 
and  little  indeed  because  of  taking  turns  watching  lest 
robbers  or  cutthroats  attack  us,"  he  wrote  on  Aug.  18. 

The  Peruvians  weren't  the  only  ones  on  whom 
MacBride  took  out  his  frustrations.  As  the  months 
dragged  on,  he  began  to  lash  out  at  the  W.R.  Grace 
Company  for  constantly  misplacing  money  wired  to 
him  from  Chicago,  the  American  Consul  General  for 
refusing  to  help  him  get  his  collections  through  cus- 
toms and  even  the  Catholic  Church,  which  he  blamed 


for  his  difficulties  in  finding  a  blacksmith  to  shoe  his 
horse  on  Good  Friday. 

"May  God  damn  the  Catholic  Church  —  I  do  my 
part  in  this  regard,"  he  filmed. 

Although  MacBride  may  not  have  been  the  most 
culturally  sensitive  Field  Museum  employee,  he  proved 
to  be  a  competent  botanist,  amassing  a  huge  collection 
of  specimens  during  his  expedition.  These  collections, 
along  with  another  he  made  in  Peru  the  following 
year,  served  as  the  foundation  of  what  would  become 
the  most  comprehensive  collection  of  Peruvian  flora  in 
North  America.  He  also  became  an  accomplished 
author,  writing  a  series  of  journal  articles  about  the 
flora  of  Peru  that  together  stand  as  one  of  the  most 
complete  surveys  of  Peruvian  plants  ever  published. 

However,  these  journal  articles  may  have  been 
MacBride's  undoing. 

As  the  years  passed  by,  MacBride  became  increas- 
ingly obsessed  with  finishing  this  survey,  often  at  the 
cost  of  his  other  curatorial  duties.  Facing  increasing 
pressure  from  his  superiors  to  perform,  MacBride, 
who  was  rumored  to  be  independently  wealthy,  left 
the  Museum  in  the  1940s  to  finish  his  work  in  the 
peace  and  quiet  of  Northern  California,  What  became 
of  MacBride  at  this  point  is  unclear.  According  to  one 
account,  he  was  "swindled"  out  of  his  fortune  and 
became  destitute. 

In  the  early  1970s,  he  entered  a  convalescent  home 
in  California,  where  he  died  fi-om  pneumonia  on 
June  15,  1976,  at  the  age  of  85.    ITF 


12     IN  THE  FIELD 


Ask  a  Scientist 


Do  you  have  a  question  for  one  of 
our  scientists?  If  so,  please  send  it  to 
the  Publications  Department,  The 
Field  Museum,  1400  South  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605,  or  via 
e-mail  to  rvosper@fmnh.org.  Only 
questions  published  in  the  magazine 
will  be  answered.  An  archive  of 
questions  and  answers  that  have 
appeared  in  past  issues  can  be 
found  at  ww.fieldmuseum.org. 
askascien  tist.htm. 

Did  you  kill  the  animals  that  are 
on  display? 

Nearly  all  the  mammals  featured  in 
our  exhibits  have  been  on  display  for 
at  least  50  years,  and  some  for  more 
than  100  years.  At  the  time  they 
were  collected,  mammal  populations 
were  large  and  people  were  accus- 
tomed to  hunting  animals  for  food. 
Consequently,  very  few  people  were 
concerned  at  the  time  about  killing  a 


few  animals  to  put  on  display  at  the 
Museum,  and  perhaps  even  less  con- 
cerned when  they  knew  that  these 
animals  were  helping  to  educate  mil- 
lions of  people.  However,  because  so 
many  of  these  animals  today  are 
endangered  from  overhunting  and 
habitat  loss,  we  could  not  nor  would 
we  want  to  kill  more.  And  because 
we  have  been  able  to  reuse  the  old 
taxidermy  mounts  very  effectively, 
we  only  have  had  to  create  a  few 
new  ones  in  recent  years.  The  ani- 
mals in  these  contemporary  displays 
have  come  from  zoos,  nature  centers, 
state  wildlife  agencies  or  similar 
organizations.  Since  The  Field 
Museum  remains  one  of  the  nation's 
primary  centers  for  both  education 
and  basic  research  on  biological 
diversity  and  environmental  conser- 
vation, we  feel  these  new  displays,  as 
well  as  the  older  ones,  are  a  great 
way  to  educate  our  visitors  about  the 


natural  world  and  illustrate  how 
we  must  change  our  attitudes  and 
activities  if  we  are  to  preserve  the 
biological  diversity  that  remains. 

—  Lawrence  Heaney 
Associate  Curator  and  Head 
Division  of  Mammals 

Why  were  the  arms  of  7;  rex 
so  short? 

We  really  don't  know  why.  What  we 
do  know  is  that  their  arms,  which 
were  about  the  same  length  as  those 
of  a  human,  were  robust  and 
extremely  powerful.  Muscle  scarring 
on  the  arm  bones  of  Sue  indicate 
that  her  forelimb  muscles  were  very 
well  developed.  So,  whatever  these 
dinosaurs  were  doing  with  their 
arms,  they  were  doing  it  with  force. 

—  William  Simpson 

Chief  Preparator  and  Collections 
Manager,  Geology  Department 


Field  Museum  Specimen  Overturns  U.S.  Patent 


An  indigenous  group  from  the  Amazon  rain  forest  has 
used  a  20-year-old  Field  Museum  herbarium  specimen 
(right)  to  overturn  a  U.S.  patent  on  Banisteriopsis  caapi, 
an  hallucinogenic  plant  used  by  shamans  in  a  ceremo- 
nial drink  known  as  "yage." 

In  1986,  the  U.S.  Patent  and  Trademark  Office 
(PTO)  granted  the  patent  to  American  researcher 
Loren  Miller  because  he  had  proved  to  their  satisfac- 
tion that  the  plant  was  cultivated  from  a  domesticated 
variety  (Miller  said  he  found  the  plant  growing  in  a 
"garden"  in  the  Amazon).  More  importantly,  he  had 
proved  that  his  cultivated  plant  was  unique  (it  had 
flowers  that  were  "rose  colored,  fading  to  white  with 
age,"  whereas  all  published  material  about  B.  caapi  at 
the  time  described  the  flowers  as  "pale  pink,  fading  to 
pale  yellow"). 

Naturally,  the  indigenous  group  was  infuriated 
that  a  foreigner  could  own  the  rights  to  a  plant  that 
they  had  been  using  for  centuries.  Eventually,  the 
Center  for  International  Environmental  Law  (CIEL) 
in  Washington,  D.C.,  stepped  in  on  their  behalf  by  fil- 
ing a  Request  for  Reexamination  in  March  1999.  In 
their  petition,  CIEL  attorneys  argued  that  Miller's 
plant  wasn't  unique  because  a  specimen  of  B.  caapi 
with  rose-colored  flowers  had  existed  in  The  Field 
Museum's  herbarium  about  13  months  before  Miller 
filed  his  original  application  on  May  21,  1981.  The 
PTO  agreed  with  CIEL's  assessment,  and  revoked 
the  patent. 


"If  it  (the  plant)  had  been  accessioned  364  days  before 
the  application,  it  wouldn't  have  qualified  under  the 
PTO  statute  and  we  wouldn't  have  been  able  to  use  it 
in  our  petition,"  says  CIEL  attorney  Glenn  Wiser.  "And 
all  the  testimony  in  the  world  would  not  have  con- 
vinced the  PTO  to  reopen  the  case."    ITF 


MARCH  •  APRIL  2000     13 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


In  October,  explore  some  of  the  finest  wildlife  parks  of  south- 
ern Africa  on  a  safari  with  Field  Museum  zoologist  David 
Willard.  While  traversing  through  Botswana  and  Zimbabwe 
in  4-wheel  drive  vehicles  and  small  riverboats,  you  will  see 
many  of  the  region's  most  spectacular  natural  wonders, 
including  the  Okavango  Delta,  Victoria  Falls  and  the 
Hwange  National  Park. 


Fire  &  Ice:  Japan,  the  Kuril 
Islands  and  Kamchatka 

May  21  -  June  1 
Duration:  1 2  days 
Guest  Leader.  Explorer  and 
oceanographer  Don  Walsh 
Price:  Starts  at  $5,490,  not 
including  airfare 

Archaeology  and  Landscapes 
of  China 

May  23 -June  10 

Duration:  19  days 

Museum  Leader:  Archaeologist 

Deborah  Bakken 

Price:  $5,695,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Pacific  Northwest 
Subnfiarine  Safari 

June  30  -  July  4,  or  July  5  -  July  9 

Duration:  5  days 

Guest  Leader.  Marine  biologist 

Joe  Valencic 

Price:  $3,890,  not  including  airfare 


For  more  Information  or 
free  brochures,  please  call  Field 
Museum  Tours  at  800.811.7244, 
or  send  them  an  e-mail  at 
fmtours@sover.net. 


Galapagos  Island  Adventure 

July  19 -July  29 

Duration:  1 1  days 

Museum  Leader.  Conservation 

ecologist  Doug  Stotz 

Price:  $5,725,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Archaeological  Treasures 
of  Peru 

August  25  -  September  6 

Duration:  12  days 

Museum  Leader:  Anthropologist 

Jonathan  Haas 

Price:  $5,995,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 


In  August,  travel  throughout  Peru  with  Field  Museum 
anthropologist  Jonathan  Haas  and  visit  some  of  South 
America's  most  captivating  Pre-Columbian  archaeological 
sites,  including  Paracas,  Nazca,  Cuzco,  Machu  Picchu  and 
Moray.  The  tour  also  includes  an  optional  extension  to  the 
Amazon  rainforest. 


Join  conservation  ecologist  Doug  Stotz 
in  July  on  a  22-passenger  ship  as  he 
explores  the  different  islands  and 
habitats  that  comprise  the  world- 
famous  Galapagos  archipelago.  Along 
the  way,  you  will  get  to  snorkel  with 
sea  lions  and  penguins  in  a  world 
where  the  wildlife  shows  virtually  no 
fear  of  humans. 

Wildlife  of  Southern  Africa: 
Botswana  and  Zimbabwe 

October  6  -  October  19 
Duration:  14  days 
Museum  Leader:  Zoologist 
David  Willard 

Price:  $8,535,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Egypt  Revisited 

October  15  -  October  29 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leader:  Egyptologist 
Frank  Yurco 

Price:  Approximately  $4,445,  includ- 
ing airfare  from  Chicago 

Tunisia  Unveiled 

November  2  -  November  16 
Duration:  15  days 

Guest  Leader:  Willard  White,  former 
V.P.  for  Institutional  Advancement 
Price:  $5,880,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

On  the  Drawing  Board 

Egyptian  Odyssey 
Amazon  by  Riverboat 
Central  America  Under  Sail 


Please  Note:  Dates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subject  to  change.  Prices  are  per  person,  double  occupancy. 


The     Field     Museum's     Me 


The  Natural  Jewels 
of  the  Amazon 


From  the  President 


Unmasking  the  Secrets 
AND  Mysteries  of  Sue 


It  was  a  long  and  nerve-racking 
eight  minutes. 

Here  we  were  bidding  on  the 
worlds  most  famous  fossil  at 
Sotheby's  in  New  York  City  on 
Oct.  4,  1997.  Fortunately,  my  close 
friend  Richard  Gray,  president  of 
the  Art  Dealers  Association  of 
America,  was  doing  the  bidding  for 
the  Museum  and  Peter  Crane,  the 
former  vice  president  of  our 
Academic  Affairs  division  and  now 
director  of  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens  in  Kew,  England,  was  tak- 
ing copious  notes.  The  only  thing 
left  for  me  to  do  was  fidget. 

As  the  price  of  Sue  skyrocketed 
from  $500,000  to  $6  miUion  in  a 
matter  of  minutes,  I  started  to 
think  that  there  was  no  way  that 
the  Museum  could  compete  in  this 
race.  It  seemed  inevitable  that  Sue 
would  be  snatched  up  by  a  private 
collector,  forever  shielded  from  the 
inquisitive  eyes  of  the  public  and 
scientific  community. 

After  about  five  minutes,  the 
auction  suddenly  slowed  to  a 
crawl.  As  it  turned  out,  we  were 


one  of  only  a  few  bidders  left  in 
the  running  at  this  point.  When 
the  auctioneer  reluctantly  slammed 
down  his  hammer  on  our  bid  of 
$7.6  million,  it  took  me  a  few  sec- 
onds to  realize  that  Sue  would  be 
spending  the  rest  of  her  life  at 
The  Field  Museum. 

On  May  17,  we  will  unveil  Sue 
after  two  and  a  half  years  of  clean- 
ing, restoring  and  preserving  her 
more  than  250  fossilized  bones. 
For  months  to  come,  she  will  be 
the  focus  of  intense  media  atten- 
tion, educational  programming, 
scientific  reporting,  dinner  galas 
and  even  a  "Cretaceous  Concerto." 
During  this  time  of  celebration, 
let's  not  forget  why  we  set  our 
sights  on  Sue  more  than  two 
years  ago. 

When  we  competed  for  Sue 
that  autumn  day  in  New  York,  we 
knew  that  her  prehistoric  bones 
harbored  a  fountain  of  information 
about  a  species  of  dinosaur  that 
is  still  a  relative  mystery  to  scien- 
tists. Before  Susan  Hendrickson 
unearthed  Sue's  remains  in  the 
high  plains  of  western  South 
Dakota  on  Aug.  12, 1990,  only 
about  20  T.  rex  skeletons  had  ever 
been  found  —  almost  all  less  than 
60  percent  complete.  Sue  is  not 
only  90  percent  complete,  but  also 
is  larger  and  significantly  better 
preserved  than  these  other  speci- 
mens. As  a  result.  Museum 
scientists  are  gradually  uncovering 
some  long-held  secrets  of  T.  rex, 
such  as  how  the  animal  moved, 
whether  or  not  it  was  a  skilled 
hunter  or  an  opportunistic  scav- 
enger, and  whether  its  evolutionary 
path  led  to  modern-day  birds. 

From  CT  scans  of  Sue's  skull, 
we  now  have  a  better  idea  of  the 
size  of  an  adult  T.  rex  brain  and 
how  developed  this  animal's  senses 
were.  For  instance,  we  recently  dis- 


covered that  Sue  has  a  pair  of 
massive  olfactory  bulbs  (a  part  of 
the  brain  that  receives  scent  signals 
from  the  nose),  suggesting  that 
Sue  may  have  "sniffed"  her  way 
through  life.  We  also  have  deter- 
mined that  the  scars  on  her  lower 
jaws,  once  thought  to  have  been 
teeth  marks,  were  actually  caused 
by  an  infection. 

While  gleaning  these  scientific 
data  from  Sue's  remains,  we  also 
realized  that  Sue  is  an  extraordi- 
nary tool  for  teaching  visitors 
about  paleontology,  the  geologic 
forces  that  shape  our  planet,  the 
extensive  collections  of  vertebrate 
fossils  housed  here  and  the  impor- 
tant scientific  work  of  our  research 
staff.  Right  after  purchasing  Sue, 
for  example,  thousands  of  people 
flocked  to  the  Museum  to  watch 
our  researchers  clean  and  preserve 
Sue's  bones  in  the  specially 
designed  McDonald's  fossil  prepa- 
ration lab.  During  the  two-year- 
long preparation  process,  we  also 
created  a  number  of  small  exhibits 
about  Sue  that  touched  on  every- 
thing from  fossilization  to  the 
theory  that  dinosaurs  evolved  into 
the  birds  that  grace  our  skies. 

Sue  has  only  just  started  to 
reveal  her  educational  potential 
and  will  no  doubt  continue  to  yield 
new  information  about  the  life  and 
times  of  the  dinosaur  known  as  the 
Tyrant  Lizard  King.  I  believe  she 
will  soon  become  Chicago's  star 
attraction,  helping  us  introduce 
millions  of  new  people  to  the  many 
other  important  and  fascinating 
stories  housed  in  our  building. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
President  &■  CEO 


We  would  like  to  know  what  you  think  about 
"In  the  Field" 


Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Robert  Vosper,  publications 
department.  The  Field  Museum,  1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive, 
Chicago,  IL  60605-2496,  or  via  e-mail  at  rvosper@fmnh.org. 


Inside 


Jaime  Raduenzel  reveals  why  some 
South  American  indigenous 
groups  decorate  their  bodies  with 
animal  and  insect  parts. 


8 


For  the  price  of  a  luxury  sedan, 
you  can  be  one  of  10  people  to 
own  a  bronze  replica  of  Sue's 
5-foot-long  skull. 


It's  time  again  for  the  Museum  to 
unlock  its  doors  and  let  members 
explore  areas  of  the  building  usu- 
ally off-limits  to  the  public. 


11 


A  new  book  by  botanist  Michael 
Dillon  offers  readers  a  peek  at  the 
botanical  beauty  and  diversity  of 
northern  Peru. 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 

A  complete  schedule  of  events 
for  May /June,  including  programs 
offered  in  conjunction  with  the 
Sue  exhibit. 


Around  Campus 


After  more  than  two  years  of 
being  cleaned,  preserved  and 
restored.  Sue  is  ready  to  reveal 
herself  to  the  world.  See  the 
Calendar  Section  for  details. 


What  do  Field  Museum  scien- 
tists really  mean  when  they  say 
that  Sue  is  the  most  complete 
and  best-preserved  T.  rex  fossil 
ever  unearthed? 


Find  out  why  Daniel  Burnham 
pleaded  with  state  legislators 
to  let  him  build  The  Field 
Museum  on  a  man-made  island 
in  Lake  Michigan, 


INTHEFIELD 

May/June  2000,  Vol.  71,  No.  3 

Editor  and  Designer: 
Robert  Vosper 

Design  Consultants: 
Hayward  Blake  &  Company 


In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum,  Copyhght 
©2000  The  Field  Museum.  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  for  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscription.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field 
Museum.  Notification  of  address  change  should 
include  address  label  and  should  be  sent  to 
Membership  Department.  POSTMASTER:  Send 
address  changes  to  In  the  Field,  The  Field 
Museum,  1400  South  Lalce  Shore  Drive,  Chicago, 
IL  60605-2496.  Periodicals  postage  paid  at 
Chicago,  Illinois. 

This  issue's  cover  photograph  (GE08e278.2C) 

is  by  John  Weinstein  of  a  cast  replica  of  Sue's 
5-foot-long  sl<ull. 


TbrPield 

Museum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing, 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  60605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
vvww.fieldmuseum.org 


Adler  Planetarium 

From  June  3  through  September  5,  the 
Adler  will  host  the  world  premiere  of  New 
Views  of  the  Universe:  The  Hubble  Space 
Telescope.  Organized  by  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  and  the  Space  Telescope  Science 
Institute,  the  exhibit  offers  a  rare  and 
breathtaking  view  of  the  cosmos  as  offered 
by  the  world's  best-known  observatory  — 
the  Hubble  Space  Telescope.  It  features 
videos  and  interactive  components  that 
take  visitors  on  a  tour  of  the  universe  and 
provides  in-depth  background  information 
about  the  history  of  the  telescope.  A  spe- 


cial sky  show  in  the  Adier's  original  plane- 
tarium theater  will  accompany  this  exhibit. 
Call  312.322.0304  for  more  information. 

The  Field  Museum 

See  the  Calendar  Section  for  a  list  of  pro- 
grams and  exhibitions  offered  in  May 
and  June. 


Shedd  Aquarium 

The  flooding  starts  this  summer  when 
Shedd  Aquarium  opens  Amazon  Rising: 
Seasons  of  the  River.  This  permanent 


exhibit  takes  you  on  a  journey  through  a 
year  in  the  Amazon  River  floodplain  forest, 
from  low  water  to  floods  to  receding 
waters.  Along  the  way,  you  will  discover 
the  enormous  diversity  of  animals  that 
inhabit  this  ever-changing  ecosystem. 
Amazon  Rising  features  more  than  250 
kinds  of  fishes,  reptiles,  amphibians, 
insects,  birds  and  mammals  in  dramatic 
multispecies  habitats.  Throughout,  the 
exhibit  explores  the  connections  among 
animals,  plants  and  people  —  all  of  which 
benefit  from  the  seasonal  cycles  of  the 
great  river.  Please  call  312.939.2438  for 
more  information. 


MAY  .  JUNE  2000     1 


The  Natural  Jewels  of  the  Amazon: 

Discovering  their  Mysticism  and  Meaning 


Above:  Adult  males  of  the  Karajd,  an  indigenous  group  that  lives  in  Brazil, 

created  feathered  headdresses  like  this  one  for  hoys  who  had  reached  puberty.  When  a  boy  wore  this 

object  it  gave  the  impression  that  spiritual  energy  was  radiating 

from  his  head. 


2      IN  THE  FIELD 


Jaime  Raduenzel 

Collections  Management  Assistant 

Anthropology  Department 

Most  Americans,  especially'  those  living  in  urban  areas, 
are  detached  from  the  animal  world.  For  example,  we 
no  longer  have  to  hunt  for  survival;  we  view  the 
byproducts  of  the  animals  we  eat  as  garbage;  we  would 
rather  fumigate  our  homes  with  noxious  chemicals 
than  share  them  with  insects;  and  when  designing 
jewelry,  we  tend  to  shy  away  from  organic  material, 
preferring  instead  the  luster  of  metal  and  the 
brilliance  of  precious  stones.  In  fact,  just  about  the 
only  thing  we  wear  these  days  that  is  derived  from  an 
animal  is  leather,  which  has  been  tanned,  processed 
and  treated  to  the  point  where  we  no  longer  have  a 
clue  as  to  its  origin. 

For  many  indigenous  peoples  in  South  America  the 
opposite  is  true.  In  general,  these  people  consider 
themselves  an  integral  part  of  nature,  equal  to  all  the 
creatures  with  which  they  share  their  environment. 
While  working  on  the  more  than  9,000  objects  in  the 
Museums  South  American  ethnographic  collections,  I 
discovered  that  this  belief  is  deeply  rooted  in  the  items 
with  which  indigenous  people  adorn  their  bodies. 

As  an  assistant  collections  manager  in  the  anthro- 
pology department,  each  day  I  handle  and  organize 
hundreds  of  items  that  have  been  collected  from 
around  the  world  by  Field  Museum  scientists. 
Unfortunately,  when  surrounded  by  so  many  artifacts, 
a  million  or  more  to  be  exact,  it  is  easy  to  become 
blind  to  their  beauty  and  the  stories  they  can  tell. 
However,  while  organizing  the  South  American  mate- 
rial, I  was  captivated  by  a  collection  of  artifacts 
comprised  of  hundreds  of  necklaces,  armbands,  head- 
dresses and  jewelry  made  from  different  animal 
products,  including  bone,  teeth,  jaguar  and  monkey 
skins,  beetle  wings  and  feathers. 

At  first  I  was  floored  by  their  beauty  —  the  rich 
reds,  greens,  yellows  and  blues  of  macaw  feathers  care- 
fully woven  into  headdresses;  the  glistening  metallic 
greens  of  insect  wings  delicately  attached  to  necklaces 
and  armbands;  the  rows  of  sandy-colored  jaguar  claws, 
each  about  the  length  of  a  human  pinkie  finger, 
threaded  through  a  thin  strip  of  leather.  The  more  I 
worked  with  these  objects,  the  more  intrigued  I 
became.  Did  the  people  who  created  them  use  animal 
material  because  they  found  it  beautiful?  Or  did  this 
material  also  hold  important  meaning  in  their  lives? 

In  posing  these  questions  to  Museum  anthropolo- 
gists and  scouring  through  the  library  after  work,  I 
learned  that  just  as  in  Western  culture  —  in  which 
something  like  a  crucifix  hanging  from  someone's  neck 
is  more  than  just  a  piece  of  jewelry  —  the  animal- 
based  ornaments  of  indigenous  groups  harbor  a 
wealth  of  sociocultural  information.  While  there  are 
hundreds  of  distinct  indigenous  groups  living  in  South 
America  that  use  animal  material  to  create  decorative 
objects,  the  Shuar  and  Desana  of  the  northwest 


Amazon,  and  the  Bororo  of  central  Brazil  offer  strik- 
ing and  diverse  lessons  in  how  these  animals  are  used, 
valued  and  honored. 

The  Desana 

In  the  northwest  Amazon,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of 
the  tropical  forests  of  South  America,  animals  such  as 
birds  and  jaguars  have  important  roles  in  the  complex 
ideology  and  methodology  of  shamanism,  a  practice  in 
which  religious  and  herbal  leaders  communicate  with 
the  spirit  world  through  rituals  and  ceremonies.  At 
the  heart  of  this  practice  is  the  belief  that  evil  spirits, 
especially  those  sent  by  an  enemy,  are  as  responsible 
for  pain,  sickness  and  death  as  are  natural  forces  such 
as  disease.  It  is  the  role  of  the  shaman  to  combat  these 
evil  spirits.  Often  this  means  turning  to  the  animal 
world  for  help. 

One  of  the  many  South  American  cultures  that 
practices  shamanism  is  the  Desana,  a  hunter-gatherer 
society  that  lives  along  the  Vaupes  River  in  the  center 
of  Colombian  northwest  Amazon.  Brazilian  anthro- 
pologist Gerardo  Reichel-Dolmatoff  has  discovered 
that  the  Desana  people  believe  that  animals  are  the 
shamans  allies,  assisting  him  in  his  role  as  mediator 
between  human  and  nonhuman  realms.  For  example, 
they  believe  that  the  red  feathers  of  the  scarlet  macaw 
are  transformations  of  the  Sun,  possessing  mystical 
and  medicinal  powers.  So,  when  somebody  in  the  vil- 
lage becomes  ill,  the  shaman  will  often  rub  the 
patient's  body  with  an  ornament  made  from  macaw 
feathers.  This  practice  helps  the  shaman  transmit  his 


Above:  Shuar 
earrings  made 
from  beetle  wings 
and  red,  yellow 
and  orange  tou- 
can feathers.  The 
armband  in  the 
center  also  con- 
tains monkey 
teeth,  seeds  and 
bird  bones. 


MAY  •  JUNE  2000     3 


own  therapeutic  powers  and  helps  him  call  on  the 
spirits  for  assistance.  Conversely,  the  shaman  might 
use  these  feathers  to  send  a  spirit  to  kill  an  enemy. 
Anthropologists  also  have  witnessed  shamans  in 
the  Desana  culture  using  jaguar  body  parts  in  rituals 
and  ceremonies.  According  to  the  origin  myth  of  these 
people,  the  early  shamans  had  the  power  to  transform 
themselves  into  jaguars  by  simply  wearing  a  costume 
made  from  the  bones,  skin,  teeth  and  claws  of  the  ani- 
mal. These  clothes  were  not  only  meant  to  disguise  the 
shaman,  but  also  to  help  him  shift  his  shape  from 
human  to  animal.  Some  shamans  didn't  even  need  an 
entire  costume  to  transform.  They  could  "become" 
jaguar,  for  instance,  by  hanging  the  fang  or  claw  of  a 
jaguar  around  their  necks,  wearing  a  belt  of  jaguar  skin 
around  their  waists  or  even  imitating  a  jaguar's  growl. 


The  Bororo 

Unlike  the  Desana,  who  inhabit  forested  areas,  the 
Bororo  live  on  a  central  plateau  in  the  state  of  Mato 
Grosso  in  central  Brazil.  This  lowland  environment 
generally  consists  of  tropical  savanna  and  flat  fields,  a 
stark  contrast  to  the  densely  forested  areas  of  the 
Amazon  Basin.  Although  it  is  somewhat  barren  in 
comparison  to  the  Amazon  rain  forest,  it  is  still  home 
to  a  wide  variety  of  animals,  many  of  which  hold  sym- 
bolic value  in  Bororo  culture. 

Before  the  Spanish  colonized  South  America  in  the 
1500s,  the  Bororo  were  mainly  hunters  and  gatherers. 
According  to  anthropologist  Elizabeth  Netto  Calil 
Zarur,  however,  today  they  survive  by  growing  cas- 
sava, maize  and  rice.  They  also  are  a  matrilineal 
society,  which  means  that  at  birth  an  individual 
becomes  a  member  of  a  certain  clan  based  on  the 
mother's  lineage.  Within  Bororo  society,  there  are 


about  eight  different  clans  —  all  of  which  have  names 
drawn  from  different  immortal  spirits.  Often  this 
immortal  spirit  is  an  animal,  claimed  by  an  ancestor  of 
the  clan  who  first  came  in  contact  with  the  animal.  For 
example,  the  founder  of  one  clan,  the  Kie,  claimed  the 
right  to  use  the  great  tapir  as  his  symbol.  Thereaftrer, 
all  members  of  his  clan  were  given  names  that  reflect 
the  physical,  behavioral  and  spiritual  characteristics  of 
this  creature.  To  identify  themselves  as  Kie,  clan  mem- 
bers wear  ornaments  made  from  material  gleaned  from 
the  tapir.  Another  clan,  the  Bokodori  Exerea  (which 
means  "animal  with  carapace  like  a  great  basket")  took 
its  clan  name,  personal  names  and  ornamentation  from 
the  spiritual  and  physical  traits  of  the  giant  armadillo. 

Although  these  clans  have  claimed  the  exclusive 
right  to  use  these  animals,  they  do  not  own  them. 
Anyone  in  the  community  can  hunt  or  eat  a  tapir, 
for  instance,  but  only  the  Kie  can  wear  the  animal's 
body  parts. 

There  is,  however,  one  animal  that  belongs  to  all 
the  Bororo:  the  macaw.  This  brightly  colored  bird  is 
significant  because  it  inhabits  areas  of  the  environment 
that  provide  the  Bororo  with  the  foods  and  materials 
they  need  to  survive.  It  also  builds  nests  in  caves  along 
rocky  outcrops  —  the  same  places  the  Bororo  believe 
their  ancestors  once  lived  and  were  buried.  As  a  result, 
the  Bororo  never  kill  or  eat  macaws,  especially  those 
with  red  feathers.  They  use  these  feathers  to  create 
objects  for  healing  ceremonies. 

Anthropologists  don't  really  know  why  the  Bororo 
hold  red  macaw  feathers  in  such  high  esteem.  Some 
have  suggested  that  the  Bororo  believe  that  their 
ancestors  visit  the  human  world  as  these  majestic, 
colorful  birds. 

The  Shuar 

Perhaps  one  of  the  best-known  indigenous  groups  of 
South  America  is  the  Shuar,  who  live  in  a  section  of 
the  Amazonian  rain  forest  that  straddles  the  border 
between  Ecuador  and  Peru  near  the  eastern  slope  of 
the  Andes.  Because  narrow,  rocky  rivers  slice  through 
Shuar  territory,  the  Spanish  were  unable  to  conquer 
these  people  for  centuries.  When  they  did  finally  man- 
age to  penetrate  the  region,  the  Spanish  were  quickly 
forced  back  by  Shuar  warriors,  which  might  explain 
why  they  were  once  called  the  Jivaro,  the  Spanish 
word  for  "uncivihzed."  The  combination  of  their  mili- 
tary prowess  and  the  rugged  terrain  of  their  homeland 
allowed  the  Shuar  to  maintain  their  autonomy  long 
after  the  Spanish  subjugated  neighboring  groups. 
However,  this  part  of  their  history  and  culture  has 
since  been  overshadowed  in  popular  lore  by  their  now- 


Left:  Taken  in  1925  on  the  border  of  Colombia  and  Brazil, 
this  photograph  shows  men  from  an  unidentified  indigenous 
^t  I    group  wearing  traditional  ceremonial  attire,  including  neck- 
laces made  from  bone  or  teeth  and  feathered  headdresses. 


r.l 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


abandoned  custom  of  shrinking  and  preserving  human 
heads.  This  emphasis  is  unfortunate  because  head- 
hunting was  just  a  small  part  of  a  very  complex 
religious  belief  system  —  a  system  that  is  reflected  in 
the  way  the  Shuar  dress  and  decorate  their  bodies. 
Much  of  this  belief  system  is  beautifully  described  by 
anthropologist  Michael  Harner  in  his  book  The  Jivaro: 
People  of  the  Sacred  Waterfalls. 

As  with  most  cultures,  the  Shuar  believe  that  dress 
and  ornamentation  can  enhance  an  individual's  power, 
protect  against  sickness  and  injury,  and  reaffirm  status 
in  the  community.  Among  the  most  interesting  and 
unique  materials  the  Shuar  use  to  create  body  decora- 
tions are  the  iridescent  greenish-purple  wing  covers  of 
Euchroma  gigantea,  the  largest  wood-boring  beetle  in 
the  New  World.  The  wings  of  these  nearly  3-inch-long 
"jewel  beetles"  have  a  seemingly  magical  appearance 
and  have  been  used  as  decorative  elements  for  cen- 
turies in  places  like  Amazonia,  northern  Thailand, 
Australia,  New  Guinea,  the  West  Indies  and  Victorian 
England.  For  the  Shuar,  however,  these  beetles  are 
more  than  just  decorative  objects  —  they  symbolize 
wealth,  well-being  and  power,  and  are  incorporated  by 
the  Shuar  in  everything  from  armbands  and  earrings 
to  headdresses  and  skirts. 

The  beetle  is  not  the  only  significant  creature  in 
Shuar  culture.  For  example,  they  also  believe  that  tou- 
cans possess  power  in  the  spirit  world.  In  some 
ceremonies  men  attach  stuffed  toucans  to  their  waists 
or  breast  ornaments  as  a  way  to  ward  off^  evil  spirits. 
They  also  use  femur  bones  from  the  tayu  bird 
(Steatornis  caripensis)  to  advertise  to  their  peers,  as  well 
as  to  young  women,  that  they  are  brave  and  skilled 
hunters.  One  reason  these  bones  have  so  much  mean- 
ing is  because  the  tayu,  a  small  reddish-brown 
nocturnal  bird,  likes  to  live  in  caves  that  are  inhabited 
by  jaguars,  making  the  task  of  collecting  the  bones 
quite  dangerous.  In  addition,  many  of  these  animal 
parts  are  often  found  on  objects  that  contain  beetle 
wings  and  human  hair.  When  combined,  these  items 
probably  take  on  additional  symbolic  meaning  or  mys- 
tical powers  for  the  Shuar. 

Preserving  Material  Culture 

One  of  the  difficulties  in  writing  about  indigenous 
groups  like  the  Desana,  Bororo  and  Shuar  is  deciding 
whether  to  use  the  past  or  present  tense  when 
describing  their  cultural  practices.  While  some  of 
their  traditional  belief  systems  are  still  alive  and  well, 
others  have  been  transformed  or  completely  destroyed. 
Some  of  the  greatest  obstacles  these  groups  face  in 
trying  to  preserve  their  cultural  practices  are  defor- 
estation, habitat  destruction  and  unchecked 
development  —  all  of  which  have  made  it  difficult  for 
them  to  maintain  their  connection  to  nature  and  find 
the  materials  essential  to  their  ceremonies  and  rituals. 
The  other  problem  is  that  the  indigenous  populations 
have  been  greatly  reduced  by  disease,  economic  pres- 
sures and  the  influx  of  nonindigenous  groups  into 


their  traditional  homelands.  For  example,  the  popula- 
tion of  the  Bororo,  which  once  numbered  in  the 
thousands,  is  today  estimated  to  be  no  larger  than 
800.  Yet  indigenous  peoples  today  persist  in  holding 
on  to  their  traditional  way  of  life  because  they  believe 
it  is  the  only  way  they  can  safeguard  the  forest  for 
future  generations. 

Museums  are  an  important  resource  for  some  tradi- 
tional cultural  practices.  We,  and  people  of  indigenous 
cultures,  can  learn  from  the  objects  and  artifacts  that 
are  preserved  in  museums.  But,  because  these  artifacts 
often  are  made  from  fragile  material,  they  will  deterio- 
rate over  time  unless  money  and  time  are  spent  to 
conserve  them.  With  funding  from  the  National 
Endowment  for  the  Humanities,  The  Field  Museum  is 
addressing  this  issue  by  moving  its  South  American 
collections  into  greatly  improved  storage  facilities.  As 
part  of  this  process,  the  Museum's  collections  manage- 
ment staffs  has  packaged  these  objects  in  archival 
material  and  reorganized  them  to  facilitate  research. 
Thousands  of  feather  items  and  other  delicate 
ornaments,  which  at  one  time  were  stored  in  over- 
crowded drawers  and  shelves,  are  now  housed  in 
airtight  cabinets  and  mounted  on  supportive  struc- 
tures to  protect  them. 

In  describing  museum  collections,  anthropologist 
Ruben  Reina  once  wrote,  "These  objects  are  the  books 
of  non-literate  people.  Museums  are  their  libraries." 
The  collections  management  staffs  and  conservators 
in  the  anthropology  department  have  taken  this  state- 
ment to  heart,  priding  themselves  on  helping  to 
preserve  the  knowledge  of  indigenous  cultures  around 
the  world.  As  the  artifacts  created  by  the  Desana, 
Bororo  and  Shuar  illustrate,  these  collections  provide  a 
vivid  introduction  into  the  lives  of  the  people  who 
helped  shape  and  continue  to  shape  the  diverse  cul- 
tural landscape  of  South  America.    ITF 


Above:  Once 
on  display  at 
the  1893  World's 
Columbian 
Exposition,  this 
jaguar  necklace 
was  worn  by 
men  of  the  Guato, 
an  indigenous 
group  that  lived 
in  the  same  area 
of  Brazil  as 
the  Bororo. 


MAY  •  JUNE  2000     5 


Field  Updates 


Sue  is  More  Than  a  Pretty  Face 


Above:  This  3-D 
image  of  Sue's 
skull  is  made  up 
of  748  individual 
CT  or  X-ray 
"slices." 


Ever  since  dinosaur  hunter  Barnum  Brown  unearthed 
the  first  Tyrannosaurus  rex  fossil  in  Wyoming  in  1900, 
T.  rex  has  become  one  of  the  best-known  pop-culture 
icons  in  history.  From  silent  films  to  Jurassic  Park, 
in  comic  books  and  novels,  at  toy  stores  and  theme 
parks,  the  menacing  creature  with  the  powerful 
jaws  and  tiny  arms  is  king  to  dinosaur  enthusiasts 
of  all  ages. 

Although  it  is  the  most  popular  dinosaur  in  the 
world,  very  little  is  known  about  T.  rex.  Was  it  a 
predator,  a  scavenger  or  both?  Was  it  warmblooded 
like  a  bird  or  coldblooded  like  a  crocodile?  How  did  it 
stand,  move,  eat  or  live?  How  much  did  it  rely  on  its 
eyesight,  hearing  and  sense  of  smell  to  survive?  Most 
importantly,  how  is  T.  rex  related  to  other  dinosaurs  of 
its  time  and  to  species  that  lived  before  and  after  it? 

Nobody  really  knows  the  answers  to  these  ques- 
tions. However,  Sue,  who  will  be  unveiled  May  17  in 
Stanley  Field  Hall  (see  calendar  section  for  details), 
may  contain  some  of  these  answers. 

"T.  rex  may  be  familiar  to  virtually  everyone,  but 
what  we  don't  know  about  this  creature  would  fill  vol- 
umes," says  Chris  Brochu,  a  research  scientist  in  the 
geology  department  and  the  lead  researcher  on  Sue. 
"Look  at  the  literature  on  ancient  crocodiles  —  it's 
huge.  It  fills  shelf,  aftrer  shelf,  after  shelf  By  compari- 
son, the  literature  on  tyrannosaurids,  the  dinosaur 
family  that  Sue  belongs  to,  makes  a  very  small  stack, 
maybe  a  couple  of  feet  high." 

Brochu  will  add  a  major  volume  to  that  stack 
when  he  completes  the  monograph  on  Sue.  This  trea- 


tise will  be  a  fiiU  scientific  description  of  the  specimen, 
complete  with  detailed  measurements  and  images  of 
all  her  bones  and  anatomical  features.  Basically,  it  will 
serve  as  a  reference  for  all  future  work  on  T.  rex. 

"You  can't  do  anything  with  a  fossil  until 
you  know  what's  there,"  Brochu  explains.  "Sue's 
completeness  is  letting  us  do  that  to  a  far  greater 
extent  and  with  far  greater  confidence  than  it  has  ever 
been  done  before." 

Only  four  other  T.  rex  specimens  are  even  as  much 
as  60  percent  complete;  Sue's  skeleton,  in  contrast,  is 
about  90  percent  complete  and  possesses  one  of  only 
two  existing  T.  rex  forelimbs.  Her  completeness, 
combined  with  the  exquisite  preservation  of  her 
bones,  makes  Sue  an  invaluable  resource  for  those 
studying  the  species. 

"Because  we  have  all  the  important  pieces  from  a 
single  animal,"  says  Brochu,  "we're  beginning  to  draw 
conclusions  about  its  motion,  its  growth  and  the  rela- 
tionship of  T.  rex  to  other  species." 

These  relationships  are  especially  important  to 
Brochu,  whose  main  interest  is  studying  evolutionary 
family  trees.  By  looking  at  the  key  features  that  an  ani- 
mal shares  with  other  species  —  such  as  the  shape  of 
its  foot  bones  or  the  holes  in  its  skull  —  scientists  like 
Brochu  can  determine  a  creature's  place  in  the  evolu- 
tionary tree.  This  in  turn  allows  them  to  study  and 
test  theories  about  evolutionary  processes,  ancient 
ecosystems  and  even  plate  tectonics. 

"This  skeleton  is  just  filled  with  scientific  infor- 
mation," adds  Barbara  Ceiga,  a  senior  exhibit  developer 
at  the  Museum.  "With  the  right  people  looking  at  it  in 
the  right  ways,  the  stories  will  come  tumbling  out." 

Sue,  Her  Life  and  Times 

Among  the  stories  hidden  in  Sue's  bones  are  clues  as 
to  what  life  is  like  at  the  extreme. 

More  than  40  feet  long.  Sue  is  one  of  the  largest 
creatures  ever  to  walk  on  two  legs.  Even  as  dinosaurs 
go,  she  is  huge  (Museum  scientists  estimate  that  in  life 
she  weighed  7  tons).  Unlike  mammals,  but  like  most 
reptiles,  dinosaurs  continued  to  grow  even  after  reach- 
ing adulthood.  The  longer  they  lived,  the  bigger  they 
grew.  But  what  happens  to  bones  and  muscles  when 
something  gets  as  big  as  a  T.  rex?  Because  Sue  is  so 
well  preserved,  it  is  still  possible  to  see  fine  surface 
details  showing  where  muscles,  tendons  and  other  soft 
tissue  attached  to  bone.  These  details  allow  scientists 
to  reconstruct  what  Sue  may  have  looked  like  in  life, 
her  range  of  motion,  how  she  was  able  to  stand  and 
move  and  how  she  rested. 

Some  of  these  details  also  reveal  more  extraordi- 
nary events  in  her  life.  A  number  of  her  bones  show 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


pathologies,  such  as  misshapen  teeth  and  scars. 
Initially,  some  researchers  believed  that  these  patholo- 
gies were  bite  marks  and  battle  scars.  Brochu,  however, 
disagrees.  He  thinks  most  of  these  lesions  were  proba- 
bly caused  by  infections. 

"What's  interesting,"  Brochu  points  out,  "is  that 
Sue  didn't  die  from  any  of  these  wounds.  They  all 
show  extensive  healing,  a  sign  of  good  health.  At  this 
point  it  looks  like  Sue  lived  a  good,  long  life  and  then 
just  died." 

Brochu  also  is  interested  in  other  ways  in  which 
Sue  interacted  with  the  world  —  especially  through 
her  senses.  Because  soft  tissue  doesn't  fossilize,  it's  dif- 
ficult to  say  just  how  this  prehistoric  creature  saw  or 
heard,  smelled  or  tasted. 

"We  do  know  that  Sue  could  see  and  hear  because 
we  can  tell  from  the  bone  structure  and  nerve  open- 
ings that  these  systems  were  well  built,"  he  says. 

One  of  Brochu's  most  significant  finds  to  date  is 
that  Sue  had  enormous  olfactory  bulbs,  twin  struc- 
tures located  at  the  front  end  of  the  brain  that  were 
developed  to  detect  smells.  According  to  Brochu,  these 
bulbs  are  nearly  as  large  as  the  brain  itself,  suggesting 
that  sense  of  smell  played  a  vital  role  in  the  life  of 
a  T.  rex. 

"When  Sue  explored  the  world,"  he  says,  "it  was 
nose  first." 

The  Age  of  Dinosaurs  Meets 
the  Age  of  Computers 

The  spaces  that  held  Sue's  olfactory  bulbs  —  as  well 
as  openings  for  nerves  and  blood  vessels,  and  bony 
structures  surrounding  the  delicate  semicircular  canals 
of  her  inner  ear  —  were  uncovered  by  CT  scanning 
technology.  That  extraordinary  procedure  was  a  break- 
through in  its  own  right. 

In  August  1998,  Sue's  5-foot-long  skull  was  care- 
fully wrapped  and  crated,  then  trucked  to  Boeing 
Company's  Rocketdyne  lab  in  Ventura  County,  Calif. 
It  was  then  hoisted  up  by  a  crane  and  bolted  to  an 
industrial-strength  CT  scanner  normally  used  for 
examining  jet  engines.  There  it  underwent  more  than 
500  hours  of  X-ray  scanning,  subjecting  it,  according 
to  the  tongue-in-cheek  calculation  of  one  Boeing  tech- 
nician, to  "more  radiation  than  Godzilla  received  when 
the  French  A-bomb  was  detonated  in  Polynesia." 

Because  this  was  the  first  time  scientists  had  used 
an  industrial  CT  technology  to  examine  a  T.  rex,  it 
allowed  them  to  go  where  no  paleontologist  has  gone 
before:  inside  the  head  of  a  T.  rex. 

The  748  images  —  each  an  X-ray  "slice"  of  the 
skull  —  fill  eight  CD-ROMs.  Brochu  can  view  these 


images  individually  or  stack  them  to  create  a  3-D 
image  of  Sue's  skull  and  snout.  With  the  help  of  a 
computer  program,  he  also  can  take  a  virtual  journey 
through  Sue's  head,  traveling  down  narrow  passages, 
looking  behind  bony  walls  and  even  slipping  inside  the 
bone  itself.  Because  much  of  this  is  uncharted  terri- 
tory, it  is  opening  up  entire  new  areas  of  study  for 
scientists,  as  well  as  new  possibilities  for  examining 
other  fossils. 

Sue's  Future  as  a  Scientific  Specimen 

Although  Sue  will  soon  be  taking  her  place  among 
the  fighting  elephants  and  Haida  totem  poles  that 
adorn  Stanley  Field  Hall,  it  doesn't  mean  that  her 
days  as  a  scientific  specimen  are  over.  The  steel 
framework  that  supports  her  more  than  250 
separate  bones  for  display  is  designed  so  that 
researchers  can  easily  remove  individual  bones  with- 
out disrupting  the  mount.  As  a  result,  scientists  can 
continue  searching  for  the  secrets  hidden  in  her 
bones,  while  Sue  introduces  a  whole  new  generation 
to  the  lore  of  the  dinosaur  known  as  the  Tyrant 
Lizard  King.    ITF 


Below:  Chris 
Brochu  examining 
one  of  the  CT 
scans  on  his  com- 
puter. Brochu  is 
using  these  scans  to 
study  the  internal 
detail  of  Sue's  skull. 


MAY  .  JUNE  2000     7 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

S  Calendar  of  Events 

7  Get  Smart 

9  Free  Visitor  Programs 


Exhibits  at  a  Glance 


The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls 

On  display  through  June  1 1,  2000 

Discovered  by  a  Bedouin  shepherd  in  caves 
in  the  Qumran  region  of  the  Judean  Desert 
in  1947,  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  connprise  800 
compositions  written  in  Hebrew,  Aramaic 
and  Greek  more  than  2,000  years  ago. 
Although  many  of  these  scrolls  represent 
books  of  the  Hebrew  Bible,  some  contain 
apocryphal  works  found  in  Christian  and 
Greek  scriptures,  while  others  are  sectarian 
documents,  such  as  community  laws. 
Portions  of  IS  different  scrolls  are  on  dis- 
play at  The  Field  Museum,  including  five 
that  have  never  traveled  outside  Israel.  The 
exhibit  which  is  coorganized  by  The  Field 
Museum  and  the  Israel  Antiquities 
Authority,  also  features  80  artifacts  from  the 
Qumran  settlement  and  books  and  manu- 
scripts on  loan  from  the  Newberry  Library 
and  the  Spertus  Museum.  Tickets  for  'The 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  are  $3  for  adults,  $2  for 
children  ages  3  to  11,  seniors  and  students 
with  ID.  Tickets  can  be  ordered  in  advance 
by  calling  Ticketmaster  at  312.902.1500. 

"The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls"  is  sponsored  by  Lilly 
Endowment  Inc.,  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints,  The  Fourth  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Chicago,  Chicago  Sinai 
Congregation,  the  Archdiocese  of  Chicago 
and  the  Jewish  United  Fund/Jewish 
Federation  of  Metropolitan  Chicago. 


Masks:  Faces  of  Culture 

On  display  through  May  14,  2000 

"Masks:  Faces  of  Culture"  presents  139 
masks  from  nearly  50  countries  on  six  conti- 
nents. Ranging  in  age  from  the  prehistoric 
times  to  the  present,  these  masks,  some  of 
which  are  on  display  with  full  costume, 
exemplify  the  exquisite  design,  provocative 
imagery  and  compelling  purpose  found  in 
mask-making  —  one  of  the  most  enduring 
forms  of  artistic  expression.  In  addition  to 
the  masks  that  are  on  exhibit  are  music  and 


Above:  Cartonnage  mummy  mask  from 
Egypt,  circa  1325  -  1224  B.C. 


Above:  The  "Psalms  Tehillim'  scroll  is  a 
liturgical  collection  of  songs  and  hymns  com- 
prising parts  of  41  biblical  psalms. 


video  footage  of  masquerades,  carnivals 
and  festivals  in  which  masks  play  a  central 
role.  The  exhibit  was  curated  by  Cara 
McCarty  (the  Grace  L.  Brumbaugh  and 
Richard  E.  Brumbaugh  Curator  of  Decorative 
Arts  and  Design),  and  John  W.  Nunley  (the 
Morton  D.  May  Curator  of  the  Arts  of 
Africa,  Oceania  and  the  Americas),  both 
from  the  Saint  Louis  Art  Museum.  "Masks: 
Faces  of  Culture"  is  free  with  general 
Museum  admission. 

Africa:  From  Eritrea  with  Love 

On  display  through  July  4,  2000 

The  exhibit  "Africa:  From  Eritrea  with  Love" 
features  paintings  by  Betty  LaDuke  that 
capture  the  diverse  cultures  of  Eritrea,  one 
of  the  youngest  nations  in  northeastern 
Africa.  LaDuke,  a  painter,  activist  and  for- 
mer professor  at  Southern  Oregon  State 
University,  first  traveled  to  this  nation  on 
the  Red  Sea  in  1993,  just  three  years  after  it 
won  a  30-year  struggle  for  independence 
from  Ethiopia.  During  her  travels  there  over 
a  four-year  period,  she  recorded  on  canvas 
the  daily  life  of  the  Eritrean  people,  their 
dependency  on  the  region's  mountainous 
terrain  and  their  spiritual  practices  and 
beliefs.  The  exhibit  is  free  with  general 
Museum  admission. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Sue  Exhibit 


Sue  at  The  Field  Museum 


Opens  May  17 

Sixty-seven  million  years  ago.  Sue  and 
her  species,  Tyrannosaurus  rex,  were  the 
undisputed  rulers  of  their  world.  The 
biggest,  fiercest  meat-eaters  to  ever  roam 
the  North  American  landscape,  they  faced 
no  rival  to  their  domination. 

Sue  lived  a  long  life  and  when  she  died  the 
fine  silt  of  an  ancient  river  covered  her  mas- 
sive bones.  For  millions  of  years,  while 
continents  shifted  around  her  and  countless 
species  came  and  went.  Sue  lay  burled 
deep  within  the  high  plains  of  western 
South  Dakota.  There  she  waited,  slowly  fos- 
silizing, until  Aug.  12,  1990,  when  fossil 
hunter  Susan  Hendrickson  encountered  the 
sleeping  giant. 

Seven  years  later.  The  Field  Museum  pur- 
chased Sue  for  $7.6  million  at  a  Sotheby's 
auction  in  New  York  City.  For  the  past  two 
and  a  half  years.  Field  Museum  preparators 
have  been  carefully  removing  the  rocky 
matrix  that  has  entombed  her  skeleton 
since  the  late  Cretaceous  period. 

Now  Sue,  her  magnificent  bones  carefully 
restored,  rules  a  new  domain:  The  Field 
Museum's  Stanley  Field  Hall. 

On  May  17,  2000,  she  will  take  her  throne, 
presiding  over  her  kingdom  from  the  north 
end  of  the  hall  where  visitors  can  examine 
her  bird-like  feet,  massive  legs,  pelvis,  razor- 
sharp  teeth  and  powerful  jaws,  and,  if  they 

continued  next  page 


^IIHSTIINA 


Sue  Over  Time 


67  million  years  ago 

Sue  is  born,  lives  and  dies  in  what  is  now 

Soutli  Dakota. 

1990 

August  12  —  While  working  with  fossil 
hunters  from  the  Black  Hills  Institute  of 
Geological  Research  Inc.  (BHI),  Susan 
Hendrickson  discovers  Sue  on  the  prop- 
erty of  Maurice  Williams  near  Faith,  S.D. 
BHI  pays  Williams  $5,000  for  the  fossil. 

1992 

May  —  The  federal  government  seizes 
Sue,  arguing  that  BHI  didn't  have  the  nec- 
essary permits  to  excavate  the  fossil  from 
Williams'  property. 

1994 

February  —  A  federal  appeals  court  rules 
that  Williams  is  still  the  rightful  owner  of 
the  fossil.  Williams  decides  to  place  the 
dinosaur  on  the  auction  block. 

1997 

October  4  —  With  the  help  of  McDonald's 
Corporation  and  Walt  Disney  World 
Resort,  the  Museum  purchases  Sue  at 
Sotheby's  for  $7.6  million. 


November  18  —  Visitors  get  their  first 
peek  at  the  famous  fossil  in  the  exhibit 
"Sue  Uncrated. " 

1998 

June  10  —  The  Museum  opens  the 
McDonald's  Fossil  Preparation 
Laboratory,  allowing  visitors  to  watch  as 
Museum  researchers  clean,  preserve  and 
restore  Sue's  bones. 

August  to  September  —  Boeing  techni- 
cians perform  CT  scans  on  Sue's  skull. 
Museum  researchers  use  these  scans  to 
reconstruct  the  anatomy  of  the  skull. 

1999 

April  —  Museum  scientists  begin  the  first 
step  in  creating  cast  replicas  of  Sue  by 
making  molds  of  her  prepared  bones. 

May  29  —  The  Museum  opens  the 
exhibit  "Sue:  The  Inside  Story, "  which 
features  some  of  the  discoveries  that 
were  made  about  T.  rex  based  on  new 
research  and  the  CT  scans. 


2000 

May  17- 


Sue  will  be  unveiled. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Sue  Exhibit 


have  the  courage,  stare  into  her  dark,  bot- 
tomless eye  sockets. 

Unlike  most  museums,  which  display  cast 
replicas  of  dinosaur  skeletons.  The  Field 
Museum  has  strengthened  Its  commitment 
to  authenticity.  This  is  Sue  —  not  a  plastic 
model  or  a  plaster  cast,  nor  a  patchwork 
or  composite  of  bones  from  different 
species.  The  bones  on  display  are  the  real 
fossilized  remains  of  the  single  largest,  most 
complete  and  best-preserved  7:  rex  fossil 
ever  unearthed. 

Each  of  Sue's  approximately  250  fossilized 
bones  is  cradled  in  a  hand-forged  iron 
bracket  on  which  the  bones  rest  like  a  dia- 
mond in  the  setting  of  a  ring.  However, 
these  brackets  are  hinged  and  locked, 
allowing  scientists  to  remove  the  bones 
for  research. 

One  of  the  few  pieces  of  Sue  that  will  not 
be  mounted  is  her  5-foot-long  skull,  which 
Is  too  heavy  to  be  placed  on  the  steel  arma- 
ture that  will  support  Sue's  skeleton. 
Instead,  the  Museum  will  install  a  cast 
replica  of  the  skull  on  the  skeleton,  placing 
the  real  one  on  display  in  an  exhibit  on  the 
second-floor  balcony  overlooking  Stanley 
Field  Hall.  There,  you  can  get  an  up-close 
view  of  the  predator's  massive  head,  as  well 
as  learn  about  the  mounting  process  and 
the  story  of  how  Sue  ended  up  at  The  Field 
Museum.  In  addition,  you  can  view  ani- 
mated CT  scans  of  the  skull  and  touch  a 
variety  of  casts  of  Sue's  bones,  including  a 
rib,  forelimb  and  a  12-inch-long  tooth. 

Just  around  the  corner,  the  Museum  will 
install  additional  displays  that  focus  on  the 
ongoing  scientific  study  of  T.  rex  and  Sue.  In 
this  section,  you  also  will  learn  how  fact, 
theory  and  speculation  have  all  played  a 


role  in  solving  the  mysteries  of  T.  rex;  why 
scientific  and  popular  views  of  T.  rex  have 
changed  and  will  continue  to  change  over 
time;  and  how  Sue's  bones  may  hold  the 
clues  to  understanding  how  a  T.  rex  lived. 

To  celebrate  Sue's  unveiling,  the  Museum 
will  be  hosting  a  number  of  special  dino- 
related  programs  from  May  17  to  May  21, 
including  a  day  of  family  entertainment  on 
May  17,  a  family  festival  on  May  19,  a 
lecture  by  the  lead  researcher  on  Sue  on 
May  20,  and  a  concert  performance  about 
the  life  and  times  of  Sue  on  May  21  (see 
"Get  Smart"  page  in  the  calendar  section 
for  more  information). 

If  you  can't  make  it  to  Chicago  to  see  Sue, 
don't  despair.  A  life-sized  cast  replica  of 
the  dinosaur  Is  being  installed  at  DinoLand 
U.S.A.  in  Disney's  Animal  Kingdom  at  Walt 
Disney  World  Resort  in  Florida.  In  addition, 
two  other  cast  replicas  will  be  traversing  the 
country  as  part  of  a  traveling  exhibit 
sponsored  by  McDonald's  Corporation. 
This  exhibit  will  be  on  display  at  Boston's 
Museum  of  Science  on  June  23, 
followed  by  Honolulu's  Bishop  Museum  on 


Above:  Fossil  hunter  Susan  Hendrickson 
standing  next  to  Sue's  right  foot.  She  discov- 
ered Sue  near  Faith,  S.D..  on  Aug.  12,  1990, 
after  the  truck  in  which  she  was  riding 
broke  down. 

Upper  Right:  Field  Museum  preparator  Paul 
Brinkman  removing  the  matrix  from  one  of 
Sue's  more  than  250  fossilized  bones. 

Right:  Sue's  razor-sharp  teeth  ranged  in  length 
from  7.5  inches  to  12  inches.  During  her 
life,  Sue's  teeth  would  have  continually  shed 
and  regrown. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


July  14.  It  will  spend  approximately  three 
months  in  each  city  on  the  tour,  which 
also  will  include  stops  in  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
Los  Angeles,  Calif.,  and  Columbus,  Ohio. 

"The  traveling  Sue  exhibition  is  our  way  of 
ensuring  that  families  nationwide  have  the 
opportunity  to  enjoy  and  learn  from  this 
unprecedented  scientific  discovery,"  says 
Jack  Greenberg,  chairman  and  CEO  of 
McDonald's  Corporation. 

These  two  McDonald's  exhibits  will  include 
a  42-foot  articulated  cast  skeleton  of  Sue, 
touchable  casts  of  bones,  video  footage  and 
interactive  anatomical  models  that  allow 
visitors  to  control  the  movements  of  a 
T.  rex  jaw,  tail,  neck  and  forelimb. 

You  can  also  access  information  about  Sue 
on  the  Web  at  www.fieldmuseum.org/Sue/. 
There  you  will  find  details  about  Sue  and 
the  world  in  which  she  lived,  photographs 
of  her  bones  and  even  a  live  Web  cam  that 
allows  you  to  watch  preparators  clean  and 
restore  fossilized  bones  uncovered  by 
Museum  scientists.    ITF 

Sue  at  The  Field  Museum,  which  is  free  with 
general  Museum  admission,  is  made  possi- 
ble by  McDonald's  Corporation.  A  major 
sponsor  of  Sue  is  Walt  Disney  World  Resort. 
The  Elizabeth  Morse  Charitable  Trust  is  the 
generous  sponsor  of  this  exhibition. 


Above:  The  shaded  areas  show  the  hones 
that  are  missing  from  Sue's  skeleton. 


Some  Fun  Sue  Facts 


It  took  six  fossil  hunters  17  days  to  get 
Sue  out  of  the  ground;  it  took  12 
Museum  preparators  two  years  (30,000 
hours  of  total  preparation  time)  to  dean 
and  repair  her  bones. 

A  T.  rex  skeleton  is  made  up  of  approxi- 
mately 321  bones.  Sue  was  found  with 
most  of  these  bones.  Among  the  bones 
she  is  missing  are  a  foot,  one  arm  and  a 
few  ribs  and  vertebrae. 

T.  rex  lived  closer  in  time  to  the  first 
humans  (about  60  million  years  apart) 
than  it  did  to  the  first  dinosaurs  (about 
160  million  years  apart). 


Only  two  complete  T.  rex  forelimbs  have 
ever  been  found  —  and  Sue  has  one 
of  them. 

Sue's  legs  are  enormous,  but  her  arms 
are  the  size  of  a  human's  —  so  short  that 
they  couldn't  even  reach  her  mouth. 
Nobody  knows  how  T.  rex  used  these 
tiny  forelimbs. 

Sue's  razor-sharp  teeth  were  continually 
shed  and  regrown  during  her  lifetime. 

The  first  T.  rex  was  unearthed  in 
Wyoming  by  Barnum  Brown  in  1900. 


Picturing  T  rex:  Selections  From  the  Lanzendorf  Collection 


While  visiting  The  Field  Museum  as  a  child 
in  the  1950s,  Chicago  resident  John 
Lanzendorf  purchased  a  small  brass  T.  rex 
figurine.  For  Lanzendorf,  this  purchase  was 
the  beginning  of  a  lifelong  fascination  with 
dinosaurs  and  dinosaur  collectibles.  Today, 
that  figurine  is  just  one  of  hundreds  of 
pieces  that  comprise  one  of  the  most  com- 
prehensive private  collections  of  dinosaur 
art  in  the  world. 

From  May  17  through  November  13,  The 
Field  Museum  will  present  a  portion  of 
Lanzendorf's  extraordinary  collection  in  the 
new  exhibit  "Picturing  T.  rex:  Selections 
from  the  Lanzendorf  Collection."  Free  with 
general  Museum  admission,  the  exhibit 
features  more  than  70  original  paintings, 
drawings,  sculptures  and  toys  —  most 
depicting  Tyrannosaurus  rex,  the  largest  car- 
nivore to  walk  the  Earth. 

The  objects  on  display  range  from  carefully 
modeled  bronzes  based  on  the  latest 
scientific  research  to  whimsical  T.  rex 


salt-and-pepper  shakers.  Some  reflect 
the  changing  theories  about  the  anatomy 
and  behavior  of  T.  rex.  For  instance,  a  cou- 
ple of  his  sculptures  depict  T.  rex  as  upright 
and  lumbering,  while  others  portray  it  as 
a  more  agile  creature.  Lanzendorf's  collec- 
tion also  reveals  the  range  of  solutions  that 
artists  have  come  up  with  to  add  color  and 
skin  texture  to  a  creature  known  only 
by  its  bones.  For  example,  some  have 
depicted  T.  rex  as  a  darkly  camouflaged 
animal,  whereas  others  have  opted  for 
lizard  green  or  even  orange  and  white  like 
a  spotted  giraffe. 

Some  of  the  more  fascinating  objects  on  dis- 
play were  created  by  artists  involved  in  films 
in  which  T.  rex  played  the  starring  role.  For 
instance,  one  T.  rex  in  Lanzendorf's  collec- 
tion was  created  by  Michael  Trcic  for  the 
first  Jurassic  Park  movie. 

Right:  John  Lanzendorf  surrounded  by  his  col- 
lection ofT.  rex  paintings  and  sculptures. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


4       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Calendar  of  Events 


Literary  Reading  with 
Kathleen  Norris 

5/1,  Monday,  6:30  p.m. 

Greet  the  Day  with  Kathleen  Norris 

5/2,  Tuesday,  7- 8 a.m. 

In  her  novels  —  which  include  Dakota:  A 
Spiritual  Geography  and  The  Cloister  Walk 
—  Kathleen  Norris  examines  issues  of 
contemporary  spirituality  and  offers  illumi- 
nating perspectives  on  difficult  theological 
concepts.  In  addition  to  her  novels,  Norris 
also  has  published  personal  narratives, 
essays  and  poetry  in  a  variety  of  magazines, 
including  The  New  Yorker  and  The  New 
York  Times  Magazine.  She  also  has  written 
several  popular  essays  on  monasticism  that 
have  appeared  in  The  Gettysburg  Review, 
Hungry  Mind  Review  and  North  Dakota 
Quarterly.  On  May  1,  Norris  will  read  a 
selection  of  her  short  essays;  presenting 
them  the  following  day  with  a  morning  of 
meditation  along  the  lakeshore.  Tickets  for 
the  "Literary  Reading"  are  $15  ($10  mem- 
bers; $12  students  and  educators)  and  for 
"Greet  the  Day"  are  $42  ($35  members;  $38 
students  and  educators).  Please  call 
312.565.7400  for  more  information  or 
to  register. 


Sunday  Symposia  Series: 

The  Scrolls  and  Millenarianism 

5/7,  2-4 p.m.,  Sunday 

The  State  of  the  Continuing 
Publication  of  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls 

5/14,  2-4 p.m,  Sunday 

As  part  of  its  Sunday  Symposia  Series  that 
delves  into  the  history  and  controversy  sur- 
rounding the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls,  The  Field 
Museum  will  present  "The  Scrolls  and 
Millenarianism"  in  which  four  prominent 
scholars  will  debate  the  apocalyptic  refer- 
ences found  in  the  scrolls,  including  one 
that  mentions  a  final  battle  that  will  be 
waged  between  the  Sons  of  Light  and  the 
Sons  of  Darkness.  Then  on  May  14,  Emanuel 
Tov,  editor  in  chief  of  the  Israel  Antiquities 
Authority's  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Publication 
Project,  will  close  out  the  series  by  talking 
about  his  organization's  ongoing  effort 
to  publish  and  transcribe  these  ancient 
manuscripts.  Tickets  to  the  "Scrolls  and 
Millenarianism"  are  $12  ($8  members; 
$10  students  and  educators).  Tov's  lecture 
Is  free  with  Museum  admission  on  a 
first-come,  first-served  basis.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information  or 
to  register  for  the  paid  program. 


Left:  This  Black-crowned  Night  Heron 
(Nycticorax  nycticoraxj  is  one  of  the  many 
species  of  birds  that  you  might  encounter  on 
the  "Weekend  Birding  at  Black  Swamp" 
field  trip. 


Adult  Field  Trip 

Weekend  Birding  at  Black  Swamp, 

Ottawa  City,  Ohio 

5/19  -  5/21,  Friday  to  Sunday 

Join  The  Field  Museum  and  The  Chicago 
Audubon  Society  for  a  birding  trip  to  the 
Ottawa  National  Wildlife  Refuge,  Magee 
Marsh  and  Navarre  Marsh  along  the  shores 
of  Lake  Erie.  The  bus  will  depart  from  The 
Field  Museum  Friday  evening,  arriving  in 
Port  Clinton,  Ohio,  later  that  night.  The 
next  morning,  you  will  trek  through 
Magee  Marsh  and  then  hike  the  roads 
around  the  wetlands  of  the  Ottawa 
National  Wildlife  Refuge.  After  dinner, 
Julie  Shieldcastle  from  the  Black  Swamp 
Bird  Observatory  will  discuss  the  vast  array 
of  wildlife  that  inhabits  the  region's 
marshes  and  swamps.  On  Sunday  morning, 
she  will  then  introduce  you  to  the  art  and 
science  of  bird  banding.  Afterward,  you  will 
have  a  few  hours  to  explore  the  Navarre 
Marsh  before  boarding  the  bus  back  to 
Chicago.  $185  ($170,  members).  Please 
call  312.665.7400  for  more  information 
or  to  register. 

Body  Scriptures: 

Praise,  Prophets  and  Possibilities 

Liz  Lerman  Dance  Exchange 

6/3,  Saturday,  8  p.m. 

In  celebration  of  "The  Dead  Sea  Scrolls" 
exhibit,  the  internationally  renowned  Liz 
Lerman  Dance  Exchange  has  created  a  spe- 
cial performance  based  on  material  from  its 
national  tour  of  Hallelujah!  —  a  series  of 
dances  that  shed  light  on  the  question, 
"What  are  we  in  praise  of?"  Over  the  past 
20  years,  the  Liz  Lerman  Dance  Exchange 
has  produced  a  number  of  award-winning 
works,  including  The  Good  Jew?,  which 
took  an  unflinching  look  at  issues  of  faith, 
ethnicity  and  identity.  Most  of  Dance 
Director  Liz  Lerman's  original  pieces  are 
defined  by  the  spoken  word  drawn  from 
literature,  personal  experience,  philosophy 
and  political  and  social  commentary.  $15 
($10  members;  $12  students  and  educators). 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  informa- 
tion or  to  register. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Field  Trips 

Chicago  Jewish  Roots 

614,  Sunday,  Noon  -  5  p.m. 
African-American  Chicago,  1936 

6/1 1,  Sunday,  10  a.m.  -  5  p.m. 

Throughout  the  summer,  the  Spertus 
Museum  in  Chicago  will  be  showcasing 
"The  Nazi  Olympics:  Berlin  1936,"  an  extra- 
ordinary exhibit  that  highlights  the  stories 
of  athletes  who  boycotted,  participated  or 
were  barred  from  participating  in  the  most 
controversial  games  in  modern  Olympic  his- 
tory. In  conjunction  with  "The  Nazi 
Olympics,"  The  Field  Museum  is  hosting  two 
bus  tours  in  June  that  explore  some  of  the 
themes  examined  in  the  exhibit.  The  first 
tour,  on  June  4,  will  be  led  by  Irvin  Cutler,  a 
professor  emeritus  in  Chicago  State 
University's  geography  department,  who 
will  take  participants  on  a  journey  to  areas 
in  Chicago  in  which  Jewish  culture  once 
flourished.  The  June  1 1  field  trip  will  be  led 
by  author  and  historian  Timuel  D.  Black  Jr. 
who  will  take  you  on  a  tour  of  neighbor- 
hoods in  Chicago  that  were  the  center  of 
African-American  life  in  the  1930s.  Both 
trips  will  depart  from  the  Spertus  Museum. 
Tickets  for  "Chicago  Jewish  Roots"  are  $50 
($43  members)  and  for  "African-American 
Chicago"  are  $60  ($50  members).  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

Lecture 

The  Sacred  Depths  of  Nature 

6/6,  Tuesday,  6:30  p.m. 

Ursula  Goodenough,  one  of  America's  lead- 
ing cell  biologists,  will  offer  insight  into  the 
connection  between  modern  science  and 
spiritual  meaning,  a  connection  that  is  the 
focus  of  her  acclaimed  book,  The  Sacred 
Depths  of  Nature.  Goodenough's  book  is 
a  celebration  of  molecular  biology  com- 
bined with  meditations  on  the  spiritual 
and  religious  meaning  that  can  be  found 
at  the  heart  of  science.  During  her  lecture, 
Goodenough  will  explain  this  connection 
while  covering  such  topics  as  gene 
expression,  embryology,  evolution  and  bio- 
diversity. $12  ($8  members;  $10  students 
and  educators).  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  Information  or  to  register. 

Right:  A  photograph  from  the  Spertus 
Museum's  new  summer  exhibit,  "The  Nazi 
Olympics:  Berlin  1936."  On  June  4  and 
June  11,  you  can  explore  some  of  the  themes 
examined  in  this  exhibit  by  taking  bus  tours 
into  areas  of  Chicago  that  were  once  the  center 
of  Jewish  and  African-American  culture. 


The  State  of  the  Art 

The  National  New  Plays  Network 

6/24,  Saturday  2  -  3:30  p.m. 

Join  The  Field  Museum  and  The  National 
New  Play  Network  as  they  host  "The  State 
of  the  Art,"  a  lively  exchange  on  contempo- 
rary theater  moderated  by  local  theater 
critic  Jonathan  Abarbanel.  The  National 
New  Play  Network  is  an  alliance  of  non- 
profit theater  companies  dedicated  to 
helping  its  members  develop  and  produce 
new  works  and  strengthen  relationships 
within  their  communities.  "The  State  of  the 
Art"  is  sponsored  by  the  Prop  Theater 
Group,  The  Field  Museum  and  the  City  of 
Chicago's  Department  of  Cultural  Affairs. 
For  more  information  about  this  free  pro- 
gram, please  call  773.486.PROP 

Summer  Camp 

2000  Summer  Worlds  Tour: 

Extreme  Environments 

7/1 0-7/1 4;  7/1 7 -7/21; 
7/24 -7/28;  or  7/31  -8/4 

Are  you  looking  for  a  summer  day  camp  for 
your  kids  that  is  both  fun  and  educational? 
Well,  you  might  want  to  consider  the 
"2000  Summer  Worlds  Tour,"  a  summer 
camp  coorganized  by  the  Adier  Planetarium 
and  Astronomy  Museum,  The  Field  Museum 
and  the  Shedd  Aquarium.  During  these 


camps,  participants  will  get  to  explore  envi- 
ronments that  are  unique  and  extreme, 
such  as  Mars,  the  so-called  red  planet;  the 
mysterious  Mesozoic  habitat  that  was  home 
to  dinosaurs  like  Sue;  and  the  delicate  and 
mystical  rain  forests  of  the  Amazon.  Parents 
can  sign  up  their  children  for  one  of  the 
four  one-week  sessions  (see  above).  $200 
per  participant,  per  session  ($180  members). 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  informa- 
tion or  to  register. 


Downtown  Thursday 
Nights  at  The  Field 

June  22  -  August  17 

Beginning  June  22  and  continuing 
through  the  summer.  The  Field  Museum 
will  be  open  until  9  p.m.  on  Thursday 
evenings.  During  these  late  summer 
nights,  you  can  come  in  and  explore  the 
Museum's  exhibits  (which  will  close  at 
8  p.m.),  enjoy  some  lively  performances 
and  outdoor  celebrations  and  take  a 
walk  around  campus  to  take  in  the 
beauty  of  the  city's  skyline.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Get  Smart 


Sue  at  The  Field  Museum 
Opening  Festivities 


On  May  17,  Sue  will  stand  fully  erected  for 
the  first  time  in  nearly  70  nnillion  years.  In 
celebration  of  her  unveiling,  The  Field 
Museum  has  organized  a  number  of  pro- 
grams designed  to  help  you  explore  the 
world  of  Sue  and  to  uncover  the  secrets 
hidden  in  her  prehistoric  bones. 

Family  Activities 

Wednesday,  May  17 
Saturday  &  Sunday,  May  20-21 
Saturday,  Sunday  &  Monday,  May  27  -  29 
10  a.m.  -  3  p.m. 

During  the  family  activities  portion  of  the 
celebration,  you  can  delve  into  the  world  of 
Sue  by  creating  a  dinosaur  from  foam  and 
wire;  uncovering  hidden  fossils  embedded 
in  the  Museum's  limestone  floors;  and 
watching  dinosaurs  come  to  life  through 
the  magic  of  puppetry.  On  May  20  and 
May  21,  you  also  can  meet  some  children's 
authors  who  have  written  about  Sue.  All 
activities  are  free  with  general  Museum 
admission.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information. 

Sue  Family  Festival 

Friday,  May  19 
5:30-  10p.m. 

Celebrate  Sue's  unveiling  at  the  "Sue  Family 
Festival,"  a  fun  evening  for  all  ages. 
Highlights  of  the  evening  will  include  an 
opportunity  to  meet  and  get  an  autograph 
from  Susan  Hendrickson,  the  discoverer  of 
Sue;  a  dino  parade  around  the  Museum  led 
by  massive  dinosaur  puppets;  a  picnic-style 
dinner;  and  a  number  of  dino-related  the- 
atrical performances  and  hands-on 
activities.  Tickets  are  $15  for  children  and 
$20  for  adults  ($12  member  children  and 
$18  for  member  adults).  To  order  tickets, 
please  call  Ticketmaster  at  312.902.1500. 

The  Science  of  Sue 

Saturday,  May  20 
3:30  p.m. 

Chris  Brochu,  a  research  scientist  in  the 
geology  department  and  lead  researcher  on 
Sue,  will  reveal  what  he  has  learned  about 
Sue  from  studying  her  fossilized  bones  for 
the  past  two  years.  He  also  will  discuss  his 
soon-to-be-published  monograph,  which 
contains  the  full  scientific  description  of 
Sue.  $12  ($8  members;  $10  students  and 
educators).  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  or  to  order  tickets. 


Above:  A  view  from  inside  Sue's  mouth.  Sue  would  have  used  her  teeth,  which  were  serrated  like 
the  blade  of  a  steak  knife,  to  tear  apart  the  flesh  of  her  prey  and  keep  her  victims  from  escaping 
her  powerful  jaws. 

7th  Annual  Silver 
Images  Film  Festival 


A  Family  Dinosaur  Concert: 

A  Celebration  of  a  r.  rex  Named  Sue 

Sunday,  May  21 
11  a.m.  &  1  p.m. 

Join  the  Chicago  Chamber  Musicians  and 
The  Field  Museum  as  they  present  "A  Family 
Dinosaur  Concert:  A  Celebration  of  a  I  rex 
Named  Sue."  Designed  for  families  with  chil- 
dren ages  3  and  above  and  sponsored  by 
Ronald  McDonald  House  Charities,  the  con- 
cert will  feature  the  world  premiere 
performance  of  "Tyrannosaurus  Sue:  A 
Cretaceous  Concerto,"  with  music  by  Bruce 
Adolphe,  poems  by  Kevin  Crotty  and  illustra- 
tions by  Kurt  Vargo.  It  also  will  feature 
a  reading  of  Jan  Wahl's  book.  The  Field 
Mouse  and  the  Dinosaur  Named  Sue.  Call 
312.225.5226  to  reserve  your  tickets  ($10). 
For  more  information,  please  call 
312.665.7418 


Sunday,  May  4 
11  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

During  The  Silver  Images  Film 
Festival,  which  celebrates  the  oppor- 
tunities that  come  with  aging, 
visitors  can  watch  a  variety  of  inter- 
national films  and  video  shorts  that 
depict  the  elderly  as  active,  produc- 
tive and  empowered  members  of 
society.  Festival  director  Sheila 
Malkind  will  hold  discussions  about 
the  films  after  each  screening. 
Organized  by  the  Terra  Nova  Films 
Inc.,  a  nonprofit  organization,  the 
festival  is  free  with  general  Museum 
admission  (the  Museum  will  waive 
admission  for  those  with  senior-citi- 
zen cards).  Call  312.881.6940  for 
more  information. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


An  Evening  with  Julie  Taymor 


Thursday,  May  4 

6:30  p.m. 

As  part  of  its  ongoing  exploration  of  tine 
"Maslcs:  Faces  of  Culture"  exiiibit,  the 
Museum  is  proud  to  present  an  evening 
with  Julie  Taymor,  a  theatrical  designer  and 
director  who  has  choreographed,  directed 
and  created  costumes  for  a  variety  of  plays 
and  operas  that  incorporate  masl<s  and 
masl<-lil<e  outfits. 

During  the  course  of  her  career,  Taymor  has 
made  a  significant  impact  on  contemporary 
popular  theater  through  her  use  of  uncon- 
ventional stagecraft,  including  masks, 
puppets  and  experimental  staging  tech- 
niques. For  instance,  she  recently  designed 
large-scale  puppet  masks  for  the  Broadway 
adaptation  of  The  Lion  King  that  allowed 
the  actors  to  mimic  the  movements  of  the 
creatures  they  were  portraying. 

In  addition  to  The  Lion  King,  Taymor  has 
worked  on  The  Flying  Dutchman,  The 
Tempest  and  Shakespeare's  Titus 
Andronicus,  which  she  recently  adapted  into 
a  feature  film.  Her  "braiding  together  of 
global  stage  forms,"  as  theater  historian 
Eileen  Blumenthal  has  described  her  work, 
has  earned  Taymor  a  number  of  awards, 
including  the  MacArthur  "Genius  Grant" 
and  a  Guggenheim  Fellowship.  $20  ($15 
members;  $18  students  and  educators).  Call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


Above:  Tsidii  Le  Loka  wearing  one  oJTaymor's  costumes  in  the  Broadway  production  of'The 
Lion  King."  After  graduating  college,  Taymor  was  awarded  a  fellowship  to  study  Javanese  shadow 
puppetry  in  Indonesia.  While  on  the  island  of  Bali,  she  formed  her  own  theater  troupe,  whose 
first  work  was  called  "Way  of  Snow,"  based  on  an  Inuit  legend. 


Collecting  Dinosaur  Art 
With  John  Lanzendorf 


Friday,  July  7 

6  to  8  p.m. 

On  display  from  May  17  through  Nov.  13, 
the  exhibit  "Picturing  T.  rex:  Selections 
from  the  Lanzendorf  Collection"  features 
original  art  and  popular  representations  of 
Tyrannosaurus  rex.  These  objects,  which 
range  from  sophisticated  bronzes  to  salt- 
and-pepper  shakers,  were  all  collected  by 
Chicago  resident  John  Lanzendorf  over  the 
past  50  years. 

On  July  7,  you  can  meet  Lanzendorf,  who 
will  explain  why  he  began  collecting 
dinosaur  art  and  how  he  has  transformed 
his  first  piece,  a  brass  T.  rex  figurine  he 
bought  as  a  child  while  visiting  The  Field 
Museum,  into  one  of  the  most  comprehen- 
sive private  collections  of  dinosaur  art  in  the 


world.  Participants  are  encouraged  to  bring 
along  selections  from  their  own  dinosaur 
collections  to  share  with  others.  $12  ($10 
members).  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information. 


Right:  Any  good  collection  of  dinosaur  art 
usually  includes  at  least  one  of  these  $1  "Mold 
a-Rama"  plastic  T.  rex  miniatures.  For  more 
than  10  years,  the  Museum  has  been  selling 
these  dinosaur  figurines  in  coin-operated  vend' 
ing  machines  on  the  ground  floor. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


8       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Left:  A  watercolor  illustration  by  Peggy 
Macnamara,  the  Museum's  resident  artist,  of  a 
spiny-tailed  iguana  (Ctenosaura  similis).  On 
May  13,  visitors  can  learn  how  to  paint  and 
draw  the  thousands  of  biological  and  cultural 
specimens  on  display  at  the  Museum. 


2-4  p.m.  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  Sunday 
Symposia:  The  State  of  the  Continuing 
Publication  of  the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls.  For  the 

closing  lecture  in  the  Museum's  Symposia 
Series,  professor  Emanuel  Tov  from  the 
Hebrew  University  of  Jerusalem  will 
talk  about  the  future  of  the  Israel 
Antiquities  Authority's  Dead  Sea  Scrolls  pub- 
lication project.  Started  in  1950  by  a  small 
team  of  scholars,  this  project  is  an  attempt 
to  publish  all  800  compositions  that  com- 
prise the  Dead  Sea  Scrolls. 

May  17  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Opening  Day:  Unveiling  of 
Sue.  See  the  "Get  Smart"  page  in  the 
calendar  section  for  a  full  description  of 
opening  festivities. 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
See  May  3. 


Every  Saturday  and  Sunday 

1  p.m.  Preschoolers  Alert!  Story  Time  — 
Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction.  Learn  new  songs 
and  stories,  and  have  fun  creating  artwork 
in  the  Grainger  Gallery  —  all  in  a  20-minute 
program  sponsored  by  The  Siragusa 
Foundation  Early  Childhood  Initiative.  In 
May  and  June,  you  can  hear  stories  about 
dinosaurs,  music  and  life  in  the  woods,  as 
well  as  design  a  T.  rex,  forest  habitat, 
dream  tree  or  dazzling  drum.  One  adult  for 
every  three  children,  please. 

Interpretive  Station  Activities:  Drop  by 
hands-on  stations  located  throughout  the 
Museum  (check  informational  directories 
for  a  daily  listing)  and  delve  into  the  fasci- 
nating world  of  natural  history. 

May  3  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
Explore  the  lives  and  afterlife  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians. 

May  10  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 

See  May  3. 


May  11  —  Thursday 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 

Extend  your  journey  into  the  Underground 
Adventure  exhibit  by  listening  to  scientists 
from  the  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture 
talk  about  the  process  of  soil  formation  in 
Illinois  and  around  the  world.  Opened 
March  27,  1999,  Underground  Adventure 
allows  visitors  to  explore  the  hidden  world 
beneath  their  feet. 

May  13  —  Saturday 

Noon  -  3  p.m.  Hall  Demonstrations:  Artists 
in  the  Field.  Watch  student  artists  from  the 
School  of  the  Art  Institute  demonstrate  the 
drawing  and  painting  techniques  they  use 
to  capture  the  beauty  of  The  Field 
Museum's  many  dioramas  and  cultural  and 
biological  collections. 

May  14  —  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  7th  Annual  Silver  Images 
Film  Festival.  Come  watch  films  and  videos 
produced  from  around  the  world  that  cele- 
brate long  life  and  the  latter  stages  of 
adulthood.  Sheila  Malkind,  the  director  of 
the  festival,  will  lead  discussions  about  the 
films  after  each  screening.  Please  call 
312.665.7400  for  information  about  film 
titles  and  screening  times. 


May  20  —  Saturday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Programs  for 
Opening  Weekend  of  Sue.  Opening-week- 
end activities  for  Sue  will  continue  with  a 
variety  of  family  programs  designed  to 
encourage  visitors  to  explore  the  world  of 
dinosaurs.  See  the  "Get  Smart"  page  in  the 
calendar  section  for  details. 

May  21  —  Sunday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Programs  for 
Opening  Weekend  of  Sue.  See  May  20. 

May  24  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
See  May  3. 


Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Take  a  guided  tour  of  the  exhibits  that 
make  this  Museum  one  of  the  world's 
finest  and  learn  about  the  history  of 
these  displays.  Tours  are  offered  Monday 
through  Friday  at  1 1  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 
Check  the  informational  directories  for 
weekend  tours. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


May  27  —  Saturday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Programs  for  Sue. 

Both  educational  and  entertaining,  these 
family  activities  are  designed  to  enhance 
your  enjoyment  of  Sue,  the  largest  and 
most  complete  T.  rex  ever  unearthed. 
During  this  program,  you  can  create  your 
own  dinosaur  from  foam  and  wire,  and 
view  artwork  created  by  dinosaur  artists. 
You  can  even  search  the  Museum's  lime- 
stone floor  for  evidence  of  buried  fossils. 

1:30  p.m.  Tibet  Today  and  a  Faitli  in  Exile. 

This  slide  presentation  takes  you  to  Tibetan 
refugee  sites  around  the  world  and  to 
places  in  Tibet  now  open  to  tourists. 

May  28  —  Sunday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Programs  for  Sue. 
See  May  27. 

May  29  —  Monday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Family  Programs  for  Sue. 
See  May  27. 

May  31  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 

See  May  3. 

June  3  —  Saturday 

Noon  -  5  p.m.  Meet  John  Lanzendorf. 

Dinosaur  art  collector  John  Lanzendorf  will 
be  on  hand  to  speak  to  visitors  about  the 
exhibit  "Picturing  T.  rex:  Selections  from 
the  Lanzendorf  Collection."  Visitors  are 
encouraged  to  bring  along  pieces  from  their 
own  dinosaur  collections  to  share  with 
others.  Please  call  312.665.7550  for  a  list  of 
additional  dates. 

June  7  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
See  May  3. 

June  8  — Thursday 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor.  Join 
scientists  from  the  U.S.  Department  of 
Agriculture  to  learn  about  soil  science,  soil 
conservation  and  careers  relating  to  agricul- 


Right:  This  Egyptian  woman  died  more  than 
5,500  years  ago  during  the  Naqada  I  period. 
It  is  one  of  the  many  mummified  remains  you 
will  discover  while  on  the  Museum's  free 
"Inside  Ancient  Egypt"  tour  that  is  offered 
throughout  May  and  June. 


ture.  The  scientists  also  will  discuss  how 
they  strive  to  educate  the  public  about  the 
importance  of  soil,  one  of  the  planet's  most 
valuable  resources. 

June  14  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
See  May  3. 

June  21  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 
See  May  3. 

June  28  —  Wednesday 

10  a.m.  &  1  p.m.  Tour:  Inside  Ancient  Egypt. 

See  May  3. 

Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through 
a  variety  of  resources,  including  computer 
programs,  books,  activity  boxes  and  much 
more  at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and 
the  Daniel  F.  &  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research 
Station.  Open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to 
4:30  p.m.  See  next  column  for  information 
on  the  Webber  Resource  Center  and  the 
Crown  Family  Place  for  Wonder. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on 
the  Great  Plains.  Open  from  10  a.m.  to 
4:30  p.m.  on  weekends  and  at  1  p.m. 
during  weekdays. 


Ruatepupuke: 

The  Maori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people  of 
New  Zealand  at  their  treasured  and  sacred 
Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work  on  a 
variety  of  dinosaur  bones.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 


Please  Excuse  our 
Renovations 

We  are  on  the  move!  As  you  plan  your  next 
visit  to  The  Field  Museum,  you  should  note 
that  some  of  our  exhibit  halls  and  resource 
centers  are  temporarily  closed  for  reorgani- 
zation. These  include  the  Crown  Family 
Place  for  Wonder,  the  Webber  Gallery, 
Webber  Resource  Center  and  Place  for 
Wonder  —  all  of  which  will  reopen  this 
summer.  Although  the  new  "Ancient 
Mesoamerica  and  North  America"  hall  will 
not  be  complete  until  mid-July,  the  majority 
of  it  is  currently  available  for  public  view- 
ing. This  summer,  the  Museum  also  will  be 
opening  a  Plains  and  Southwest  Native 
American  Gallery.  For  more  information, 
please  call  312.665.7400. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


MAY/JUNE  2000 


10       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Field  Notes 


Canadian  Sculptor  Combines  Art  with  Science 
TO  Re-create  Sue's  Skull 


Above:  Brian 
Cooky  working  on 
his  Sue  sculpture  in 
one  of  the  geology 
department's 
preparation  labs. 


Robert  Vosper 

Are  you  looking  for  a  collectors  item  that  is  a  little 
more  upscale  than  baseball  cards,  Pokemon  toys  or 
Beanie  Babies?  Are  you  going  insane  trying  to  find  a 
gift  for  that  special  someone  who  has  everything?  Or 
perhaps  you  are  in  the  market  for  some  artwork  that 
will  make  your  dinner  guests'  heads  spin  with  curios- 
ity? If  your  answer  is  yes,  then  we  have  something 
right  up  your  alley. 

Beginning  May  17,  Brian  Cooley,  a  43-year-old 
sculptor  from  Calgary,  will  begin  selling  10  limited- 
edition,  one-third-scale  bronze  replicas  of  Sues 
5-foot-long  skull.  Cooley  will  sell  the  first  five  sculp- 
tures for  $34,000  each;  then  will  increase  the  price  in 
increments  of  5  percent  for  the  remaining  pieces.  As 
part  of  his  licensing  agreement  with  The  Field 
Museum,  Cooley  will  donate  the  first  sculpture  to  the 
Museum  and  will  share  50  percent  of  the  total  sales. 

Since  1983,  Cooley  has  been  creating  life-sized 
and  scale  models  of  dinosaurs  for  museums  and  theme 
parks  around  the  world.  In  the  past  couple  of  years,  he 
also  has  created  a  number  of  models  for  National 
Geographic  magazine,  which  has  used  them  as  illustra- 
rions  in  articles  about  major  dinosaur  discoveries.  The 
magazine  even  published  a  photograph  of  one  of  his 
pieces,  a  fleshed-out  recreation  of  the  flightless  feath- 
ered dinosaur  Caudipteryx  zoui,  on  the  cover  of  its  July 
1998  issue.  Not  long  after  this  issue  hit  the  news- 
stands, the  magazine  commissioned  Cooley  to  create  a 
model  of  another  important  flightless  dinosaur:  Sue. 


For  its  June  1999  feature  about  the  Museums 
famous  fossil.  National  Geographic  asked  Cooley  to  cre- 
ate two  models  of  Sue,  one  showing  how  facial 
muscles  would  have  attached  to  its  jaws  and  the  other 
depicting  Sue  as  she  may  have  looked  when  alive.  To 
design  these  models,  Cooley  first  had  to  create  an 
exact  replica  of  the  skull  in  polyester.  Working  closely 
with  Museum  preparators  and  paleontologists,  Cooley 
studied  and  measured  the  skull  for  months.  Since 
the  Museum  hadn't  removed  all  the  rocky'  matrix 
encasing  the  fossil  at  this  point,  Cooley  had  to  fill  in 
some  of  the  missing  pieces  by  studying  T.  rex  fossils  at 
other  institutions. 

"It  was  a  lot  like  taking  diflPerent  pieces  of  a  jigsaw 
puzzle  and  putting  them  together,"  he  says. 

After  completing  the  piece,  Cooley  approached 
the  Museum  about  the  possibility  of  selling  the  replica 
of  the  skull  as  a  limited-edition  bronze.  Once  Museum 
lawyers  gave  him  the  green  light,  he  returned  to 
Chicago  late  last  year  to  resculpt  the  sections  that 
were  based  on  other  specimens. 

"I  was  impressed  by  how  accurate  his  sculpture 
looks,"  says  William  Simpson,  chief  preparator  in  the 
geology  department. "He  was  genuinely  interested  in 
getting  it  right.  There  were  several  times  when  I 
would  say  to  him, 'That  just  doesn't  look  right,  Brian.' 
He  would  immediately  get  out  his  calipers  and  mea- 
sure it.  On  the  rare  occasion  it  was  off^,  he  would  tear 
apart  that  section  and  rebuild  it." 

This  type  of  detailed  work  was  new  to  Cooley, 
who  in  his  17  years  of  creating  dinosaur  models  has 
never  had  to  capture  every  crack,  fissure  and  defect  of 
an  individual  fossil. 

"This  was  the  first  time  I've  created  a  portrait  of  a 
specific  dinosaur,"  Cooley  says.  "Usually,  I  create 
generic  models  based  on  many  different  fossil  remains. 
Working  on  Sue  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  enjoy- 
able pieces  I've  ever  created  because  you  learn  so  much 
from  studying  something  that  closely." 

Because  the  sculpture  is  a  facsimile  of  Sue's  skull 
(it  doesn't,  however,  reflect  the  distortions  to  much  of 
the  fossil  skull  that  were  caused  by  geologic  forces), 
Cooley  hopes  it  will  appeal  to  more  than  just  collec- 
tors of  dinosaur  art. 

"As  far  as  I  know,  there  has  never  been  a  situation 
where  a  fossil  has  been  as  famous  as  Sue  and  there 
has  never  been  a  sculpture  of  a  fossil  created  with 
this  much  detail,"  he  explains. "These  sculptures 
represent  something  unique  in  both  the  art  world 
and  paleontology." 

For  Sue's  unveiling  May  17,  the  Museum  will 
place  one  of  the  sculptures  on  public  display.  For 
information  about  purchasing  Cooley 's  bronze  repli- 
cas, please  call  312.665.7651.    ITF 


8     IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Members'  Nights  2000 

Thursday,  June  8  and  Friday,  June  9 
5-10  p.m. 


Join  us  for  Members'  Nights,  our 
annual  behind-the-scenes  extrava- 
ganza during  which  you  can  meet 
our  scientific  staff  and  explore  the 
areas  of  the  Museum  usually 
closed  to  the  public. 

During  these  two  nights  of  dis- 
covery and  exploration,  we  will 
take  you  on  a  journey  into  the 
collections  areas,  through  the  exhi- 
bition department  and  to  the 
research  labs  where  our  scientists 
will  show  you  how  they  are  uncov- 
ering the  cultural  and  biological 
secrets  of  the  planet.  You  also  will 
get  to  see  Sue,  who  will  be  on  dis- 
play in  all  her  frightful  glory  at  the 
north  end  of  Stanley  Field  Hall. 

While  the  focus  of  Members' 
Nights  is  science  and  research,  you 
can  also  explore  our  classic  diora- 
mas, permanent  exhibits  and 
temporary  displays,  such  as  "The 
Dead  Sea  Scrolls,"  which  will  be 
open  for  viewing  on  a  first-come, 
first-served  basis. 

After  you've  completed  your 
behind-the-scenes  journey,  you  can 


kick  back  and  enjoy  some  musical 
and  theatrical  performances  in 
Stanley  Field  Hall,  grab  some  food 
at  Corner  Bakery  or  McDonald's, 
and  visit  our  store,  which  will  be 
offering  members  a  20-percent  dis- 
count on  most  merchandise. 


Admission  to  "Members'  Nights 
2000"  requires  advance  tickets. 
Members  will  receive  an  invitation 
by  mail  and  an  order  form  for  tick- 
ets. Each  member  household  will 
be  able  to  request  two  free  guest 
passes  for  friends  and  family.    ITF 


Members'  Nights  Highlights 


Afterlife  in  Ancient  Egypt 

Find  out  what  ancient  Ushabti 
statues  unearthed  in  Egyptian 
tombs  can  tell  us  about  the 
Egyptian  belief  in  life  after  death. 

Venomous  Arthropods 

Examine  some  of  nature's  scariest 
animals,  such  as  scorpions, 
black-widow  spiders  and  foot- 
long  centipedes. 

In  the  Shadow  of  Sue 

Come  see  some  of  the 
fossil  animals  and  plants 
(right)  that  were  found  buried 
alongside  Sue  in  the  high  plains 
of  western  South  Dakota.  This  is 
the  first  time  these  fossils  have 
been  on  public  display. 


Sue  in  the  Laboratory 

Examine  some  of  the  tools  that 
Museum  preparators  used  to 
remove  the  rock  from  Sue's 
bones  and  discover  how  a  team 
of  preparators  managed  to 
remove  this  rock  in  just  two  years. 


Hidden  Anthropology 

See  some  of  the  Museum's  newest 
acquisitions  from  New  Guinea  and 
existing  collections  of  featherwork 
from  South  America. 

What's  in  all  These  Cases? 

Find  out  how  the  Museum's 
collection  of  2.5  million  botanical 
specimens  has  helped  scientists 

uncover  some  of  nature's 

lingering  mysteries. 

Mammals:  The  Inside  Story 

Watch  Field  Museum  prepara- 
tors remove  the  flesh  and 
skin  from  a  mammal  and  learn 
how  scientists  use  these 
prepared  specimens  in 
their  research. 


MAY.  JUNE  2000     9 


Photo  Archives 


When  architect  Daniel  Burnham  began  searching  for  a 
site  to  build  a  permanent  home  for  The  Field  Museum 
in  1906,  he  ran  into  a  powerful  roadblock  by  the  name 
of  A.  Montgomery  Ward. 

After  making  millions  from  his  mail-order  busi- 
ness, Ward  became  the  self-appointed  protector  of 
Chicago's  lakefront,  which  had  become  overrun  by 
railroad  tracks,  garbage  and  squatters'  shacks.  Ward 
not  only  wanted  the  city  to  clean  up  the  mess,  but  also 
to  protect  the  area  from  development. 

"I  fought  for  the  poor  people  of  Chicago,  not  for 
the  millionaires,"  he  once  said. "Here  is  a  park  frontage 
on  the  lake  . . .  which  city  officials  would  crowd  with 
buildings,  transforming  this  breathing  spot  for  the 
poor  into  a  show  ground  for  the  educated  rich." 

So,  it  was  no  surprise  that  Ward  took  Burnham  to 
court  after  the  architect  announced  his  grand  plan  to 
create  a  cultural  metropolis  in  Grant  Park  filled  with 
marble-clad  museums.  At  the  center  of  this  metropo- 
lis, Burnham  revealed,  would  be  The  Field  Museum. 
Although  the  public  was  on  Burnham's  side,  the  courts 
were  not.  Burnham,  however,  was  not  ready  to  give  up. 
He  immediately  drafted  a  plan  (above)  that  called  for 
building  the  Museum  on  a  2,000-foot-Iong,  950-foot- 
wide  man-made  island  about  200  feet  from  the 
shoreline.  This  time  he  sent  his  plan  for  Isle  Marshall, 
as  he  called  it,  to  the  state  legislature  for  consideration 
as  a  bill. 

While  debating  Burnham's  proposal,  the  legisla- 
tors kept  receiving  letters  signed  by  "Mr.  Nobody" 


with  advice  on  how  to  handle  Ward's  lawyers. 
Although  no  one  has  been  able  to  confirm  the  author's 
identity,  some  historians  have  suggested  that  Mr. 
Nobody  was  actually  Burnham  himself. 

"If  Isle  Marshall ...  is  a  part  of  Grant  Park,  the 
Montgomery  Ward  lawyers  think  they  must  win  on 
the  same  grounds  as  before,"  wrote  Mr.  Nobody  on 
Dec.  8,  1909.  "Why  not  make  it  strictly  an  island,  cut- 
ting the  ground  from  under  the  objectors  . . .  Let  Isle 
Marshall  be  truly  an  island,  and  the  bill  for  it  so  drawn 
will  leave  the  Ward  lawyers  no  leg  to  stand  on." 

The  legislators  were  not  swayed  by  Mr.  Nobody's 
arguments  and  summarily  rejected  the  plan.  At  this 
point,  Burnham  realized  that  the  only  option  left  was 
to  build  his  masterpiece  in  Jackson  Park  next  to  the 
crumbling  Palace  of  Fine  Arts  Building,  which  had 
served  as  the  Museum's  temporary  home  since  the 
close  of  the  1893  World's  Columbian  Exposition. 
However,  just  as  construction  was  to  begin,  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  offered  Museum  officials  use 
of  some  landfill  they  owned  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Michigan,  just  south  of  Grant  Park. 

On  May  3,  1921,  the  Museum  opened  its  doors 
(inset)  in  this  new  location  and  within  a  few  years  was 
joined  by  the  Shedd  Aquarium,  the  Alder  Planetarium 
and  Soldier  Field. 

Ironically,  neither  Ward  nor  Burnham  ever  got 
to  see  the  fruits  of  their  labor.  Burnham  died 
June  1,  1912,  of  complications  associated  with  colitis 
and  Ward  a  year  later  from  a  pulmonary  edema.    ITF 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


Field  Tidbits 


Ask  a  Scientist 


Do  you  have  a  question  for  one  of 
our  scientists?  If  so,  please  send  it  to 
the  Publications  Department,  The 
Field  Museum,  1400  South  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605,  or  via 
e-mail  to  rvosper@fmnh.org.  Only 
questions  published  in  the  magazine 
will  be  answered.  An  archive  of 
questions  and  answers  that  have 
appeared  in  past  issues  can  be 
found  at  www.fieldmuseum.org. / 
askascientist. 


Did  7:  rex  have  any  predators? 

No  it  didn't.  Although  a  juvenile 
Tyrannosaurus  might  have  been  vul- 
nerable, a  healthy,  full-grown  adult 
was  not.  We  know  of  no  other  meat- 
eaters  even  close  to  T.  rex  in  size  at 
the  end  of  the  Cretaceous  period. 

—  William  Simpson 

Chief  Preparator  and  Collection 
Manager,  Geology  Department 


Why  don't  ants  or  other  small  Insects 
drown  In  the  rain? 

Ants  that  live  underground  generally 
abandon  their  homes  when  they 
flood,  often  bringing  their  pupa  and 
larvae  along  with  them.  Once  they 
find  dry  refuge,  the  colony  will  wait 
until  the  ground  dries  out  before 
attempting  to  build  a  new  home. 
Most  ants,  however,  try  to  find  areas 
that  offer  some  drainage  so  they 
don't  have  to  move  during  heavy 
rainfalls.  Other  small  insects  have 
their  own  unique  ways  of  coping 
with  floods.  The  17-year  cicada,  for 
instance,  will  encase  itself  in  a  water- 
proof capsule  of  soil  during  floods. 
And  lion  ants  avoid  the  problem 
altogether  by  restricting  themselves 
to  sandy  areas  under  hanging  cliffs 
and  logs  before  each  rainy  season. 

—  Daniel  Summers 

Collection  Manager  of  Insects 
Zoology  Department 


What  is  the  difference  between  a 
chimpanzee  and  a  gorilla? 

Chimpanzees  and  gorillas  are  both 
members  of  the  primate  group, 
which  includes  mammals  such  as 
lemurs,  monkeys  and  humans.  All  pri- 
mates have  relatively  large  braincases 
(in  comparison  to  other  mammalian 
groups)  and  possess  agile  limbs  and 
fingers.  Chimps  generally  differ  from 
gorillas  several  ways.  For  example, 
chimps  are  smaller  than  gorillas  and 
have  larger  and  more  conspicuous 
ears.  In  addition,  female  chimps  are 
almost  the  same  size  as  males, 
whereas  female  gorillas  are  much 
smaller  than  their  male  counterparts. 
Using  collections  like  those  housed 
at  the  Museum,  scientists  continue  to 
debate  the  exact  relationships 
among  primates  and  often  ask  them- 
selves questions  similar  to  yours. 

—  William  Stanley 

Collection  Manager  of  Mammals 
Zoology  Department 


The  Floristic  Diversity  of  Northern  Peru 


In  the  course  of  conducting  fieldwork  in  Peru  over  the 
past  28  years,  Field  Museum  botanist  Michael  Dillon 
has  taken  thousands  of  photographs  of  just  about 
every  plant  he  has  ever  set  eyes  on.  Last  year,  Dillon 
and  some  of  his  Peruvian  colleagues  decided  to  put 
this  encyclopedic  collection  to  use  by  publishing  a 
Spanish-language  book  that  provides  a  descriptive  and 
visual  overview  of  185  of  the  most  stunning  examples 
of  the  plant  species  found  in  northern  Peru. 

Along  with  basic  taxonomic  information  that 
accompanies  each  photograph,  the  book,  Diversidad 
Floristica  del  Norte  de  Peru,  also  contains  a  15-page 
introduction  that  explains  why  the  region  is  blessed 
with  so  much  botanical  diversity  and  endemism. 
Although  the  book  contains  very  detailed  color  pho- 
tographs and  taxonomic  identifications,  it  is  not  meant 
to  serve  as  a  field  guide,  says  Dillon. 

"It's  a  book  that  we  hope  will  stimulate  Peruvians, 
especially  kids,  to  go  out  and  look  around  and  learn 
about  the  wealth  of  diversity  that  exists  in  their  back- 
yards," he  explains.  "In  general,  there  is  a  real  lack  of 
information  available  to  the  public  in  Peru  about  the 
botanical  treasures  that  exist  in  their  country." 

The  authors  will  use  all  the  proceeds  from  the 
book,  which  was  funded  in  part  by  the  World  Wildlife 
Fund  and  the  Universidad  Privada  Antenor  Orrego  in 


Diversidad 
Floristica  del 
Norte  de  Peru  is 
available  for  $30 
through  Dillon's 
Web  site  at 
www.nolana.com 
or  by  contacting 
him  directly  at 
dillon(ainolana.com. 


Trujillo,  Peru,  to  publish  future  volumes  that  examine 
the  flora  of  northern  Peru's  distinct  habitats,  such  as 
rain  forests  and  coastal  deserts.    ITF 


MAY  .  JUNE  2000     1 1 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


For  more  information  or  free  brochures,  please  call  Field  Museum  Tours  at 
800.811.7244,  or  send  them  an  e-mail  at  fmtours®sover.net.  Please  note  that 
rates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subjea  to  change  and  that  prices  are  per  per- 
son, double  occupancy. 


Spend  16  days  aboard  a  ISS-passenger 
sailing  yacht  with  Field  Museum 
botanist  William  Burger  as  he  explores 
five  Central  American  countries  and 
two  oceans.  Participants  also  can  take 
a  pre-extension  trip  to  the  Tikal  ruins 
in  Guatemala  and  a  post-extension 
tour  to  Costa  Rica. 


Pacific  Northwest 
Submarine  Safari 

June  30  -  July  4,  or  July  5  -  July  9 

Duration:  5  days 

Ouest  Leader.  Marine  biologist 

Joe  Valencic 

Price:  $3,890,  not  including  airfare 

Galapagos  Island  Adventure 

July  19 -July  29 

Duration:  1 1  days 

Museum  Leader.  Conservation 

ecologist  Doug  Stotz 

Price:  $5,725,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 


On  the  Drawing  Board 


Archaeological  Treasures 
of  Peru 

August  25  -  September  6 

Duration:  1 2  days 

Museum  Leader:  Anthropologist 

Jonathan  Haas 

Price:  $6,290,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Wildlife  of  Southern  Africa: 
Botswana  and  Zimbabwe 

October  6  -  October  19 
Duration:  14  days 
Museum  Leader.  Zoologist 
David  Wiliard 

Price:  $8,535,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Egypt  Revisited 

October  15  -  October  29 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leader.  Egyptologist 
Frank  Yurco 

Price:  Approximately  $4,445,  includ- 
ing airfare  from  Chicago 


Accompany  Field  Museum  Egyptologist 
Frank  Yurco  on  a  tour  next  October 
to  some  of  the  most  spectacular  tourist 
destinations  in  Egypt,  including  Abusir, 
Dashur  Maidum,  Abydos,  Dendara, 
Lake  Nasser,  Abu  Simbel  and  Amada. 
You  also  will  get  to  see  some  lesser- 
known  sites  in  Cairo,  Luxor 
and  Aswan. 


Tunisia  Unveiled 

November  2  -  November  16 
Duration:  15  days 

Guest  Leader:  Wiliard  White,  former 
V.P.  for  Institutional  Advancement 
Price:  $5,880,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Amazon  by  Riverboat 

December  9  -  December  17 

Duration:  9  days 

Museum  Leader.  Botanist 

William  Burger 

Price:  $3,498,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Central  America  Under  Sail 

February  10  -  February  25,  2001 

Duration:  16  days 

Museum  Leader  Botanist 

William  Burger 

Price:  Starts  at  $7,990,  not 

including  airfare 


In  November,  travel  with  Wiliard  White  to  Tunisia  and  visit 
World  Heritage  sites,  such  as  Carthage,  Kairouan  and 
ancient  Thysdrus  (above).  You  also  will  get  to  see  Bulla 
Regia  and  Dougga,  two  extraordinary  archaeological  sites 
firom  the  Roman  occupation.  This  tour  is  limited  to  14  par- 
ticipants, so  make  your  reservations  early. 


Egyptian  Odyssey:  A  Comprehensive  Introduction 

Ancient  Monuments  of  Southeast  Asia 

The  Natural  and  Cultural  History  of  Tsavo:  A  Tented  Safari  Through  the  Land 

of  the  Man-eaters 


EFiaD 


August 
2000 


."^j:' 


« 


t^\ 


Star  Wars 

The  Magic  of  Myth  , 

Cave  Lipns 

'  •       ^The  Truth  Behin^ 
.,  .;  Biblical  Myths'    "  ' 


.«xV* 


From  the  President 


Seeing  the  Forest 
Through  The  Trees 


Envision  yourself  approaching 
the  Museum  from  Grant  Park 
with  Chicago's  skyline  at  your 
back.  You  pass  through  a  shady 
grove  of  linden  trees,  planted 
there  last  year  to  honor  retired 
Congressman  Sidney  R.  Yates, 
a  long-time  champion  of  the 
arts,  humanities,  environment 
and  the  people  of  Illinois. 

As  you  ascend  the  north 
steps,  you  see  the  monstrous 
silhouette  of  a  Tyrannosaurus- 
rex  skeleton  stretched  out  along 
the  tall  columns  of  the  Museum 
on  a  gigantic  banner.  Once 
inside,  you  are  swept  into  the 
whirlwind  of  excitement  around 
Sue.  You  gaze  in  wonder  at  the 
fossil's  miraculous  visage  as 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  oth- 
ers have  since  we  unveiled  it 
on  May  17.  The  scene  seems 
dominated  by  this  new  star 
attraction. 

But  if  you  were  to  look  away 
you  would  see  the  Museum  in 
a  larger  context  that  is  alive  and 
ever-changing.  As  you  set  out 
over  the  myriad  footpaths  and 
hallways  that  branch  out  in 
every  direction,  the  Museum 


appears  as  a  vast  forest  of 
scientific  and  cultural  knowl- 
edge, under  whose  sprawling 
canopy  you  can  explore  the 
whole  world. 

Through  corridors  brimming 
with  materials  about  the 
planet's  peoples  and  wildlife, 
you  encounter  thousands  of 
biological  specimens  and  cul- 
tural objects  from  the  Museum's 
outstanding  collections  of  more 
than  21  million  items.  You 
also  see  a  changing  marquee 
of  temporary  exhibitions,  such 
as  Cartier  1900-1939,  Sounds 
From  the  Vaults  and  The  Dead 
Sea  Scrolls. 

On  the  ground  floor,  you 
discover  a  special  exhibitions 
hall  that  recently  mounted 
Masks:  Faces  of  Culture  and 
where  later  this  month,  Star 
Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth  will 
debut.  Just  past  the  exit  to  our 
newest  permanent  exhibition. 
Underground  Adventure,  you 
notice  an  intimate  new  gallery 
that  features  items  from  our 
insect  collections. 

This  floor  is  home  to  edu- 
cational facilities  such  as  the 
Harris  Loan  Center,  the  new 
Siragusa  Center  and  the 
soon-to-be  refurbished  James 
Simpson  Theatre,  which 
recently  played  host  to  ocea- 
nologist  and  archeologist 
Robert  Ballard  and  his  JASON 
Project  and  a  presentation  by 
theatrical  director  and  designer 
Julie  Taymor. 

Under  the  watchful  glares 
of  Bushman  and  the  new  man- 
eating  Lion  of  Mfuwe,  you 
board  the  elevator  for  the  sec- 
ond floor,  where  you  travel 
the  Pacific  to  learn  about  the 
geological,  cultural  and  evolu- 
tionary forces  that  shape  our 
world  and  the  ways  in  which 
we  depend  upon  nature  for 
our  survival. 


We  would  like  to  know  what  you  think  about  "In  the  Field". . . . 

Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Steve  Mines,  The  Field  Museum, 
1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496,  or  via  e-mail  at 
shines@fmnh.org. 


If  you  explored  the  third 
floor  and  other  research  areas 
as  thousands  of  others  did 
during  last  month's  Members' 
Nights,  you  will  see  why  Sue 
isn't  the  only  big  news  at  the 
Museum  these  days.  Scientific 
accomplishments  include  the 
discovery  in  Madagascar  of  the 
world's  two  oldest  dinosaurs; 
the  naming  and  description  of  a 
fossil  snake  with  well-developed 
hind  legs  that  offers  new  clues 
about  snake  evolution;  and  a 
long  list  of  publications  by  Field 
scientists,  including  works  on 
the  rise  and  fall  of  Swahili 
states,  on  flowers  that  bloom 
during  El  Nifio  in  Peru,  and  on 
tree-ring  dating  techniques. 

Our  efforts  on  behalf  of  the 
environment  remain  vigorous, 
and  the  conservation  staff 
works  to  document  biodiversity 
in  places  as  far  away  as  Pando, 
Bolivia,  and  as  close  to  home  as 
the  Lake  Calumet  region  with 
profound  impact  on  threatened 
ecosystems. 

Visitors  to  the  fourth  floor 
would  see  the  imaginative  work 
of  exhibits  architects,  designers 
and  set  builders  as  they  prepare 
to  bring  you  Americanos  in 
August  and  Kremlin  Gold  and 
The  Endurance:  Shackleton's 
Legendary  Expedition,  both  in 
October. 

I  can't  begin  to  do  justice 
to  all  of  the  remarkable  things 
happening  at  The  Field 
Museum.  Sue  is  not  the  least 
of  these.  But  as  thrilled  as  we 
are  about  Sue,  we  need  to  think 
of  this  institution  as  the  sum 
total  of  its  many  parts.  Floor 
by  floor,  day  after  day,  year  in 
and  year  out.  The  Field 
Museum  brings  the  whole 
world  to  Chicago. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
President  &  CEO 


Inside 


Thomas  Gnoske  and  Julian 
Kerbis  Peterhans  go  in  search 
of  Hon  dens  in  Western  Uganda. 


7 


The  Field  Museum  acquires 
the  Vida  Chenoweth 
Collection,  an  exquisite  assem- 
blage of  nearly  600  artifacts 
from  highland  New  Guinea. 


13 


Outreach  luncheon  held  by 
Field  Museum  Women's  Board 
donates  $40,000  to  Dr.  Robert 
Ballard's  Jason  Project. 

Your  Guide 
to  The  Field 

A  complete  schedule  of  events  for 
July/ August,  including  programs 
in  conjunction  with  Star  Wars: 
The  Magic  of  Myth  exhibit. 


Lion  researchers  are  convinced 
two  distinct  forms  of  lions  live  in 
Africa.  See  page  2  for  full  details. 


Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth  is  one 
of  the  most  visited  Smithsonian 
exhibits  of  all  time  and  now  it  is  at 
The  Field  Museum.  See  Calendar 
Section  for  family  program  details. 


Sue's  Debut  2000!  A  photomontage 
of  the  exciting  events  surrounding 
the  largest  and  most  complete 
T.  rex  on  display. 


Around  Campus 


INTHEFIELD 

July/August  2000,  Vol.  71,  No.  4 

Editor: 

Lisa  Laske,  k/g  communications,  ltd. 

Design  Consultants: 
Hayward  Blal<e  &  Company 


In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum,  Copyright 
©2000  The  Field  Museum,  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  for  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscription.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field 
Museum.  Notification  of  address  change  should 
include  address  label  and  should  be  sent  to 
Membership  Department.  POSTMASTER:  Send 
address  changes  to  In  the  Field,  The  Field 
Museum,  1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago, 
IL  60605-2496.  Periodicals  postage  paid  at 
Chicago,  Illinois, 

This  issue's  cover  photograph:  Chewbacca, 
1997  Eric  Long  and  Mark  Avino  Star  Wars:  The 
Magic  of  Myth,  Star  Wars'"  and  ©1997  by 
Lucasfilm  Ltd, 


^ 


FielH 


useum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing, 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Parle  District. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  60605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
www.fieldmuseum.org 


Shedd  Aquarium 


The  Shedd  Aquarium's  popular  Thursday- 
night  event,  Jazzin'  at  the  Shedd,  offers 
guests  a  special  opportunity  to  see  the  new 
exhibit,  Amazon  Rising:  Seasons  of  the 
River,  and  spend  a  year  on  the  Amazon 
floodplain  in  one  evening.  If  that's  not 
enough,  visitors  can  take  free  dance  lessons 
to  the  sizzling  sounds  of  Latin  jazz.  Jazzin' 
happens  every  Thursday  night  through 
Sept.  28.  The  Oceanarium,  Seahorse 
Symphony  and  Amazon  Rising  stay  open 
until  8  p.m.,  while  the  Aquarium  and 
Jazzin'  keep  going  until  10  p.m.  After 


5  p.m.  on  Jazzin'  night,  admission  is  $8  for 
adults,  $6  for  children  (ages  3-1)  and 
seniors.  Call  312.939.2438  or  visit  Shedd's 
Web  site  at  www.sheddaquarium.org  for 
more  information. 

Adler  Planetarium 

The  Adler  Planetarium  &  Astronomy 
Museum  will  premiere  a  new  sky  show. 
Spirits  from  the  Sky,  Thunder  on  the  Land 

on  July  28.  Developed  at  the  Adler  in  part- 
nership with  members  of  the  Skidi  Band 
of  the  Pawnee  Nation,  this  landmark  pro- 


duction will  involve  audiences  in  exploring 
cross-cultural  principles  of  directional  and 
cyclical  astronomy,  making  very  rich  use  of 
ethnographic  data  and  visual  representa- 
tions of  artifacts  from  Pawnee  star  and  sky 
lore  rituals  along  with  authentic  historic 
and  modern  recordings  of  Pawnee  music. 
Call  312.322.0304  for  more  information. 

The  Field  Museum 

See  the  Calendar  Section  for  a  list  of 
programs  and  exhibitions  offered  in  July 
and  August. 


JULY  •  AUGUST  2000     1 


CAVE  LIONS 

The  Truth  Behind  Biblical  Myths 

Thomas  Gnoske 

Field  Museum  Assistant  Collection  Manager,  Bird  Division/and  Chief  Preparator,  Zoology 

Julian  Kerbis  Peterhans 

Field  Museum  Adjunct  Curator,  Mammals  and  Associate  Professor,  Roosevelt  University,  Chicago 


Tbe  lion  of  the  bible.  Within  historical  times,  large  Asiatic  lions  once  roamed  along  rivers  and  associated 
gallery  forests  throughout  Eurasia,  from  the  Jordan  River  depression  east  to  Bihar  India  and  west  to 
Turkey  and  Greece,  hunting  large  prey,  especially  wild  cattle. 


2     IN  THE  FIELD 


Despite  numerous  biblical  references  to  the  "lion's 
den,"  lion  researchers  had  consistently  found  that 
modern  lions  did  not  use  dens  or  caves,  and  had 
dismissed  the  early  references  to  cave-dwelling  lions 
as  mythical.  In  fact,  renowned  lion  researcher  George 
Schaller  summarized  years  of  extensive  behavioral 
observations  of  African  savannah  lions  in  his  classic 
monograph  The  Serengeti  Lion,  which  was  published 
in  1972.  Schaller  never  found  lions  using  caves.  Over 
the  next  25  years,  no  other  researchers  recorded  evi- 
dence of  cave-dwelling  lions.  However,  recent  Field 
Museum  research  has  shed  new  light  on  this  subject. 
Scientists  may  have  discovered  the  existence  of  cave 
lions,  and  are  rethinking  the  evolution  of  all  lions. 

In  1996,  the  late  George  Bwere  of  the  Uganda 
Wildlife  Authority  was  surveying  potential  hiking 
trails  along  the  Kyambura  River  (a  tributary  of  the 
Nile  River)  in  a  gorge  by  the  same  name.  Thick 
tropical  vegetation  lines  the  valley,  which  bisects 
the  savannahs  of  the  Albertine  Rift  Valley  in  western 
Uganda.  While  pushing  through  the  dense  vegetation, 
Bwere  was  attacked  by  a  furious  lioness  at  the  same 
time  a  large  male  lion  retreated  into  a  nearby  cave 
with  young  cubs.  Bwere  narrowly  escaped  with  his 
life.  Over  the  next  few  years,  there  were  numerous 
reports  of  two  male  lions  attacking  people  and  vehicles 
in  the  vicinity  of  this  cave.  When  we  learned  of  this  in 
early  January  1998,  we  were  immediately  interested. 
Could  this  cave  be  an  example  of  a  modern  lion 
living  in  a  den? 

Despite  the  reports  of  cave-dwelling  lions  in 
Uganda  and  observations  shared  by  our  Kenyan 
colleague  Anthony  Russel  that  certain  lions  do  in 
fact  use  caves,  we  still  had  our  doubts.  In  the  spring 


of  the  previous  year,  we  along  with  our  Kenyan  col- 
leagues re-discovered  the  alleged  den  of  the  infamous 
Man-eating  Lions  of  Tsavo  (see  July/ August  1998 
In  The  Field).  We  found  no  evidence  to  support  the 
theory  that  bones  found  in  the  cave  at  the  time  of  its 
original  discovery  in  1898  indicated  a  lion's  den.  Even 
so,  Bwere's  story  and  Russel's  observations  were 
convincing  enough  to  compel  us  to  investigate  the 
Kyambura  River  area  report. 

Because  these  Nile  River  Hons  were  considered 
extremely  dangerous,  we  experienced  difficulty  gaining 
access  to  the  gorge.  In  October  1998,  we  were  finally 
given  clearance  to  enter.  Our  goal  was  to  establish 
whether  the  cave  that  Bwere  had  found  was  actually 
the  first  known  lion  cave  of  modern  times. 

Cave  Exploration 

Accompanied  by  a  single  ranger  armed  with  an  AK-47, 
we  entered  the  gorge  and  descended  a  steep  embank- 
ment until  we  reached  the  river.  We  felt  as  if  we  had 
stepped  into  an  enchanted  sanctuary,  the  lush  vegeta- 
tion contrasting  with  the  dry  surrounding  savannahs, 
the  silence  broken  by  the  whoops  of  chimpanzees  and 
exotic  calls  of  rainforest  birds.  Surely  this  was  typical 
leopard  habitat,  not  lion  territory. 

We  approached  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  hoping 
there  were  no  lions  currently  inside.  While  we  were 
concerned  for  our  own  safety,  we  were  also  worried 
that  an  attack  might  lead  to  injury  or  death  of  one  of 
these  lions.  Nervously,  we  crawled  through  the  mouth 
of  the  cave  on  our  hands  and  knees.  We  were  relieved 
that  no  lions  greeted  us.  With  hearts  pounding  hard 
and  flashlights  in  hand,  we  explored  the  interior  of 
the  cave.  It  was  decorated  with  numerous  stalactites 


Tfje  Kyambura  Lions'  Den  is  the  first  scientific  documenta- 
tion of  a  cave  used  by  living  lions. 


Kyambura  Gorge  in  the  Albertine  Rift  Valley,  western 
Uganda.  It  was  here  that  George  Bwere  first  encountered  the 
cave-dwelling  lions  of  Kyambura  in  the  mid  1990s. 


JULY  •  AUGUST  2000    3 


and  an  internal  waterfall.  A  perfectly  preserved  iron 
smelting  platform  indicated  past  human  use.  But  most 
importantly  to  us,  we  found  the  floor  littered  with 
buffalo  bones  and  blond  hairs  from  the  mane  of  a  lion. 

Tempted  to  continue  the  exploration,  we  noticed 
the  rising  sun.  Typically,  lions  hunt  at  night  and  seek 
shelter  from  the  extreme  heat  of  the  day.  If  lions 
occupied  the  gorge  and  returned  to  the  cave  after  the 
nights  hunt,  we  could  find  ourselves  trapped  with 
no  way  to  escape.  Even  an  armed  ranger  is  no  match 
for  two  600  pound  male  lions  and  an  angry  mother 
lioness.  We  all  felt  fortunate  to  leave  that  place 
without  incident. 

Our  excitement  that  this  cave  might  represent 
the  first  modern  documentation  of  a  lion  den  was 
tempered  by  our  knowledge  that  bone  accumulations 
in  a  cave  can  have  numerous  explanations.  Humans 
can  bring  food  to  a  cave  that  they  are  using  as  a 
shelter,  and  hyenas  routinely  drag  bones  containing 
marrow  into  caves  to  eat  in  seclusion.  Bone  assem- 
blages in  caves  throughout  the  world  have  confused 
paleontologists  and  archaeologists  because  of  the 
difficulty  of  reconstructing  the  circumstances  of  their 
origins.  Explaining  the  source  of  these  bone  accumula- 
tions requires  research  known  as  "taphonomy,"  which 
is  akin  to  the  work  of  a  forensic  detective. 

In  our  Kyambura  River  cave,  the  taphonomic  mys- 
tery was  easily  solved.  The  iron  smelter  was  the  only 
evidence  of  previous  use  by  humans,  and  there  were 
no  other  indications  of  recent  human  use.  The  buffalo 
bones  found  lacked  the  heavy  gnawing  "fingerprint" 


Left:  South  African  Buffalo  Lion  (Panthera  leo  vernayi  — 
Roberts  1948).  While  mature  Buffalo  Lions  frequently 
exhibit  short  manes,  they  are  variable.  In  fact,  manelessness 
15  a  relative  term,  all  mature  male  lions  as  well  as  tigers 
possess  some  version  of  a  mane. 


from  hyena  predation  or  scavenging.  The  abundance 
of  intact  buffalo  bones  and  the  lion's  mane  hair,  along 
with  confirmed  eyewitness  accounts  of  two  buffalo 
being  dragged  down  the  steep  bank  of  the  gorge  by 
male  lions  convinced  us  that  this  cave  was  an  actual 
lion's  den. 

Discovering  Lion  Lineage 

So  why  should  these  lions  along  the  Kyambura 
River  and  other  Nile  River  tributaries  use  caves,  when 
the  more  familiar  lions  of  the  savannahs  of  eastern 
and  southern  Africa  do  not?  The  answer  may  lie  in 
the  very  different  social  systems  of  lions  living  in 
different  habitats. 

The  lions  of  the  savannahs  live  in  large  prides, 
which  are  usually  groups  of  related  lionesses  and  their 
young  of  various  ages,  with  one  or  two  accompanying 
adult  males.  In  the  prey-rich  savannahs,  the  females 
hunt  and  care  for  their  cubs  cooperatively,  while  the 
males  enjoy  the  meals  the  females  provide.  Their  pri- 
mary prey  is  zebra  and  wildebeest. 

In  contrast,  the  lions  along  the  Nile  River  typically 
live  in  small  family  groups.  In  these  families,  the  males 
are  the  active  hunters,  and  they  frequently  hunt  large 
prey,  especially  mature  buffalo.  Without  the  safety 
that  large  prides  provide,  Nile  River  lion  cubs  are 
much  more  vulnerable  to  predation,  particularly  by 
hyenas,  so  acting  aggressively  toward  intruders  and 
rearing  young  in  caves  may  give  them  protection  that 
is  not  required  by  the  savannah  lion  cubs. 

Now,  a  whole  new  suite  of  questions  arose.  Are 
the  differences  in  social  systems  simply  a  result  of 
the  circumstances  in  which  the  lions  find  themselves, 
or  are  the  lions  that  behave  so  differently  distinct  in 
other  ways  as  well?  In  1913,  the  legendary  zoologist 
Edmund  Heller  (Field  Museum  Assistant  Curator  of 
Mammals,  1921-1927)  described  a  new  subspecies  of 
lion,  Panthera  leo  nyanzae,  from  near  the  source  of  the 
Victoria  Nile.  Heller  was  very  familiar  with  the  pride 
lion  Panthera  leo  massaicus  from  his  field  work  on  the 
Athi  and  Serengeti  plains.  He  noticed  that  this  new 
animal  had  a  disproportionately  small  head  relative 
to  its  body  size.  In  1924,  J.A.  AUen  of  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History  in  New  York  described 
yet  another  new  subspecies  (Panthera  leo  azandicus) 
from  near  the  source  of  the  White  Nile.  Allen 
gave  this  lion  the  distinction  of  being  the  largest 
living  subspecies. 

For  various  reasons,  many  modern  lion  taxonomists 
no  longer  recognize  subspecific  differences  between 
African  lions,  separating  only  the  rare  Asiatic  lion  as 
a  distinct  subspecies.  The  forms  described  by  Heller 
and  Allen  are  treated  as  identical  to  the  lions  of  the 
Kenyan  and  Tanzanian  plains.  Our  discovery  of  the 
lion  den,  along  with  the  differences  we  noted  in  lion 
behavior,  started  us  on  a  line  of  inquiry  to  see  whether 
these  early  taxonomists  were  on  to  something  real. 
This  research  has  taken  us  to  museums  around 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


Europe,  Africa  and  North  America  to  compare  living 
and  extinct  lions  throughout  Africa  and  Eurasia. 

Our  findings  suggest  that  there  are  two  distinct 
forms  of  lions  living  in  Africa.  The  lions  described 
by  Heller  and  Allen  as  well  as  our  cave  lions  in  the 
Kyambura  River  gorge  appear  to  be  identical  to  one 
another.  They  represent  something  quite  distinct 
from  the  Pride  Lions.  We  also  found  that  Nile  River 
lions  share  more  features  with  the  last  remaining 
Asian  lions  in  the  Gir  Forest  of  India  than  they  do 
with  the  Pride  Lions  of  Africa.  Although  widely  sepa- 
rated geographically,  the  Nile  lions  and  the  Asian  lions 
both  have  thick  tail  tufts,  a  thick  flap  of  loose  skin  on 
their  bellies,  generally  small  but  variable  manes,  and 
small  skulls  relative  to  their  body  sizes.  Behaviorally, 
both  specialize  in  large  prey  and  the  males  in  both 
groups  hunt  regularly.  Pride  lions  share  none  of 
these  features. 

The  cave  lions  of  the  Nile  also  seem  to  share 
characteristics  with  the  extinct  lions  of  Europe,  the 
same  lions  that  fascinated  Paleolithic  artists.  There 
are  numerous  depictions  of  these  prehistoric  lions  in 
30,000-year-old  cave  art.  Associated  species  in  these 
same  scenes  include  woolly  rhinos,  mammoths  and 
primitive  cattle.  The  prehistoric  lion  depictions  bear  a 
remarkable  similarity  to  the  living  Nile  lions,  particu- 
larly with  their  restricted  manes,  belly  folds  and  scenes 
portraying  the  hunting  of  large  wild  cattle.  According 
to  some  authorities,  these  animals  {Panthera  leo 
spelaea),  became  extinct  sometime  between  25,000  and 
8,000  years  ago.  They  are  the  only  lions  known  to  have 
inhabited  caves,  and  they  were  remarkable  for  their 
large  size,  which  paleontologists  estimate  as  25  percent 
greater  than  the  size  of  modern  (Pride)  lions.  The 
Nile  lions  share  the  habit  of  cave  dwelling  with  this 
extinct  form.  They  also  share  similar  body  proportions 
and  very  large  size. 

From  our  comparisons  of  skeletons,  we  now  believe 
that  our  Nile  lions,  the  Asian  lion,  and  several  other 
described  subspecies,  including  Panthera  leo  vernayi 
from  South  Africa  and  Panthera  leo  senegalensis  from 
West  Africa,  are  all  the  same  lion  and  may  represent 
a  living  lineage  of  the  now  extinct  European  cave  lions. 

Migrating  to  Africa 

So  how  did  lions  get  from  central  Asia  into  Africa? 
The  Asiatic  lion  was  once  much  more  widespread  than 
it  is  today,  living  throughout  western  Asia  and  south- 
ern Europe,  including  sites  near  the  Dead  Sea  with 
strongholds  along  the  Tigris/Euphrates  and  Indus 
River  drainages.  In  fact  the  Jordan  River  depression 
links  the  Euphrates  River  to  the  Nile  River,  creating 
a  corridor  for  lions  of  this  type  to  invade  Africa  from 
the  Middle  East.  Because  these  lions  dispersed  along 
the  associated  riverine  gallery  forests  by  following 
migrations  of  large  prey,  such  as  wild  oxen  and  buffalo 
that  never  wander  far  from  permanent  water, 
these  semi-nomadic  lions  became  established  along 


Large  Buffalo  Lion  from  Northern  Congo  (Panthera  leo 
anzandicus  —  Allen  1924).  This  lion  'type'  was  described 
as  the  largest  living  subspecies  of  lion.  However,  equally  large 
specimens  of  Buffalo  Lions  from  east,  west  and  south  Africa 
and  India,  have  been  examined  by  the  authors. 


many  of  the  major  African  river  systems.  We  have 
combined  the  Nile  and  other  river  lions  of  Africa 
with  the  Asian  lion  under  the  name  "Buffalo  Lions" 
to  distinguish  them  from  "Pride  Lions"  because  of 
their  preferred  prey. 

Buffalo  Lions  are  restricted  to  the  major  rivers, 
their  tributaries  and  associated  lakes  with  their 
attendant  buffalo  herds.  Unlike  Pride  Lions,  Buffalo 
Lions  rarely  take  small  prey,  and  sometimes  even 
attack  young  elephants  and  hippos  that  congregate 
near  rivers.  Family  groups  rarely  exceed  a  single 
breeding  pair  with  cubs  of  various  ages,  and  males 
do  the  hunting.  Pride  Lions  presumably  evolved  from 
Buffalo  Lions  that  ventured  into  the  savannahs  and 
encountered  new  challenges  in  the  hunting  of  plains 
wildlife.  In  the  savannahs,  lions  encountered  swiftly 
running,  wary  prey,  necessitating  new  cooperative 
hunting  strategies  and  changes  in  group  size.  With 
multiple  females  in  a  group,  breeding  access  for  the 
males  became  limited  and  male-male  competition  for 
mating  opportunities  became  intense;  the  dispropor- 
tionately large  heads  of  the  pride  males  may  have 
evolved  primarily  for  the  battles  they  have  between 
each  other,  and  their  aggressiveness  toward  rivals 
may  prevent  Buffalo  Lion  males  from  any  access 
to  female  Pride  Lions. 

We  are  now  convinced  that  there  are  two  socially 
and  physically  distinct  forms  of  lions  living  in  Africa. 
One  is  the  big-headed  and  relatively  small  but 
stout-bodied  Pride  Lion  that  has  been  the  subject 


JULY  .  AUGUST  2000     5 


of  countless  documentaries  over  the  years.  These  lions 
live  in  large  groups  or  'prides'  of  related  females  who 
hunt  cooperatively.  Males,  once  they  have  taken  over 
a  pride,  do  little  hunting.  Male  Pride  Lions,  which 
must  compete  with  large  numbers  of  other  males  for 
limited  access  to  females  who  are  concentrated  in  large 
groups,  have  evolved  specialized  tools  for  winning 
fights  with  rival  males.  These  include  bodies  with  a 
lower  center  of  gravity,  thick  manes  to  protect  their 
necks  and  extremely  powerful  jaws  that  can  produce 
a  bone  crushing  and  mutilating  bite. 

The  second  is  the  small-headed,  large-bodied 
Buffalo  Lion  that  lives  in  small  groups  with  the  males 
serving  as  the  primary  hunters.  Their  much  more 
massive  and  powerful  bodies  probably  reflect  their 
specialization  on  large  and  dangerous  prey.  This  type 
of  lion  occupied  the  den  that  stimulated  us  to  look 
more  closely  at  the  legend  of  lions'  dens  and  to  review 
lion  taxonomy  from  a  new  perspective.  We  believe  that 
Buffalo  Lions  are  closer  to  the  ancestral  form,  having 
descended  from  primitive  lions  that  followed  large 
prey  into  Africa  (south)  down  the  Nile  River.  From 
there  they  dispersed  along  other  major  river  systems 
that  converge  with  the  Nile  River,  eventually  dispers- 
ing throughout  the  entire  African  continent. 

So  as  it  turns  out,  the  biblical  references  to 
the  lion's  den  are  not  mythical  as  many  modern 
researchers  have  thought.  Instead  they  probably 


refer  to  the  caves  of  Buffalo  Lions.  With  so  much 
modern  research  focused  on  the  intricacies  of  Pride 
Lion  social  behavior,  the  existence  of  the  second  type 
of  lion  has  been  overlooked.  If  the  "lion's  den"  were  not 
such  a  pervasive  image,  we  might  well  have  thought 
that  George  Bwere's  observations  of  the  Kyambura 
lion  cave  were  an  anomaly.  But  the  many  early  refer- 
ences to  these  dens  spurred  us  to  look  more  carefully, 
with  results  that  may  shed  light  on  many  unsolved 
mysteries  regarding  lions.  Daniel  may  well  have  been 
thrown  into  a  lion's  den  in  ancient  Babylon.  However, 
had  he  been  a  wild  ox  instead  of  a  human,  the  lions 
might  well  have  dismembered  and  devoured  him.  ITF 

Authors  note: 

We  will  continue  to  study  differences  in  lion  behavior 
with  our  international  colleagues,  and  pursue  leads  on  the 
occupation  of  additional  caves  by  lions  and  hyenas.  Because 
most  reports  of  serious  conflict  between  lions  and  humans, 
including  preying  upon  humans,  point  to  Buffalo  Lions, 
we  will  focus  on  their  behavior  in  order  to  answer  what 
makes  them  more  prone  to  aggression. 

This  article  is  dedicated  to  the  late  George  Bwere  — 
educator,  protector  of  wildlife,  discoverer  of  the  first 
modern  lion's  den,  and  friend. 

Copyright  Tom  Gnoske  and  Julian  Kerbis  Peterhans. 


Above  left:  Classic  "Pride  Lion"  (Panthera  leo 
massaica/krugeri  —  Neuman  1900/Roberts  1929)  from 
the  savannahs  of  East  and  South  Africa.  Males  vary  in  size 
between  36-38  inches  at  the  shoulder  and  weigh  385-410  lbs. 

Above  right:  Typical  Buffalo  Lion  with  single  female. 
Males  reach  a  shoulder  height  between  42A3  inches  and 
weigh  460-520  lbs. 

Left:  Skulls  of  two  mature  male  Sergenti  lions.  Left  is  a 
typical  "Buffalo  Lion"  and  Right  is  a  classic  "Pride  Lion." 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


Field  Updates 


Boar's  Tusks  and  Cassowary  Toes: 

The  Vida  Chenoweth  Collection  from  Highland  New  Guinea 


Stephen  E.  Nash,  Rob  Welsch,  Jon  Rogers, 
Nadia  Kahn  and  Jack  MacDonald, 

Department  of  Anthropology 


The  Department  of  Anthropology  curates  one  of  the 
world's  finest  collections  of  material  culture  from  Papua 
New  Guinea.  It  contains  tens  of  thousands  of  spears, 
arrows,  masks,  ritual  paraphernalia,  statues,  paddles, 
canoes  and  other  objects,  a  sample  of  which  can  be 
see  in  the  beautiful  and  permanent  Traveling  the  Pacific 
and  Pacific  Spirits  exhibits  on  the  balcony  level  of  the 
Museum.  In  December  1999,  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  made  a  significant  addition  to  this  col- 
lection by  acquiring  the  Chenoweth  Collection,  an 
exquisite  assemblage  of  nearly  600  artifacts  from  high- 
land New  Guinea.  Assembled  between  1959  and  1975 
by  ethnomusicologist  Vida  Chenoweth,  the  collection 
comes  from  the  remote  mountain  community 
of  Usarufa  in  the  Eastern  Highlands  of  Papua  New 
Guinea  and  is  now  one  of  the  best-documented 
ethnographic  collections  in  the  Museum. 

Museum  visitors  ofi:en  wonder  how  artifact  collec- 
tions are  acquired.  Are  collections  purchased?  Are  they 
donated?  Do  curators  still  conduct  collecting  trips? 
How  does  the  Museum  decide  what  to  collect?  Does 
the  Museum  ever  reject  donation  offers  and,  if  so, 
what  criteria  lead  to  rejection?  The  answers  to  these 
questions  are  surprisingly  complex;  if  this  were  a  mul- 
tiple-choice examination,  the  answers  would  be  "all 
and  yet  none  of  the  above."  We  use  the  Chenoweth 
Collection  as  a  case  study  to  explore  the  complexity 
and  wonder  of  Anthropology  collections  management. 

The  Department  of  Anthropology  was  formed  in 
1894  as  one  of  the  original  academic  departments  at 
the  Field  Museum,  along  with  botany,  zoology,  geology 
and  mineralogy,  the  latter  of  which  were  ultimately 
combined.  These  departments  were  established  to  orga- 
nize and  manage  the  extensive  collections  that  resulted 
from  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  held  in 
Chicago  in  1892-93. 

Anthropological  research  in  the  Pacific  Islands  has 
a  long  history  at  The  Field  Museum  although  work  in 
New  Guinea  essentially  ceased  between  1930  and  about 
1950  due  to  pofitical  unrest  in  the  area.  The  Chenoweth 
Collection  is  particularly  important  because  it  consti- 
tutes one  of  the  few  well-documented  collections  of 
material  culture  to  be  acquired  by  any  Museum  from 
highland  New  Guinea  in  the  past  50  years. 

The  Chenoweth  Collection  contains  a  stunning 
array  of  musical  instruments,  toys,  tools,  objects  of 
personal  adornment  and  ritual  paraphernalia.  These 
include  230  arrows,  32  whistling  tops,  20  mouth  harps, 


Chenoweth  Collection  mask  approximately  8  inches  high. 


11  flutes,  two  drums,  12  wooden  bowls,  37  adzes, 
four  bark  beaters,  15  tusk  ornaments,  26  needles,  seven 
string  bags  and  a  host  of  other  objects.  More  impor- 
tantly, Chenoweth's  detailed  and  painstaking  notes, 
numbering  more  than  1,000  pages;  a  dozen  albums  con- 
taining hundreds  of  photographs;  and  sound  recordings 
allow  Museum  researchers  to  know  in  detail  who  made 
the  objects,  where,  when,  why  and  how.  In  the  absence 
of  such  documentation,  the  Chenoweth  Collection 
holds  only  aesthetic  value.  With  these  data,  the 
Chenoweth  Collection  will  provide  researchers  with 
the  information  they  need  to  truly  understand  these 
objects  in  their  cultural  context.  By  extension,  they  will 
allow  us  to  better  understand  our  existing  and  preemi- 
nent collection  from  New  Guinea. 

Chenoweth  is  a  graduate  of  Northwestern  Univer- 
sity and  spent  a  number  of  years  in  the  Chicagoland 
area  as  a  Professor  of  Ethnomusicology  at  Wheaton 


JULY  •  AUGUST  2000     7 


Field  Updates 


College  from  1975  until  her  retirement  several  years 
ago.  An  accomplished  musician,  Chenoweth  was  the 
first  classical  marimbist  to  appear  as  a  guest  soloist  at 
Carnegie  Hall,  is  a  member  of  the  Percussive  Arts 
Society  Hall  of  Fame  and  has  appeared  with  symphony 
orchestras  all  over  the  world.  A  hand  injury  in  the  late 
1950s  precipitated  a  career  change,  and  in  1959 
Chenoweth  joined  the  Summer  Institute  of  Linguistics 
as  a  bible  translator  in  highland  New  Guinea,  where 
the  Oklahoma  native  found  the  rain  forest  to  be  "as 
thick  as  broccoli!"  With  her  colleague  and  fellow  lin- 
guist Darlene  Bee,  Chenoweth  lived  with  the  Usarufa 
for  many  years  between  1959  and  1975,  and  continued 
to  visit  her  friends  in  New  Guinea  until  just  a  few  years 
ago.  Bee  died  tragically  in  a  plane  crash  several  years 
ago,  and  it  is  believed  that  Chenoweth  is  the  last  fluent 
Anglo  speaker  of  Usarufa  in  the  world. 

The  remote  Usarufa  live  in  four  small  hamlets  in 
the  eastern  highlands  and  constitute  one  of  the  smallest 
language  groups  in  New  Guinea,  a  linguistically  com- 
plex island  characterized  by  1,000  languages,  some  of 
which  contain  differences  as  wide  as  those  between 
Chinese,  Bantu  and  English.  The  Usarufa  first  became 
aware  of  Western  people  in  1930  when  government 
patrols  and  prospectors  first  explored  the  upper  Ramu 
river  area,  but  these  patrols  did  not  reach  Usarufa  until 
the  late  1940s.  When  Chenoweth  started  working  in 
New  Guinea  in  1959,  very  few  outsiders  had  encoun- 
tered the  Usarufa,  and  few  or  none  had  any  detailed 
knowledge  of  their  customs,  rituals,  traditions,  subsis- 
tence practices  or  social  organization. 

Recognizing  the  research  potential  of  the  Chenoweth 
Collection  nearly  a  decade  ago.  Curator  of  Pacific 
Archaeology  and  Ethnology  John  Terrell  and  Adjunct 
Curator  Rob  Welsch  began  discussing  the  prospect  of 
purchasing  the  collection.  Because  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  has  no  dedicated  acquisitions  budget. 


the  project  was  on  hold  until  Charles  Benton  became 
chair  of  the  Museum's  Cultural  Collections  Committee 
(CCC)  several  years  ago.  Field  Museum  President  John 
McCarter  generously  offered  half  the  purchase  price 
of  the  Chenoweth  Collection  if  CCC  could  raise  the 
rest.  In  October  1999,  CCC  hosted  a  luau  for  more 
than  100  members  of  the  Pacific  Arts  Association,  with 
representatives  of  16  countries,  including  Papua  New 
Guinea  and  other  Pacific  Island  nations,  present.  At  the 
luau,  the  CCC  announced  that  they  had  raised  the  nec- 
essary fiinds  and  that  the  Department  of  Anthropology 
could  begin  to  make  arrangements  to  transport  the 
collection  from  Chenoweth's  home  in  Enid,  Oklahoma, 
to  the  Field  Museum. 

Just  before  Christmas  1999,  Head  of  Anthropology 
Collections  Steve  Nash  and  Collections  Manager  Jon 
Rogers  rented  a  truck  and  headed  for  Oklahoma.  There 
they  met  Diane  Harbison,  a  free-lance  conservator 
from  Oklahoma  City,  and  spent  four  lO-hour  days 
gently  wrapping  each  object  for  transport. 

In  January  2000,  Chenoweth  was  reunited  with 
her  collection  in  Chicago.  For  four  days,  she  and 
Welsch  catalogued  the  collection,  after  which  Nadia 
Kahn  and  Jack  MacDonald  joined  the  research  team 
to  pack  the  collection  in  archive  quality  materials,  and 
transcribe  notes,  climate-controlled  storage  locations. 

The  acquisitions  process  for  the  Chenoweth 
Collection  stands  as  a  classic  example  of  efficient  col- 
laboration in  anthropological  and  Museum  practice. 
Chenoweth  collaborated  originally  with  the  Usarufa 
and  Darlene  Bee  in  compiling  the  collection;  Field 
Museum  curators  collaborated  with  Chenoweth  to 
evaluate  the  research  potential  of  the  Collection; 
Museum  administration  and  the  Cultural  Collections 
Committee  collaborated  to  raise  necessary  funds; 
Anthropology  collections  staff  collaborated  with 
everyone;  and  volunteers,  interns  and  free-lance  con- 
servators helped  guarantee  that  the  Collection  received 
the  careftil  attention  it  deserved. 

The  Chenoweth  Collection  also  stands  in  testimony 
to  ethical  Museum  collection  acquisition  practices. 
It  complements  nicely  the  Field  Museums  existing 
collection  from  the  Eastern  Highlands  of  New  Guinea, 
which  previously  consisted  of  material  from  only  two 
other  groups,  the  Tairora  and  Agarabi,  which  were 
visited  by  James  B.  Watson  in  the  1950s.  In  the  face 
of  increasing  contact  with  people  of  other  cultures,  and 
the  culture  change  that  comes  as  a  result,  the  Usarufa 
are  losing  some  of  their  understanding  of  the  form, 
function  and  meaning  of  these  objects.  Chenoweth 
once  dreamed  of  creating  a  Museum  specifically  for 
the  Usarufa  near  their  homeland  in  New  Guinea. 
In  the  absence  of  such  a  facility,  the  Department  of 
Anthropology  at  The  Field  Museum  is  proud  to  pro- 
vide a  caring  home  for  this  unique  collection  and  the 
intellectual  legacy  it  represents.  ITF 


Dr.  Chenoweth  works  with  Taaqi  Yda. 


8     IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth 


Members  will  be  among  the  first  to  welcome  the 
exhibition  Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth  to  The  Field 
Museum.  The  exhibition  is  a  tribute  to  the  power  and 
timeless  appeal  of  Star  Wars,  the  ultimate  space  epic 
that  explores  the  struggle  between  good  and  evil,  and 
technology  and  humanity.  Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth 
showcases  original  artwork,  props,  models,  costumes 
and  characters  used  to  create  the  Star  Wars  saga,  and 
connects  the  films  to  elements  of  classical  mythology. 
Visitors  will  see  Princess  Leia's  gown,  the  droids 
C-3PO  and  R2-D2,  Chewbacca  and  other  artifacts 
from  these  classic  films. 

Member  Passes  for  Star  Wars: 
The  Magic  of  Myth 

Field  Museum  members  are  eligible  to  receive  up  to 
four  free  member  passes  to  see  the  Star  Wars:  The 
Magic  of  Myth  exhibition  which  is  on  display  from  July 
15,  2000  through  January  7,  2001.  Family  members  can 
receive  four  passes;  Senior,  Student,  Individual  and 
National  Affiliate  Members  can  receive  two  passes. 
Passes  are  coded  for  timed  entry  every  half  hour. 

Passes  are  available  by  calling  Ticketmaster  at 
312.902.1500  (a  discounted  service  charge  and  trans- 
action fee  will  be  assessed).  Members  may  be  able  to 
obtain  passes  for  same  day  viewing  if  available  at  the 
Museum.  No  service  charge  will  be  incurred.  For  more 
information,  please  call  312.665.7700. 

Please  remember  that  Member  passes  are  in 
addition  to  those  you  may  have  already  received  and 
used  for  the  Viewing  days  on  July  13,  14,  21  and  23. 
For  more  information,  please  call  312.665.7700.  ITF 


Tbe  original  costumes  for  Han  Solo  and  the  character 
Chewbacca  the  Wookiee. 


Star  Wars;  The  Magic  of  Myth  was  developed  by  the 
Smithsonian's  National  Air  and  Space  Museum.  The  exhibi- 
tion was  organized  for  travel  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
Traveling  Exhibition  Service.  All  of  the  artifacts  in  this  exhi- 
bition are  on  loan  from  the  archives  of  LucasFilm  Ltd. 


Record  Breaking  Members'  Nights  2000 


The  Field  Museum  boasts  the  largest  Members' 
Nights  attendance  in  recent  history.  More  than  21,000 
members,  and  their  families  and  friends,  came  out  for 
the  Museum's  unique  behind-the-scenes  event  that 
highlights  the  institution's  research  activities. 
Highlights  of  the  event  were  "Sue,"  standing  in  her  full 
glory  in  Stanley  Field  Hall,  and  a  slide  lecture  about 
how  she  was  mounted.  As  in  years  past,  much  of  the 
focus  was  on  the  third  floor  where  curators  and 
researchers  were  available  to  talk  with  members  about 
their  latest  projects.  Attendance  this  year  broke  all 
recent  records,  due  to  the  tremendous  increase  in 
Museum  members.  In  future  years,  the  Museum  will 
consider  adding  more  days  to  preserve  the  character 
of  this  wonderful  event.  ITF 


"Behind-the-scene"  at  Field  Museum  Members'  Nights. 


JULY  •  AUGUST  2000    9 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

3  Calendar  of  Events 

S  Get  Smart 

7  Free  Visitor  Programs 


Star  Wars: 

THE  Magic  of  Myth 


Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth,  one  of  the 
most  visited  Smithsonian  exhibitions  of  all 
time  will  be  on  view  at  The  Field  Museum 
from  July  15,  2000  to  January  7,  2001. 
Developed  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
in  cooperation  with  LucasFilm  Ltd,  this 
exhibition  showcases  more  than  250  original 
artworks,  props,  models,  costumes,  and 
characters  used  to  create  the  four  Star  Wars 
films.  The  exhibition  opens  a  window  onto 
the  creative  process  of  filmmaking  by  giving 
Field  Museum  visitors  a  chance  to  examine 
more  than  75  original  artworks,  including 
concept  drawings  and  paintings,  as  well  as 
storyboards  with  production  notes.  These 
works  highlight  changes  in  the  Star  Wars 
personalities  and  places  as  they  evolved 
from  early  ideas  to  their  final  realization 
on  the  screen. 

George  Lucas  explained,  "Filmmaking  is 
a  collaborative  effort,  and  the  creation  of 
the  artwork,  costumes  and  creatures  play 
a  major  role  in  my  movies.  I'm  thrilled  that 
the  public  now  has  the  opportunity  to 
examine  their  artistry  in  a  museum  setting. 
And,  I  hope  the  exhibit  will  inspire  young 
people  who  are  interested  in  art,  science 
and  computer  technology  to  use  their  skills 
and  imagination  to  create  new  worlds 
and  pursue  their  dreams." 


Yoda,  a  wise,  long-lived  Jedi  Master,  has  trained  Jedi  Knights  in  the  ways  of  the  force. 


Upon  entering  the  gallery,  visitors  will 
see  objects  from  Star  Wars:  A  New  Hope 
(1977),  including  an  11 -foot  production 
model  of  the  Imperial  Star  Destroyer  and 
the  white  gown  worn  by  Princess  Leia,  the 
droids  C-3PO  and  R2-D2,  Chewbacca  the 
Wookie,  a  Stormtrooper,  a  Jawa  and  a 
Tusken  Raider.  Artifacts  from  The  Empire 
Strikes  Back  (1980)  include  the  Jedi  Master 
Yoda  and  costumes  such  as  Luke  Skywalker's 
ice  planet  Hoth  gear.  This  section  also 
includes  an  Imperial  AT-AT  Walker  and 
Rebel  Snowspeeder,  which  are  examples 
of  the  props  and  production  models  used 
in  the  making  of  the  film,  as  well  as  the 
Wampa  Ice  Creature  costume  developed 
for  the  Special  Edition  The  Empire  Strikes 
Back  0997). 


From  Return  of  The  Jedi  (1983)  visitors  will 
find  Jabba  the  Hutt,  bounty  hunter  Boba 
Fett,  skiff  guard  Weequay,  Salacious  B. 
Crumb  and  Han  Solo  frozen  in  carbonite. 
This  section  of  the  exhibition  features  Darth 
Vader  and  Luke  Skywalker's  Jedi  costume — 
each  with  their  lightsaber  weapons — as 
well  as  photo  murals  of  the  Emperor 
Palpatine's  throne  room  and  the  Death  Star. 

The  exhibition  ends  with  Star  Wars: 
Episode  I  —  The  Phantom  Menace  (1999). 
Artifacts  featured  focus  on  Anakin 
Skywalker  (the  future  Darth  Vader), 
and  include  Anakin's  slave  costume  and 
a  detailed  model  of  his  pod  racer.  Also 
featured  is  concept  artwork  for  Tatooine 
and  the  Mos  Espa  Pod  Race  Arena. 

Visitors  can  view  a  short  documentary 
film,  which  examines  the  influences  of 
popular  culture,  folklore  and  myth  on  the 
development  of  the  Star  Wars  films.  The 
film  includes  interviews  with  George  Lucas, 
and  actors  Harrison  Ford,  Carrie  Fisher  and 
Mark  Hamill,  as  well  as  sound  effects  direc- 
tor Ben  Burtt,  composer  John  Williams  and 
others.  Visitors  may  purchase  an  audio  tour, 
narrated  by  James  Earl  Jones,  which  con- 
tains interviews  and  sound  effects,  and  was 
created  especially  for  the  exhibition  by 
Antenna  Audio. 

Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth,  was  devel- 
oped by  the  Smithsonian's  National  Air 
and  Space  Museum.  The  exhibition  was 
organized  for  travel  by  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  Traveling  Exhibition  Service. 
All  of  the  artifacts  in  this  exhibition  are  on 
loan  from  the  archives  of  Lucasfilm,  Ltd. 


C-3PO  and  R2-D2. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS       1 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Exhibits 


Chicago's 
Oldest  Debutante 
Reigns  Supreme 


With  fanfare  surpassing  that  of  the  most 
elite  Chicago  debutante,  Sue  now  reigns  In 
the  Field  Museum's  Stanley  Field  Hall  where 
she  greets  visitors  with  a  menacing  grin. 
Weighing  in  at  nearly  1  ton  (7  tons  if  she 
were  living).  Sue  is  42  feet  in  length  with 
her  skull  just  shy  of  5  feet  in  length.  She  is 
the  single  largest,  most  complete  and  best- 
preserved  T.  rex  fossil  ever  unearthed. 

Unlike  many  museums,  which  display  cast 
replicas  of  dinosaur  skeletons.  The  Field 
Museum  has  strengthened  its  commitment 
to  authenticity.  The  bones  on  display  are 
the  real  thing  —  not  a  plastic  model  or  com- 
posite of  bones  from  different  specimens. 

Each  of  Sue's  fossilized  bones  is  cradled  in  a 
hand-forged  iron  bracket  on  which  the 
bones  rest,  similar  to  a  diamond  in  the  set- 
ting of  a  ring.  However,  these  brackets  are 
hinged  and  locked,  allowing  scientists  to 
remove  the  bones  for  research.  The  number 
of  bones  that  show  pathologies  intrigues 
scientists;  there  are  holes,  scars,  calluses  and 
two  misshapen  teeth.  Paleontologist  Chris 
Brochu,  a  research  associate  at  The  Field 
Museum  and  lead  researcher  on  Sue, 


An  up-close  look  at  Sue's  massive  head. 

believes  Sue's  wounds  were  probably  caused 
by  infections  and  are  not  battle  scars. 

One  of  the  few  pieces  of  Sue  that  will  not 
be  mounted  with  the  rest  of  her  skeleton  is 
her  massive  skull,  which  is  too  heavy  to  be 
placed  on  the  steel  armature  that  supports 
Sue's  skeleton.  The  Museum  installed  a  cast 
replica  of  the  skull  on  the  skeleton  and  dis- 
plays the  real  skull  on  the  second  floor 
balcony  overlooking  Stanley  Field  Hall.  Here 
you  can  get  an  up-close  and  personal  view 
of  the  most-feared  predator's  massive  head. 
In  addition,  visitors  can  view  animated  CT 
scans  of  the  skull  and  touch  a  variety  of 


casts  of  Sue's  bones,  including  a  rib,  fore- 
limb  and  12-inch-long  tooth. 

Check  the  'Calendar  of  Events  Section'  to 
see  the  ongoing  fun  and  educational  events 
surrounding  Sue  or  visit  the  Museum's  web 
page  at  www.fieldmuseum.org/Sue/. 

Sue  At  The  Field  Museum,  which  Is  free  with 
general  Museum  admission,  is  made  possible 
by  McDonald's  Corporation.  A  major  sponsor 
of  Sue  is  Walt  Disney  World  Resort.  The 
Elizabeth  Morse  Charitable  Trust  is  another 
generous  sponsor  of  this  exhibition. 


Toys  to  Masterpieces:  'The  Picturing  T-rex'  Collection 


John  Lanzendorf  with  his  first  T.rex  from 
The  Field  Museum. 


As  a  student  during  the  late  1950s,  Chicago 
resident  John  Lanzendorf  visited  The  Field 
Museum  to  view  the  dinosaur  exhibits. 
During  this  trip  he  purchased  a  small  brass 
T.  rex  figurine  from  the  Museum's  store.  It 
was  the  first  dinosaur  sculpture  he  pur- 
chased and  the  beginning  of  a  collection 
that  would  grow  to  more  than  70  original 
paintings,  drawings,  sculptures  and  toys — 
all  depicting  Tyrannosaurus  rex,  the  largest 
carnivore  to  walk  the  earth. 

Lanzendorf's  lifelong  fascination  with 
dinosaurs  has  led  him  to  build  one  of  the 
most  comprehensive  private  collections  of 
dinosaur  art  in  the  world.  Picturing  7:  rex: 
Selections  from  the  Lanzendorf  Collection 
will  be  on  display  until  November  12,  2000. 
The  exhibition  is  free  with  regular  Museum 
admission. 

Some  objects  in  the  collection  reflect  the 
changing  theories  about  T.  rex  anatomy  and 
behavior,  including  a  pair  of  200-pound 
bronze  sculptures — one  depicting  an  early 
consensus  of  how  the  dinosaur  might  have 


looked  (upright  and  lumbering)  and 
another  depicting  the  current  scientific  view 
(a  much  more  agile  animal).  Other  objects 
come  from  artists  involved  with  film  pro- 
ductions featuring  T.  rex  in  a  starring  role. 
Jurassic  Parl<'s  T.  rex,  made  by  Michael  Trcic 
for  Stan  Winston  Studios,  is  one  of  several 
bronze  maquettes  created  for  the  first 
Jurassic  Parl<  movie.  On  the  more  whimsical 
side  of  the  collection  is  the  T.  rex  toy  dis- 
play, which  includes  the  humorous  T.  rex 
"Santa  Claws." 

When  you  come  to  the  Museum  to  meet 
Sue,  don't  forget  to  visit  the  fascinating 
array  of  T.  rex  images  from  Lanzendorf's 
extensive  private  collection. 

The  Field  Museum  wishes  to  thank  John 
Lanzendorf  for  the  generous  loan  of  works 
from  his  collection. 

Correction:  The  Field  Museum  incorrectly 
credited  the  photo  of  John  Lanzendorf  in 
the  May/June  Issue.  The  correct  credit  Is 
Barbara  Brenner  1999.  We  regret  the  error. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Calendar  of  Events 


Storytime:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction  lets  children  explore, 
relax  and  learn. 


The  Two  of  Us  family  program  provides  hands-on  activities. 


Adult  Course: 

Field  Ecology:  Summer 

7/6,  7/9,  7/16  a  7/23  (see  times  below) 

Join  Naturalist  Tom  Hintz  as  you  investigate 
the  many  arenas  in  which  populations 
interact  with  each  other.  The  questions  of 
competition  and  altruism  will  be  addressed 
for  inter-  and  intra-population  levels.  Look 
at  some  basic  equations  used  to  determine 
the  fitness  of  populations,  including  the 
effects  of  genetics  on  individuals  and  popu- 
lations. Be  prepared  to  be  outdoors  most  of 
the  time.  The  recommended  text,  Ecology 
and  Field  Biology  by  R.  L.  Smith,  will  be 
for  sale  the  first  class  session.  Naturalist 
Certificate  Requirement,  both  tracks.  Meets 
at  The  Field  Museum:  Thursday,  July  6;  6  -  9 
p.m.  Meets  at  the  Site:  Sundays,  July  9,  16, 
and  23;  9  a.m.  -  Noon  (4  sessions)  $125; 
Members  $105.  Call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 


Family  Evening: 
Behind  the  Scenes  with 
John  Lanzendorf 

Selections  From  Your  Collections 
7/7,  Friday,  6-8 p.m. 

Whether  it  is  matchbooks,  monster  trucks 
or  paper  dolls,  everyone  has  some  type  of 
collection.  Collecting  objects  that  interest 
us  helps  to  define  who  we  are.  John 
Lanzendorf,  owner  of  many  amazing 
dinosaurs,  72  of  which  comprise  the  tem- 
porary exhibition  Picturing  T.  rex,  will  share 
how  and  why  he  began  his  now  enormous 
collection  of  dinosaur  images.  Participants 
are  invited  to  bring  along  important  or  spe- 
cial selections  from  their  collections  at  home 
to  share.  For  families  with  children  in  grades 
1  and  up.  $12  ($10  per  member  participant). 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  infor- 
mation or  to  register. 


Family  Program: 
Scientist  on  The  Floor 

7/13,  Thursday,  11  a.m.  -  2  p.m. 

Extend  your  Underground  Adventure 
deeper  into  the  earth  by  discussing  with  a 
U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture  soil  scientist 
the  processes  of  soil  formation.  Learn 
how  soil  in  Illinois  is  different  from  various 
soils  throughout  the  world!  Free  with 
Museum  admission.  For  more  information 
call  312.665.7400. 

Family  Program: 
The  Two  of  Us 

7/78  &  7/25,  Tuesdays,  1:30  -  3  p.m. 

Preschoolers  (ages  3-5)  and  their  adult 
companions  are  invited  to  join  our  instruc- 
tor for  a  2-week  mini-course  exploring  birds 
and  their  habitats.  Using  galleries  and  in- 
class  activities,  and  going  behind  the  scenes 
to  meet  with  our  scientists,  this  program 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


will  include  fun  facts,  stories,  songs  and 
a  snack.  We  will  also  use  nnany  hands-on 
materials  and  make  an  art  project  to  take 
home.  Learning  experiences  include  feeling 
the  difference  in  bone  weight  between 
flying  and  non-flying  birds,  studying  some 
unusual  nests  and  much,  much  more.  Cost 
is  $24  per  child;  $20  per  member  child. 
For  each  child,  one  adult  attends  at  no 
charge.  Call  312.665.7400  for  more  infor- 
mation or  to  register. 

Adult  Course: 

A  Focus  on  Composites 

7129  &  7130,  9  a.m.  -Noon 

Learn  how  to  identify  sunflowers,  asters, 
goldenrods  and  many  other  groups  of  our 
native  composite  flora  in  a  workshop  with 
Field  Museum  Instructor  Rich  Hyerczyk. 
Naturalist  Certificate  Enrichment.  Meets 
at  the  Site.  $65  ($55  members.)  Call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information 
or  to  register. 

Adult  Course: 
Introduction  to  Natural 
Areas  Management 

8/3,  8/5,  8/6,  8/19  (see  times  below) 

Today's  prairies,  savannas,  woodlands  and 
wetlands  are  disturbed,  fragmented  and 
isolated.  The  role  of  the  land  manager  is 
to  return  them  to  biologically  diverse  and 
healthy  natural  ecosystems.  Take  a  trip  with 
Jim  Anderson,  Natural  Resource  Manager  at 
Lake  County  Forest  Preserve  District,  for  a 
visit  to  a  variety  of  natural  areas  to  meet 
with  local  professionals  and  learn  about  the 
issues  and  techniques  of  managing  natural 
areas.  Naturalist  Certificate  Requirement, 
Natural  Areas  track.  Meets  at  The  Field 
Museum:  Thursday,  August  3;  6  -  9  p.m. 
Meets  at  the  Site:  Saturday,  August  5;  9 
a.m.  -  Noon.  Sunday,  August  6;  1  -  4  p.m. 
Saturday,  August  19;  9  a.m.  -  Noon.  $125 
($105  members.)  Call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 

Family  Program: 

Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction 

Dally  at  1  p.m. 

Learn  new  songs  and  stories  and  have 
fun  creating  artwork — all  in  a  20-minute 
program  in  Living  Together.  In  July 
and  August,  hear  stories  about  dinosaurs, 


life  in  the  woods,  animal  camouflage, 
Underground  Adventure,  animals  in  winter 
and  outer  space  adventures.  Design  your 
own  special  T.  rex,  forest  habitat,  under- 
ground environment,  winter  wonderland 
or  space  ship.  This  program,  designed  espe- 
cially for  young  children  and  their  families, 
offers  an  opportunity  to  relax  and  learn. 
The  songs  are  fun  to  learn  and  easily  could 
become  family  favorites.  This  program  is 
sponsored  by  The  Siragusa  Foundation  Early 
Childhood  Initiative.  One  adult  for  every 
three  children,  please.  For  more  information 
call  312.665.7400. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Weekday:  Programs  at  1 1  a.m.,  1 1:30  a.m., 
1  p.m.  &  1:30  p.m. 

Weekends:  Open  House  10  a.m.  -4:30  p.m. 

Visitors  can  experience  a  way  of  life  as  the 
Pawnee  Indians  lived  more  than  a  century 
ago  out  on  the  Great  Plains.  In  this  hands- 
on  exhibit,  people  are  invited  to  sit  on 
buffalo  hides  around  the  cooking  fire  and 
try  to  use  buffalo  horn  spoons.  Then  they 


can  examine  tools  and  toys  made  of  buffalo 
as  they  listen  to  stories  of  what  it  was 
like  to  go  on  a  buffalo  hunt.  Free  with 
Museum  admission.  Call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information. 

Citywide  program  spotlights  "Sue" 
Tyrannosaurus  reads  at  Chicago 
Public  Library 

Continuing  through  August  5 

All  children  and  teens,  ages  5-14,  are 
invited  to  celebrate  the  arrival  of  Sue, 
the  largest  and  most  complete  T.  rex  ever 
found,  by  participating  in  the  Chicago 
Public  Library's  2000  Summer  Reading 
Program,  Tyrannosaurus  Reads.  All  78 
libraries  will  highlight  specially  chosen 
books  about  dinosaurs.  Neighborhood 
branch  libraries  will  host  programs  through- 
out the  summer  including  storytellers, 
interactive  dinosaur  programs  by  Timestep 
Players,  Jabberwocky  Marionettes  and 
Green  Light  Performing  Company.  It's 
fun  and  it's  free!  Call  312.747.4780. 


Interior  of  the  Pawnee  Earth  Lodge. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


4       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Get  Smart 


Star  Wars:  The 
Magic  of  Myth 

July  15  -  18,  Daily  at  1  p.m. 

Preschoolers  Alert! 

Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction 

Imagine  what  it's  like  to  travel  through 
space!  Join  us  in  Living  Together  dunng  the 
opening  week  of  Star  Wars:  Tlie  Magic  of 
Mytii  for  special  readings  of  /  Want  to  Be  An 
Astronaut,  a  story  in  words  and  pictures 
about  what  it  might  be  like  to  go  on  a  real 
space  mission.  Then  create  your  own  space- 
ship to  take  home — all  in  this  20-minute 
program  sponsored  by  The  Siragusa 
Foundation  Early  Childhood  Initiative.  One 
adult  for  every  three  children,  please.  Free 
with  Museum  admission.  Call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information. 


Left:  Han  Solo's  Millennium  Falcon  in  front  of 
the  Death  Star.  Constant  modifications  turned 
this  old  battered  looking  spacecraft  into  a  ship 
capable  of  going  up  against  the  Empire's  most 
fearsome  weapons. 


Dancing  with  Dinosaurs: 
The  Story  of  Sue 

Mondays  -  Fridays,  July  5  -  August  5 
11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m. 

The  Field  Museum  and  Music  Theatre 
Workshop  present  the  Teens  Together 
Ensemble  in  Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The 
Story  of  Sue,  a  30-minute  musical  featuring 
two  colossal  puppets  created  especially  for 
The  Field  Museum.  Dancing  with  Dinosaurs 
presents  the  story  of  Sue  through  the  eyes 
of  a  multi-generational,  diverse  group  of 
people  who  have  traveled  to  the  museum 
specifically  to  see  Sue  the  T  rex.  Before 
they  can  meet  Sue,  they  are  approached 
by  a  Troodon  dinosaur  that  claims  to  be 
a  smarter,  more  interesting  dinosaur.  He 
offers  to  take  the  group  through  the  exhibit 
hall  to  a  place  where  they  can  hear  the 
story  of  Sue.  Anticipating  this  vision,  the 
characters  learn  about  the  evolution  of 
dinosaurs  as  they  sing  and  dance  out  their 
own  dreams.  Both  adults  and  children  will 
be  charmed  by  this  unique,  tuneful  journey. 
Free  with  Museum  admission.  Call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 

Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue 
is  generously  sponsored  by  ComEd  and 
LaSalle  Bank. 


Fun  On  the  Floor: 
Family  Hall  Activities 

From  July  15.  Schedule  varies;  please  call 
312.665.7400  for  updates 

See  a  T.  rex  run  and  make  the  X-wing 
starfighter  fly  with  your  own  filmmaking 
flip  book,  or  test  your  Star  Wars  trivia 
knowledge  with  a  special  Field  Museum 
quiz!  What  do  museums  and  films  have  in 
common?  They  both  take  us  on  journeys  of 
the  imagination — whether  to  a  fictional 
galaxy  far,  far  away,  or  to  the  very  real 
Earth  of  millions  of  years  ago.  Join  us  this 
summer  for  family  hall  activities  exploring 
the  connections  between  the  art  of  Star 
Wars  and  the  science  all  around  you  in 
The  Field  Museum. 


Top  right:  Family  activities  include  crafts 
that  spark  children's  creativity. 

Bottom  right:  Dancing  with  Dinosaurs, 
The  Story  of  Sue. 


JOHN  WEINSTEIN/GN89739,16AC 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Field  Nights:  Summer  Celebration  at  The  Field  Museum 


July  6  -  August  17,  Every  Thursday,  5:30  p.m.  -  9  p.m. 


As  part  of  Chicago's  Downtown  Thursday 
Nights  program,  The  Field  Museum  con- 
tinues to  bring  together  great  music, 
spectacular  views,  food  and  drink,  and 
a  T.  rex  named  Sue  for  Field  Nights. 

The  outdoor  celebration  takes  place  on 
the  northwest  terrace,  where  visitors  are 
treated  to  a  stunning  view  of  downtown 
Chicago  at  sunset.  There  they  can  dance  to 
the  rhythm  of  a  different  world  music  band 
each  Thursday.  Throughout  the  summer. 
Field  Nights  acts  scheduled  to  appear 
include  the  return  of  the  popular  interdisci- 
plinary performance  group  MASS  Ensemble, 
and  world  music  artists  Funkadesi. 

Field  Nights  visitors  are  also  invited  to 
venture  inside  the  Museum  where  they 
can  explore  the  exhibitions  after  hours  and 
come  snout  to  snout  with  Sue,  the  largest 
and  most  complete  T.  rex  ever  found.  And 
to  commence  each  evening,  everyone  is 
encouraged  to  join  in  a  group-drumming 
circle  at  sunset,  led  weekly  by  Chicago's  own 
Rhythm  Revolution  (percussion  instruments 
provided).  Food  and  drink  are  available 
for  purchase  throughout  the  evening. 
Admission  is  $12  for  Members  and 
Non-members. 


MASS  Ensemble. 


Egypt  in  Chicago:  Festival  of  the  Sun  Summer  2000 


Music  and  Drama  in  Ancient  Egypt 
July  20,  6:30  -  8:30  p.m.,  for  all  ages 


Egypt  in  Chicago:  Festival  of  the  Sun 
Summer  2000  is  a  magnificent  citywide 
collaboration  of  Chicago  arts  and  cultural 
institutions  sponsoring  exhibitions,  lectures 
and  workshops  with  a  focus  on  ancient 
Egypt  during  the  Summer  of  2000.  The  Field 
Museum  is  participating  in  the  collaboration 
by  spotlighting  Inside  Ancient  Egypt  the 
Museum's  extraordinary  permanent  exhibi- 
tion and  by  hosting  a  Music  and  Drama  in 
Ancient  Egypt  multi-media  discussion  led 
by  composer  Douglas  Irvine.  Irvine  will 
speak  about  music  and  drama  at  the  time 
of  Akhnaten's  reign  and  what  distinguishes 
this  period  when  arts  flourished  in  ancient 
Egypt.  For  tickets  and  information  call 
312.665.7400. 


Other  Egypt  In  Chicago:  Festival  of  the 
Sun  Summer  2000  participating  organiza- 
tions include  the  Chicago  Opera  Theater, 
the  Art  Institute  of  Chicago,  University 
of  Chicago  Graham  School  of  General 
Studies,  the  Oriental  Institute  Museum, 
The  Museum  of  Science  and  Industry,  the 
Chicago  Department  of  Cultural  Affairs 
and  the  Chicago  Park  District's  Gallery  37 
Neighborhoods  Program. 


Right:  This  elaborately  painted  and  gilded  car- 
tonnage  mask  made  of  linen  and  coated  with 
plaster  was  placed  over  a  mummified  child. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

Daily 

Preschoolers  Alert! 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 

Learn  new  songs  and  stories  and  have  fun 
creating  artworic — all  in  a  20-minute  pro- 
gram sponsored  by  The  Siragusa  Foundation 
Early  Childhood  Initiative — in  Living 
Together.  See  "Calendar  of  Events"  page 
for  a  more  complete  description. 

Interpretive  Station  activities:  Drop  by 
hands-on  stations  located  throughout  the 
Museum  (check  informational  directories 
for  daily  listing)  and  delve  into  the  fasci- 
nating world  of  natural  history. 

Weekends  &  Mondays 

Through  the  end  of  August* 

Noon  -  5  p.m.  Meet  John  Lanzendorf. 
Mr.  Lanzendorf  will  be  in  the  gallery  to 
meet  visitors  and  speal<  with  them  infor- 
mally about  the  temporary  exhibition, 
Picturing  T.  rex:  Selections  from  the 
Lanzendorf  Collection.  Visitors  are  encour- 
aged to  bring  in  pieces  from  their  own 
dinosaur  collections. 

*  Schedule  dependent  on  Mr  Lanzendorfs 
availability.  Please  call  ahead  to  The  Field 
Museum  Education  Department  at 
312.665.7550  for  a  complete  listing  of 
dates.  See  the  "Calendar  of  Events"  page 
for  more  information  on  the  Behind  the 
Scenes  evening  with  Mr  Lanzendorf. 

July  1— Saturday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of 
Sue.  The  Field  Museum  and  Music  Theatre 
Workshop  present  the  Teens  Together 
Ensemble  in  a  30-minute  musical  about 


Sue,  the  largest,  most  complete  and  best 
preserved  T.  rex  ever  found.  See  the  "Get 
Smart"  page  for  a  more  complete  descrip- 
tion. Call  312.665.7400  for  specific  times. 

July  2  —  Sunday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  5 — Wednesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

1  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  Tour  4,000 
years  of  ancient  Egyptian  history,  from  a 
predynastic  burial  site  to  the  Egypt  of  the 
Greek  and  Roman  conquest. 

July  6 — Thursday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1 . 

July  7  —  Friday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  10  —  Monday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  11 — Tuesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 


July  12  —  Wednesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

I  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

July  13  —  Thursday 

I I  a.m. -2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor 
Join  scientists  from  the  U.S.  Department 

of  Agriculture  as  they  discuss  how  they  help 
educate  the  community  to  conserve  the 
soil — one  of  our  most  valuable  resources. 
Visitors  will  also  learn  about  soil  science 
and  about  careers  related  to  agriculture. 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  14 — Friday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  17  —  Monday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  18 — Tuesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  19 — Wednesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

I  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

July  20 — Thursday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

I I  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
See  July  13. 


Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Take  a  guided  tour  of  the  exhibits  that 

make  this  Museum  one  of  the  world's 
finest  and  learn  about  the  history  of 
these  displays.  Tours  are  offered  Monday 
through  Friday  at  1 1  a.m.  and  2  p.m. 
Check  the  informational  directories 
for  weekend  tours. 


Due  to  an  editorial  change  of  In  The  Field,  we  apologize  for  the  late  publication  of  dates,  feel  free  to  call  312.665.7400  for  program  updates. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


July  21— Friday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  24 — Monday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  25 — Tuesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  26 — Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

1:00  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hail. 

See  July  5. 

July  27 — Thursday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

July  28  — Friday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 


Please  Excuse  Our 
Renovations 

We  are  on  the  move!  As  you  make  your 
plans  for  visiting  ttie  Museum  over  the 
2000-2001  school  year,  you  will  need  to 
be  aware  of  the  temporary  closings  and 
reorganization  of  some  of  the  exhibition 
halls  and  resource  centers.  The  Webber 
Resource  Center  and  The  Webber  Gallery 
are  closed  for  renovations  and  will 
reopen  September  2,  2000  in  Hall  M-8E. 
Portions  of  our  North  American  ethno- 
graphic collection,  are  currently  off 
display.  Artifacts  from  the  Native 
American  cultures  of  the  South, 
Southwest,  Plains  and  Great  Lakes 
regions  will  be  available  for  viewing  in 
Hall  M-8E  beginning  September  2,  2000. 
Our  North  American  archaeology  collec- 
tions, including  the  Hopewell  materials, 
will  also  be  unavailable  to  the  public. 
The  reinstallation  of  these  collections 
will  occur  in  stages  beginning  in  late 
Winter  2000. 


July  31 — Monday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

August  1 — Tuesday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

August  2 — Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

1  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

August  3 — Thursday 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

August  4 — Friday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue.  See  July  1. 

August  9  —  Wednesday 

I  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

August  10 — Thursday 

I I  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
See  July  13. 

August  12  —  Saturday 

1:30  p.m.  Tibet  Today  and  a  Faith  in  Exile. 

View  a  slide  presentation  that  takes  you  to 
places  now  open  to  tourists  in  Tibet,  and 
refugee  sites  around  the  world. 

August  16  —  Wednesday 

I  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

August  17 — Thursday 

I I  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 

See  July  13. 


August  23  —  Wednesday 

I  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

August  24 — Thursday 

I I  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
See  July  13. 

August  30 — Wednesday 

1  p.m.  Tour:  Ancient  Egypt  Hall.  See  July  5. 

Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through 
a  variety  of  resources,  including  computer 
programs,  books,  activity  boxes  and  much 
more  at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and  the 
Daniel  F.  &  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research 
Station.  Open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on  the 
Great  Plains.  See  "Calendar  of  Events" 
page  for  a  more  complete  description. 

Ruatepupuke: 

The  Maori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people 
of  New  Zealand  at  the  treasured  and  sacred 
Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily  from  9 
a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work 
on  Sue,  the  largest  and  most  complete 
T.  rex  ever  found.  Open  daily  from  9  a.m. 
to  5  p.m. 

Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Visit  the  exhibits  that  make  this  museum 
one  of  the  world's  finest  and  hear  the  sto- 
ries behind  these  displays.  Tours  are  offered 
Monday  through  Friday  at  1 1  a.m.  and  2 
p.m.  Check  the  informational  directories 
for  weekend  tours. 


The  Demotic  description 
on  the  coffin  of  these  two 
mummies  reads  "Children 
of  Myron,"  indicating  they 
were  quite  young  when 
they  died  and  were  proba- 
bly related. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  /ocated  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


JULY/AUGUST  2000 


8       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Field  Updates 


Sue's  Debut  2000 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


1  Sue  displays  her  splendor  as  visitors 
look  on  in  awe. 

2  More  primping  and  priming  before 
her  big  night. 

i\M  ^      ^  Banner  announcing  Sue's  arrival. 

■I 

g      4  Face  painting  at  Sue  Family  Night. 

I      5  Sue  Hendrickson  signs  autographs. 

z 
I 
O 

6  Local  and  national  media  broadcast 
Sue's  debut. 

1  The  President  of  the  United  States, 
Bill  Clinton,  and  six  U.S.  senators  visit 
to  see  Sue.  (Left  to  right,  front  row) 
Senator  Tom  Harkin  (D-IA),  Senator 
Carl  Levin  (D-MI),  Senator  Evan 
Bayh  (D-IN),  Senator  Robert 
Torricelli  (D-NJ),  John  McCarter,  Sue 
Hendrickson,  President  Bill  Clinton, 
and  Senator  Richard  Durbin  (D-IL). 
Not  pictured  but  present:  Senator 
Tom  Daschle  (D-SD) 

8  Busiest  day  at  Sue  exhibit. 

9  Children  hold  a  Dinosaur 
s      Party  banner  in  celebration 
s      of  the  exhibit's  opening. 


JULY  .  AUGUST  2000     1 1 


The  Photo  Archives 


From  the  Photo  Archives 


In  its  annual  report  to  the  Board  of  Trustees 
in  1909,  The  Field  Museum  announced  that 
Assistant  Curator  S.C.  Simms  secured  the  notes 
and  materials  the  late  anthropologist  William 
Jones  collected  during  his  expedition  to  the 
Philippines.  Out  of  respect,  Simms  erected  a 
monument  to  mark  Jones'  burial  place  in  Echague 
(above).  Jones  was  murdered,  for  reasons  that 
may  never  be  known,  by  a  group  of  men  from 
the  Ilongot  tribe  on  the  island  of  Luzon. 

While  the  inscription  may  be  viewed  as  a 
snapshot  of  western  attitudes  during  his  era, 
Jones'  diary  and  letters  depict  in  vivid  detail  the 
daily  lives  of  the  people  with  whom  he  lived  for 
more  than  a  year,  the  incredible  biodiversity  of 
the  Philippines  and  the  risks  and  rewards  of 
scientific  exploration. 

Jones'  passion  for  anthropology  was  born 
during  his  childhood  on  the  Great  Plains  of  the 
United  States,  where  his  Fox  Indian  grandmother, 
Katiqua,  told  him  of  the  legends  and  customs  of 


her  people.  Jones  entered  Harvard  in  1896  and 
studied  under  the  famous  anthropologist  F.W. 
Putnam  and  later  under  Franz  Boas  at  Columbia, 
where  he  become  the  first  Native  American  PhD 
in  Anthropology. 

With  no  positions  available  to  study  Native 
American  ethnology  at  the  Field  Museum,  Jones 
agreed  to  come  to  Chicago  in  1907  to  begin 
preparations  for  an  expedition  to  the  Philippines. 
Landing  at  Manila  in  1907,  Jones  sailed  to  the 
northern  part  of  the  island  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Cagayan  River  that  would  take  him  into  the  heart 
of  the  Llongot  territories.  His  diary  describes 
the  difficulties  in  moving  his  growing  collections 
back  toward  Manila  so  that  they  could  be  shipped 
back  to  Chicago.  The  river  was  the  only  avenue 
available  through  most  of  the  rough  country,  and 
warring  among  the  various  groups  in  the  region 
impeded  travels.  Furthermore,  moving  his  ethno- 
logical freight  required  that  his  hosts  supply  him 
with  the  bamboo  poles  to  construct  balsas,  or 
rafts.  Frequent  delays  in  complying  with  his 
request  led  to  an  increasing  number  of  heated 
exchanges  between  Jones  and  some  Ilongot  men. 

A  disparity  exists  over  the  precise  date,  but 
one  aft:ernoon  in  March  or  April  1909,  Jones' 
party  came  to  a  remote  beach  near  some  rapids 
on  the  Cagayan  to  await  the  arrival  of  more  rafi:s. 
As  they  talked  and  ate  along  the  shore,  one  of  the 
Ilongot  men  tapped  Jones  on  the  shoulder  and 
said,  "We  shall  bring  more  balsas  tomorrow."  At 
that  same  moment,  the  man  struck  at  Jones  with 
a  large  knife,  catching  him  on  the  forehead. 
Twenty  men  quickly  descended  upon  him,  and  he 
was  speared  beneath  his  heart.  Two  of  Jones'  ser- 
vants, who  described  the  incident  later,  came  to 
his  rescue  and  managed  to  fight  off  the  attack 
long  enough  to  jump  into  a  boat  that  was  whisked 
away  to  safety  by  the  rapids.  Jones  died  hours 
later,  still  lying  in  the  boat.  In  one  of  his  last 
letters,  he  wrote:  "I  was  born  out  of  doors,  now 
it  looks  as  if  I  shall  keep  on  under  the  open  sky, 
and  at  the  end,  lie  down  out  of  doors,  which 
of  course,  is  as  it  should  be."  ITF 


12      IN  THE  FIELD 


Field  Tidbits 


Ask  a  Scientist 


Do  you  have  a  question  for  one  of 
our  scientists?  If  so,  please  send  it  to 
the  Publications  Department,  The 
Field  Museum,  1400  South  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605,  or 
via  e-mail  to  shines@fmnh.org.  Only 
questions  published  in  the  magazine 
will  be  answered.  An  archive  of 
questions  and  answers  that  have 
appeared  in  past  issues  can  be 
found  at  vrww.fieldmuseum.org. 
askascientist.htm. 

Where  would  you  most  likely  find 
dinosaur  footprints? 

If  the  right  types  of  rocks  are  pre- 
sent, dinosaur  footprints  can  be 
found  almost  anywhere.  The  right 
types  of  rocks  include  those  that 


are  sedimentary  in  origin,  come 
from  continental  (not  marine) 
environments,  and  are  from  the 
Mesozoic  Era  (the  time  when 
dinosaurs  lived,  250  to  55  million 
years  ago).  Specifically,  tracks  are 
usually  preserved  in  areas  where 
the  water  table  was  at  or  near 
the  surface  when  the  tracks  were 
made.  Your  best  chances  of  finding 
dinosaur  tracks  are  in  areas  where 
significant  erosion  or  mining  activi- 
ties have  exposed  large  portions 
of  these  rocks. 

Darin  A.  Croft 
Program  Developer  and 
Post-Doctoral  Research  Associate 
Department  of  Geology  and 
Department  of  Education 


Dinosaur  footprints,  one  of  the  few  clues  that 
mark  their  existence. 


Women's  Board  Luncheon  Donates  $40,000  to  Jason  Project 


Reaching  for  the  Limits  was  the  theme  of  the  2000 
Outreach  Luncheon  held  by  the  Women's  Board  of 
the  Field  Museum.  More  than  500  guests  attended 
the  luncheon  and  lecture  with  Dr.  Robert  Ballard, 
deep-sea  explorer  and  Titanic  discoverer.  The  $40,000 
raised  from  the  event  was  donated  to  Ballard's  educa- 
tional "outreach,"  The  Jason  Project,  at  The 
Field  Museum. 

The  Jason  Project,  created  by  Ballard,  is  designed 
to  excite  and  involve  middle-school  students  (fifth 
through  eighth  grades)  in  science  and  technology  and 
promises  to  spark  the  imagination  of  students  and 
change  the  way  teachers  are  teaching.  The  Field 
Museum  participated  in  the  Jason  Project  and  has 
brought  this  award-winning  program  to  more  than 
12,000  Chicago  public  school  students  as  well  as  five 
YMCA  youth  centers. 

Student  and  teachers  gathered  at  the  Field 
Museum  for  live,  on  location,  satellite  broadcasts 
with  Ballard  and  a  team  of  researchers  at  NASA's 
International  Space  station  and  NOAA's  Aquarius 
Underwater  Laboratory.  During  the  telecasts  students 
interacted  with  the  research  teams. 

Reaching  for  the  Limits  is  the  second  in  an  ongoing 
Outreach  Program  sponsored  by  the  Women's  Board. 
The  Board  is  comprised  of  300  of  Chicago's  most 


civic-minded  citizens  with  a  shared  interest  in  pro- 
moting awareness  of  The  Field  Museum's  collections, 
research  and  public  programs.  The  Women's  Board 
thanks  Merrill  Lynch  for  their  generous  sponsorship 
of  the  entire  luncheon.  ITF 


Dr.  Robert  Ballard  (center)  and  Chicago  Public  School 
students  who  participated  in  the  Jason  Project. 


JULY  .  AUGUST  2000     13 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


Wildlife  of  Southern  Africa: 
Botswana  and  Zimbabwe 

Octobers-  19 

Duration:  14  days 

Museum  Leader:  Zoologist 

David  Willard 

Price:  $8,535,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Egypt  Revisited 

October  15-29 

Duration:  1 5  days 

Museum  Leader.  Egyptologist 

Frank  Yurco 

Price:  Approximately  $4,895, 

including  airfare  from  Chicago 


For  more  information  or  free  brochures,  please  call  Field  Museum  Tours 
at  800.811.7244,  or  send  them  an  e-mail  at  fmtours@sover.net.  Please  note 
that  rates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subject  to  change  and  that  prices  are 
per  person,  double  occupancy. 


In  early  February  2001,  sail  on  a  16- 
day  odyssey  with  Field  Museum  botanist 
William  Burger  that  encompasses  five 
Central  American  countries  and  two 
oceans,  aboard  the  138-passenger  yacht. 
Wind  Song.  Or,  in  late  February  2001, 
travel  exclusively  on  land  and  explore 
Costa  Rica's  jungle  river  channels  of 
Tortuguero,  Poas  Volcano,  cloud  forests 
of  Monte  Verde,  and  Palo  Verde's 
wildlife  areas  on  the  Pacific. 


The  Natural  and  Cultural 
History  of  Tsavo:  A  Tented 
Safari  Through  the  Land 
of  the  Man-eaters 

March  3 -17,  2001 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leaders:  Zoologist 
Bruce  Patterson,  archaeologists 
Chap  and  Sibel  Kusimba,  and 
ecologist  Barbara  Harney 
Price:  $7,345,  not  including  airfare 
from  Chicago. 


Three  outstanding  African  safaris  are 
scheduled.  In  October,  explore  southern 
Africa  and  the  vast  wilderness  of  the 
Okavango  Delta,  Hwange  National 
Park  and  Victoria  Falls.  In  February 
2001  tour  Tanzania's  national  parks 
—  timed  to  witness  the  unforgettable 
wildebeest  migration.  In  March  2001, 
join  four  Field  Museum  scientists  for  a 
tented  safari  focusing  on  Kenya's  Tsavo 
National  Park,  home  of  the  legendary 
man-eating  lions. 


Special  Note:  A  few  spaces  are 
still  available  for  our  July  Calapagos 
Islands  Adventure  with  Doug 
Stotz  and  our  August/September 
Ancient  Wonders  of  Peru  with 
Jonathan  Haas.  Call  FM  Tours  for 
the  latest  information. 


Amazon  by  Riverboat 

December  9-17 

Duration:  9  days 

Museum  Leader.  Botanist 

William  Burger 

Price:  $3,598,  including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Classic  Tanzania  Safari: 
Wildebeest  Migration 

January  22  -  February  4,  2001 
Duration:  14  days 

Museum  Leaders:  Zoologists  William 
Stanley  and  Mary  Ann  Rogers 
Price:  $7,940,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 


Egyptian  Odyssey 

January  21  -  February  4,  2001 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leaders:  Frank  Yurco, 
Egyptologist  and  Research 
Associate  at  The  Field  Museum 
Price:  $5,550,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Central  America  Under  Sail 

February  10-25,2001 
Duration:  16  days 
Museum  Leader.  Botanist 
William  Burger 
Price:  Starts  at  $7,990,  not 
including  airfare 


On  the  Drawing  Board 

Natural  Wonders  of  Hawaii  2/01 
Ancient  Wonders  of  Israel  3/01 
Treasures  of  Oaxaca  4/01 
Archaeology  of  Southwest  USA  5/01 
Circumnavigation  of  Crete  4/01 


Baja:  Among  the  Great  Whales 

March  9 -17,  2001 
Duration:  9  days 
Museum  Leader  Zoologist 
Janet  Voight 
Price:  Starts  at  $2,990, 
not  including  airfare 

Costa  Rica  Adventure 

February  25  -  March  6,  2001 
Duration:  10  days 
Museum  Leader:  Botanist 
William  Burger 

Price:  $3,995,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 


*?^-w 


Unravel  the  mysterious  world  of  the  Egyptians  with  Field 
Museum  Egyptologist  Frank  Yurco.  In  October,  Egyptian 
Odyssey  offers  a  comprehensive  introduction  to  the  many 
major  archaeological  sites.  In  January,  Egypt  Revisited  is 
designed  for  those  who  want  an  indepth,  second  visit.  One 
highlight  of  this  tour  is  a  visit  to  Abu  Simbel  that  is  timed  to 
witness  the  sun  shining  straight  down  the  axis  of  the  temple 
to  illuminate  the  statues  of  the  gods  in  the  sanctuary! 


Hi- FIELD 


September 

October 

2000 


The     Field     Museum's     Membership     Publ  i^a  t  i  o  n 


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From  the  President 


Local  Address, 
Global  Domain 


Anthropologist  Frederick  Ward 
Putnam  stood  before  Chicago's 
leadership  on  November  29,  1891 
and  outlined  a  plan  for  a  perma- 
nent museum  to  house  the  cultural 
and  biological  collections  being 
assembled  for  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition.  The  fair, 
scheduled  to  open  in  1893,  would 
bring  together  thousands  of  exam- 
ples of  human  achievement  and 
natural  diversity  from  around  the 
globe.  Putnam  argued  that  by 
building  a  museum,  Chicago  could 
retain  these  treasures  for  the  edu- 
cation and  improvement  of  the 
community.  These  collections 
formed  the  nucleus  of  this  institu- 
tion, which  would  become  a 
centralizing  force  for  the  burgeon- 
ing city  on  the  prairie. 

Since  then,  humanity  has 
suffered  two  world  wars,  unfath- 
omable atrocities,  wide-spread 
extinctions  and  the  destruction 
of  natural  habitats.  Humankind 
has  developed  technologies  that 
can  connect  the  entire  planet  in 
a  single  instant,  and  technologies 
that  can  destroy  it  in  the  same 
space  of  time.  The  events  of  the 
museum's  first  full  century  under- 
score our  obligation  to  understand 
the  earth's  cultures  and  environ- 


ments in  all  their  abundant  diver- 
sity. The  accomplishments  of  The 
Field  Museum  during  this  time 
underscore  its  ever-increasing 
global  relevance. 

The  collections  have  grown 
both  in  number  and  in  the  diver- 
sity of  geographic  areas  they 
represent.  Thanks  to  gifts,  pur- 
chases, and  collecting  expeditions 
to  nearly  every  part  of  the  globe. 
The  Field  Museum  today  stewards 
internationally-significant  collec- 
tions of  cultural  objects  and 
biological  specimens  numbering 
over  21  million.  Whether  in  Papua 
New  Guinea  or  Peru,  Madagascar 
or  Lake  Michigan,  the  world  is 
our  workplace.  Whether  they  are 
working  out  in  the  field  or  in  our 
on  site  laboratories  and  collections 
facilities,  independently  or  in  close 
collaboration  with  staff  from  other 
institutions,  our  scientists  are 
creating  critical  information  that 
contributes  to  humanity's  under- 
standing of  the  planet's  cultural 
and  biological  diversity. 

The  Museum's  commitment 
to  exploring  diversity  around  the 
world  actually  begins  at  home,  here 
in  Chicago.  It  can  be  seen  in  our 
work  force  and  in  our  adherence 
to  the  belief  that  we  are  a  more 
productive  and  progressive  institu- 
tion when  our  employees  represent 
all  ages,  communities,  ethnic 
groups,  beliefs,  disciplines  and 
skills.  We  strive  to  be  a  workplace 
that  celebrates  differences  and 
encourages  diverse  points  of  view. 
Similarly,  our  leadership  reflects 
the  value  of  diversity.  As  only  one 
example,  among  our  board  of 
trustees,  20%  are  women  and  20% 
are  members  of  minority  groups. 

Our  exhibition  programming  is 
consistent  with  a  tradition  of  cele- 
brating the  world's  peoples,  with 
permanent  exhibitions  on  Africa, 
Asia,  the  Pacific  and  the  Americas 
and  an  exhibition  specifically  about 
diversity  called  Living  Together. 
Earlier  this  year  nearly  298,000 
people  came  to  view  The  Dead  Sea 


We  would  like  to  know  what  you  think  about  "In  The  Field". . . . 

Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Steve  Mines,  The  Field  Museum, 
1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496,  or  via  e-mail  at 
shines@fmnh.org. 


Scrolls,  and  last  month,  in  a  unique 
partnership  with  The  Mexican 
Fine  Arts  Center  in  Chicago,  we 
opened  Americanos:  Latino  Life  in 
the  United  States,  a  photographic 
celebration  of  Latino  cultures  in 
this  country.  And  in  October,  as 
this  issue  features  on  its  cover, 
we  will  present  the  treasures  of 
the  State  Museums  of  The 
Moscow  Kremlin. 

The  Museum  hosts  festivals 
celebrating  the  world's  cultures, 
such  as  the  upcoming  Celebracion 
on  October  5  and  6,  the  African 
Heritage  Festival  and  other  com- 
munity-wide events.  In  addition, 
we  conduct  community  outreach 
programs  such  as  The  Two  of 
Us,  which  focuses  on  early  child- 
hood education,  and  the  Field 
Ambassadors,  through  which 
we  reach  out  to  the  Chicago 
public  schools. 

And  then,  of  course,  there  is 
you,  the  member  and  visitor.  In 
recent  weeks,  because  of  the  large 
crowds  we  have  been  enjoying,  I 
have  spent  many  hours  out  on  the 
public  floors  of  the  Museum  greet- 
ing visitors,  answering  questions 
and  giving  directions.  I  am  thrilled 
by  the  tremendous  diversity  I 
have  been  seeing  first  hand.  This 
museum  draws  people  from  every 
part  of  our  vast  metropolitan  area, 
from  the  inner  city  to  the  farthest 
suburbs.  In  addition,  travelers  from 
across  the  Midwest,  throughout 
the  country  and  around  the  world 
visit  The  Field  Museum.  They 
represent  every  age,  income  and 
education  level. 

Just  as  it  did  in  that  summer  of 
1893,  the  world  continues  to  come 
to  Chicago.  In  The  Field  Museum's 
time-honored  tradition  of  diversity, 
and  our  never-ending  pursuit  of 
knowledge  about  the  earth  and  its 
peoples,  we  continue  to  bring  the 
world  to  our  audiences. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
President  &■  CEO 


Inside 


Marine  zoologist  Harold  Voris 
investigates  sea  level  changes  and 
its  impact  on  evolution. 


Audubon's  journal  is  on  display 
in  the  Museum's  library  and 
Journal  of  Voyage  describes 
Audubon's  long  and  tedious  trip 
to  England  and  his  acceptance 
into  British  society. 


10 


Carl  Akeley  was  the  Field 
Museums  Chief  Taxidermist 
from  1896  to  1909.  During  his 
time  at  the  Museum  he  not  only 
created  fabulous  dioramas  but 
also  created  a  motion  picture 
camera  that  changed  the  film 
industry. 

Your  Guide 
to  The  Field 

A  complete  schedule  of  events 
for  September/October. 


Presence  of  extremely  deep 
water  between  the  islands  is 
why  the  mammals  of  the  East 
Indian  Archipelago  differ  from 
the  Western  side.  See  page  2 
for  the  full  story. 


Kremlin  Gold:  1000  Years  of  Russian 
Gems  and  Jewels  brings  Russian 
history  and  culture  to  Chicago. 
See  Your  Guide  to  The  Field  for 
more  information. 


Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United 
States  explores  the  impact  of  Latino 
culture  in  our  country. 


INTHEFIELD 

September/October  2000,  Vol.71,  No. 5 

Editor: 

Lisa  Laske,  k/g  communications,  ltd. 

Design  Consultants: 
Hayward  Blal<e  &  Company 


In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum.  Copyright 
©2000  The  Field  Museum.  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  tor  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscription.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessarily  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field 
Museum.  Notification  of  address  change  should 
include  address  label  and  should  be  sent  to 
Membership  Department.  POSTMASTER:  Send 
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Chicago,  Illinois. 

This  issue's  cover  photograph:  Diamond 
Crown  of  Tsar  Ivan  Alexeivich,  Courtesy  of  State 
Museum,  Moscow  Kremlin,  ©  2000. 


The  Field 

Museum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing, 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Park  District. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  50605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
www.fieldmuseum.org 


Around  Campus 


Shedd  Aquarium 


In  conjunction  with  its  new  exhibit, 
Amazon  Rising:  Seasons  of  the  River, 
Shedd  Aquarium  presents  a  three-lecture 
series.  Treasures  and  Terrors:  Three  Tales 
of  Working  in  the  Amazon.  On  September 
27,  ethnobotanist  Mark  Plotkin  will  take 
guests  into  the  realm  of  Witchdoctors  and 
Biotechnology  to  examine  the  synergy  of 
natural  pharmaceuticals,  indigenous  knowl- 
edge and  high-tech  research  methods  to 
treat  "incurable"  diseases.  On  October  25, 
Michael  Goulding  of  the  Rainforest  Alliance 
talks  candidly  about  The  Conservation  Flow 
of  the  Amazon,  and  how  the  world's  richest 
river  valley  is  an  arena  for  ecological,  social 
and  economic  agendas.  On  November  29, 
National  Geographic  photographer  Joel 


Sartore  shares  his  harrowing  experiences 
amid  caimans,  wild  pigs  and  flesh-eating 
parasites  in  Madidi  National  Park,  Bolivia. 
Each  program  begins  at  6  p.m.  and  includes 
viewing  of  Amazon  Rising,  cocktails  and 
buffet,  the  presentation  and  a  reception. 
Tickets  are  $45  per  lecture,  or  $120  for  the 
series.  Call  312.692.3333  to  register 

Adler  Planetarium 

The  Adler  Planetarium  will  present  The 
Remarkable  Work  of  Copernicus,  Hevelius 
and  Other  Historic  Polish  Astronomers  from 
October  6,  2000  through  January  28,  2001. 
The  exhibition  is  an  awe-inspiring  display 
of  rare  antique  books  by  pioneering  Polish 
astronomers,  presented  by  the  Adler  in 


partnership  with  the  Polish  American 
Congress — Illinois  Division  and  the  Con- 
sulate General  of  the  Republic  of  Poland  in 
Chicago.  Also  on  October  27,  the  StarRider 
Theater  Show  Premier  is  Black  Holes:  Into 
the  Dark  Abyss.  In  this  Interactive  show  the 
audience  will  explore  the  force  of  gravity 
and  the  regions  surrounding  Black  Holes 
which  exhibit  strange  effects  that  help 
scientists  better  understand  the  nature 
of  extreme  gravity. 

The  Field  Museum 

See  the  Calendar  Section  for  a  list  of 
programs  and  exhibitions  offered  in 
September  and  October. 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     1 


Mapping  Evolution: 

The  Sea  Level  Change  Phenomenon 

Karen  Sandrick,  Volunteer,  Division  of  Amphibians  and  Reptiles 


Map  of  Southeast  Asia,  dated  1653,  from  the  Boone  Collection  in  The  Field  Museum 
Library's  Mary  W.  Runnells  Rare  Book  Room.  Commander  Gilbert  E.  Boone  and 
Katharine  Phelps  Boone  built  extensive  collections  of  Japanese  cultural  artifacts  while 
Commander  Boone  was  stationed  in  Japan  in  the  late  1950's  as  a  naval  intelligence 
officer.  The  Boones  gave  those  collections  to  The  Field  Museum,  in  addition  to  their 
impressive  library  which  demonstrated  a  broad  range  of  interests.  This  map  is  one 
of  a  group  of  65  sheets  from  a  17th  century  Dutch  atlas. 


2     IN  THE  FIELD 


When  Charles  Darwin  (1809-1882)  was  formulating 
the  theory  of  evolution,  he  struggled  to  make  sense 
of  obvious  conundrums  in  the  biological  world:  If 
organisms  evolve  from  common  ancestors  and  adapt  to 
their  surroundings,  how  can  distant  parts  of  the  world, 
such  as  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa,  harbor  the  same  ani- 
mal or  plant  families?  How  can  wildly  different  plants 
and  animals  exist  on  strings  of  the  same  island  chain? 
In  particular,  how  can  Southeast  Asia  and  Australia, 
which  have  the  same  rainfall  patterns,  temperature 
and  other  physical  conditions,  have  such  widely  diverse 
animal  and  plant  populations? 

It  wasn't  until  Darwin  began  drawing  maps  to  plot 
the  distribution  of  some  types  of  flora  and  fauna  that 
he  was  able  to  identify  critical  barriers  that  interfered 
with  the  movement  and  ultimate  evolution  of  species. 
In  fact,  Darwin's  maps,  in  combination  with  nautical 
charts  and  descriptions  of  the  locations  of  species, 
led  him  to  the  realization  that  the  presence  of 
extremely  deep  water  between  major  islands  was 
the  reason  mammals  on  the  eastern  end  of  the  East 
Indian  Archipelago  bore  little  resemblance  to  those 
on  the  western  side. 

Another  forefather  of  evolutionary  theory,  Alfred 
Russel  Wallace  (1823-1913),  also  turned  to  maps  to 
support  his  views.  Although  Wallace  is  not  as  well 
known  as  Darwin,  he  made  many  important  contribu- 
tions to  the  theory  of  evolution,  and  is  considered  to 
be  the  father  of  animal  geography. 

Wallace's  1855  paper  proposing  that  new  species 
evolve  from  pre-existing  ones  was  based  on  his  obser- 
vations of  birds  on  the  islands  of  Southeast  Asia. 
For  8  years  during  the  mid- 1800s,  Wallace  traveled 
throughout  Southeast  Asia,  observing  and  collecting 
wildlife  specimens  from  Singapore  to  New  Guinea.  He 
was  struck  in  particular  by  the  huge  difference  in  bird 
species  on  two  islands  only  20  miles  away  from  each 
other.  Birds  on  Bali  were  similar  to  those  on  islands 
to  the  west — Java  and  Sumatra  —  as  well  as  Malaysia. 
Birds  on  Lombok,  however,  were  more  closely  related 
to  species  on  New  Guinea  and  in  Australia  to  the  east. 

After  further  study  on  other  islands  in  the  region, 
Wallace  concluded  that  there  was  a  distinct  boundary 
that  separated  animals  and  plants  into  Asian  and  Aus- 
tralian geographic  regions.  On  a  map  of  the  Malaysian 
Archipelago,  Wallace  marked  this  boundary  between 
the  Philippines,  Borneo  and  Sumatra  on  the  west  and 
Sulawesi,  New  Guinea  and  Australia  on  the  east. 

According  to  historian  Jane  R.  Camerini,  author 
of  Evolution,  Biogeography,  and  Maps.  An  Early  History  of 
Wallace's  Line,  ever  since  Wallace  drew  what  has  come 
to  be  known  as  Wallace's  Line  (1863),  scientists  have 
been  using  maps  not  only  to  guide  travel  but  to  orga- 
nize and  communicate  information  about  animal  and 
plant  populations,  predict  the  range  of  biological  dis- 
tribution and  explore  evolutionary  theories. 

Present-day  maps  can  only  go  so  far  in  helping  to 
explain  the  genetic  relationships  among  species,  how- 
ever, because  they  depict  the  natural  physical  barriers 
between  geographic  regions  as  they  currently  exist. 


Pleistocene  sea  level  maps  may  provide  clues  to  understand- 
ing why  the  Taiwanese  macaque  differs  genetically  from 
macaques  on  the  Asian  mainland. 

Yet  the  barriers  that  influenced  the  origins  of  species 
in  Southeast  Asia  occurred  over  millions  of  years  as  a 
result  of  massive  shifts  in  tectonic  plates  that  caused 
mountains  and  valleys  to  emerge,  eruptions  of  lava 
from  volcanoes  on  the  ocean  floor  that  created  new 
land  masses,  and  fluctuations  in  sea  level  that  trans- 
formed shallow  seas  between  islands  into  continuous 
stretches  of  land  and  vice  versa.  Of  particular  interest 
are  events  of  the  past  2  million  years,  the  Pleistocene 
Epoch,  when  great  sheets  of  ice  advanced  and 
retreated  and  in  the  process  significantly  changed  sea 
levels.  So  scientists  interested  in  understanding  the 
pattern  of  evolution  of  specific  animals  or  plants  need 
maps  that  reliably  reconstruct  changes  in  land  and  sea 
configurations  during  this  time. 

Although  some  maps  in  the  scientific  literature 
depict  land  bridges  and  river  systems  during  the 
Pleistocene  age,  the  maps  typically  focus  on  only  one 
factor  —  the  extent  to  which  the  continental  shelf  in 
Southeast  Asia  was  exposed  when  the  sea  level  was 
100  meters  below  the  present  level.  The  maps  do  not 
reflect  shorelines  during  a  specific  portion  of  the 
Pleistocene  period.  Nor  do  they  estimate  the  effects 
of  different  sea  levels  (10  to  120  meters  below  present 
level),  the  length  of  time  a  particular  sea  level  persisted 
or  the  number  of  times  sea  levels  rose  and  fell.  These 
time  frames  are  particularly  important,  because  the 
longer  a  physical  barrier  existed  between  geographic 
areas,  the  more  likely  species  in  each  area  developed 
independently. 

The  gaps  in  knowledge  about  sea  level  and  its 
effects  on  land  bridges  in  Southeast  Asia  led  Harold 
Voris,  Field  Museum  Curator  of  Amphibians  and  Rep- 
tiles, on  a  series  of  data-mining  journeys  of  his  own. 

Voris  has  been  studying  a  group  of  Asian  snakes 
known  as  the  homalopsines  that  are  making  a  transi- 
tion from  the  terrestrial  to  an  aquatic  way  of  life.  One 
species  of  homalopsine,  Cerberus,  lives  in  coastal  areas 
from  India  to  Australia. 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     3 


Voris  began  examining  the  phenomenon  of  chang- 
ing sea  levels  to  gain  a  better  understanding  of  the 
origin  of  observed  genetic  differences  between  popu- 
lations of  Cerberus  in  various  locales.  His  theory  was 
that  if  sea  levels  drop,  there  would  be  greater  expanses 
of  land  between  bodies  of  water,  which  essentially 
would  form  a  barrier  for  the  dispersal  of  marine  and 
coastal  species,  like  Cerberwi.  "What's  important  for 
dispersal  of  Cerberus  is  continuous  habitat  along  shore- 
lines. So  if  a  drop  in  sea  level  produces  more  land 
between  Sumatra  and  the  Malay  Peninsula,  it  creates  a 
sea  barrier  between  snake  populations  in  the  Andaman 
Sea  and  the  South  China  Sea.  If  this  sea  barrier  stays 
in  place  for  an  extended  period  of  time,  you  can  get 
speciation.  The  Cerberus  populations  would  be  geneti- 
cally separated  long  enough  for  them  to  evolve  into 
different  species,"  he  explains. 

Yet  when  Voris  searched  for  maps  that  traced  the 
rise  and  fall  of  sea  level  over  the  past  250,000  years,  he 
could  find  only  scattered  examples  in  scientific  papers 
and  texts.  And  descriptions  about  the  characteristics 
in  sea  floor  topography  of  Southeast  Asia  often  were 
sketchy  or  dated;  some  sea  level  maps  had  been  created 
as  far  back  as  the  1700s. 

Once  he  learned  that  most  of  the  data  on  estimat- 
ing past  sea  levels  came  from  ocean  depth  contours, 
Voris  scanned  the  most  detailed  and  up-to-date 
resources  on  sea  floor  mapping,  including  U.S.  govern- 
ment, international  and  private  data  bases  that  have 
accumulated  more  than  7  million  soundings  of  ocean 
topography.  He  also  used  findings  from  side  scanning 
radar,  which  has  been  used  by  petroleum  companies  to 
detect  oil  reserves  in  the  Java  Sea,  as  well  as  maps  from 
the  Field  Museum  and  University  of  Chicago  libraries. 
Sonar  soundings  and  side  scanning  radar  measure  and 
plot  the  sea  floor  by  detecting  changes  in  sound  or 
energy  levels  that  bounce  off  sea  mounts  and  valleys. 


Harold  Voris,  Field  Museum  Curator  of  Amphibians  and 
Reptiles,  and  scientific  illustrator  Clara  Simpson  use  many 
sources  of  published  data  to  formulate  sea  level  maps  of 
Southeast  Asia  during  the  Pleistocene  age. 


With  current  information  on  ocean  depth  contours 
as  well  as  published  data  on  sea  level  changes  in  the 
past,  Voris  was  able  to  estimate  the  changes  in  sea  level 
that  occurred  during  the  major  ice  ages  of  the 
Pleistocene  age  (2  million  years  ago).  With  this  infor- 
mation, Voris  could  reconstruct  the  coastlines  of 
mainland  Asia  and  the  islands  of  Southeast  Asia  dur- 
ing three  time  periods  — 17,000,  150,000,  and  250,000 
years  ago.  The  information  from  side  scanning  radar 
helped  him  plot  the  rivers  that  may  have  served  as 
corridors  for  freshwater  species  in  the  past. 

But  Voris  was  interested  not  only  in  the  land  and 
sea  barriers  that  appear  when  sea  levels  fall  and  rivers 
emerge;  he  also  wanted  to  consider  their  longevity. 
"If  sea  level  was  at  or  below  75  meters  half  the  time, 
a  land  bridge  would  become  very  well  established,  and 
species  would  have  plenty  of  time  to  disperse  across 
it.  But  if  sea  levels  went  up  and  down  every  few  100 
years,  a  land  bridge  wouldn't  have  existed  long  enough 
for  vegetation  to  produce  a  suitable  habitat  for  species 
to  disperse  across.  So  both  the  extent  and  the  duration 
of  sea  level  change  determine  the  effectiveness  of  a 
land  or  sea  bridge  as  a  corridor  for  the  dispersal  of 
species,"  he  says. 

While  mapping  has  been  an  important  tool  for 
hundreds  of  years,  Voris  is  the  first  to  produce  a  series 
of  maps  that  illustrate  some  of  the  processes  and 
dynamics  of  sea  level  change  during  the  Pleistocene 
age.  Voris'  work  brought  data  together  from  many 
sources  to  calculate  the  percentage  of  time  sea  levels 
met  or  fell  below  certain  points.  He  reviewed  informa- 
tion from  coral  reef  terraces  in  New  Guinea  that 
provided  an  indication  of  the  effect  of  tectonic  move- 
ment of  land  on  shorelines.  The  science  is  complicated 
but  in  essence  reflects  how  the  formation  of  moun- 
tains can  push  coral  reefs  inland  from  beneath  the  sea. 

Voris  also  estimated  the  number  of  times  sea  levels 
fluctuated  from  oxygen  isotope  ratios,  which  is  analo- 
gous to  carbon  dating  and  tells  when  a  phenomenon, 
like  sea  level  change,  occurred  in  prehistoric  times.  He 
turned  over  all  this  data  to  Field  Museum  Scientific 
Illustrator  Clara  Simpson,  who  applied  computer 
graphics  and  interpretative  skills  to  produce  maps  that 
reconstructed  the  coastlines  of  islands  and  continents 
in  Southeast  Asia  during  the  Pleistocene  period. 

Each  of  the  maps  provides  interesting  insights  in 
biogeography.  When  sea  level  was  75  meters  or  lower 
than  today  (approximately  32%  of  the  time  17,000 
years  ago),  most  of  the  continental  shelves  were 
exposed,  forming  lowland  connections  between 
Sumatra,  Java  and  Borneo  and  adding  3.2  million 
square  kilometers  of  land  in  Indo-China.  The  islands 
of  Hainan  and  Taiwan  were  joined  to  mainland  China, 
and  Sri  Lanka  was  linked  with  India.  It's  also  likely 
that  one  or  more  freshwater  lakes  or  swamps  existed 
at  various  times  in  depressions  where  the  Gulf  of  Siam 
is  now  located,  and  a  peat  swamp  covered  the  eastern 
coast  of  the  Malay  Peninsula  (see  map,  p.  5). 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


The  map  of  coastlines  at  a  sea  level  of  50  meters 
or  lower,  which  occurred  at  least  30%  of  the  time 
between  17,000  and  250,000  years  ago,  shows  extensive 
land  bridges  between  the  Malay  Peninsula,  Sumatra, 
Java  and  Borneo.  But  Taiwan  is  separate  from  main- 
land China,  and  the  Gulf  of  Thailand,  the  Java  Sea 
and  the  Gulf  of  Carpenteria  in  Australia  are  significant 
bodies  of  water.  And  river  corridors  for  freshwater 
species  are  missing  between  Sumatra  and  Borneo. 

Voris  is  using  the  Field  Museum's  computer-based 
maps  in  combination  with  other  lines  of  investigation 
to  understand  the  dispersal  of  Cerberus.  "We  think  that 
when  sea  levels  fell  below  50  meters,  sea  barriers  iso- 
lated populations  of  Cerberus  into  separate  basins  and 
displaced  some  populations  over  large  distances.  Our 
analysis  of  the  genetic  makeup  of  Cerberus  populations 
supports  this  hypothesis,"  he  says. 

Voris  also  hopes  that  these  Pleistocene  age  sea 
level  maps  may  be  used  as  templates  for  scientists  who 
are  investigating  the  plants  and  animals  of  Southeast 
Asia.  "Whether  they're  working  on  beetles,  butterflies, 
shrimp  or  coral  —  all  the  botany  and  zoology  in  this 
part  of  the  world  affected  by  the  sea  level  change 
phenomenon,"  he  points  out. 

That  is  why  he  presented  the  maps,  as  well  as 
details  on  how  they  were  constructed,  at  the 
Biogeography  of  Southeast  Asia  2000  meeting  in 
Leiden,  The  Netherlands,  in  June,  in  a  paper  that 
will  be  published  in  the  Journal  of  Biogeography  later 
this  year,  and  on  a  Web  site,  which  went  live  in 
August:  http://www.fmnh.org/research_collections/ 
20ology/zoo_sites/seamaps/. 

Voris  got  help  and  encouragement  on  his  map  work 
from  Jack  Fooden,  Field  Museum  adjunct  curator  of 
mammals,  who  has  been  plotting  the  distribution  of 
all  species  of  a  genus  of  Asian  macaque  for  the  past  30 
years.  The  genus,  which  includes  19  species,  extends 
from  Sumatra  to  Borneo  and  Java  all  the  way  to 
Sulawesi,  the  Philippines,  Hainan,  Taiwan  and  Japan. 

"One  species  with  about  10  subspecies  inhabits 
many  of  these  islands.  Another  species  inhabits 
Hainan  Island  and  adjacent  mainland  China,  and  the 
island  form  is  identical  to  the  mainland  form.  Each 
of  two  other  species  are  entirely  restricted  to  Taiwan 
and  Japan,"  Fooden  says. 

"The  puzzle  is,  why  is  that  so?  Presumably  the 
answer  has  to  do  with  when  and  how  those  monkeys 
got  to  those  islands.  And  that  is  related  to  sea  level 
change  —  how  deep  or  how  shallow  the  straits  were 
between  the  islands  and  between  the  islands  and  the 
mainland,"  Fooden  adds. 

The  strait  between  Taiwan  and  mainland  China 
generally  is  deeper  than  100  meters,  and  there  is  a 
ridge  that  forms  an  underwater  bridge  that  is  no  more 
than  60  meters  below  the  surface.  During  the  time  of 
the  last  glacier,  when  sea  level  was  120  meters  lower 
than  it  is  today  and  Taiwan  was  connected  to  China, 
the  monkeys  easily  could  have  migrated  across  the 
land  bridge  without  getting  wet. 


Map  of  sea  level  75  meters  below  present  level  shows  that  the 
islands  of  Sumatra,  Java  and  Borneo  were  connected  and  one 
or  more  freshwater  lakes  or  swamps  existed  in  what  is  now 
the  Gulf  of  Siam. 

The  strait  between  mainland  China  and  Hainan 
is  much  narrower  and  shallower.  It  makes  sense,  there- 
fore, that  the  same  form  of  macaque  lives  on  both 
Thailand  and  Hainan.  But  the  monkeys  on  Taiwan 
are  genetically  different  from  those  in  China.  "The 
monkeys  presumably  did  not  get  to  Taiwan  at  the 
same  time  that  monkeys  got  to  Hainan.  That's  a  diffi- 
cult problem  to  solve,  but  it  would  seem  that  the 
dispersal  of  monkeys  from  the  mainland  to  Taiwan 
did  not  occur  at  the  time  of  the  last  glacial  period  but 
during  a  prior  glaciation,"  Fooden  explains. 

Fooden  believes  the  Pleistocene  sea  level  map 
templates  are  valuable  because  they  coalesce  data 
from  a  variety  of  sources.  "There  hasn't  been  such  a 
comprehensive  set  of  maps  up  to  now.  The  maps  also 
incorporate  some  of  the  vast  new  quantities  of  infor- 
mation that  were  not  available  before,  such  as  data 
from  radar  techniques  for  sensing  the  sea  floor,"  he  says. 

The  maps  also  provide  historical  context.  "We  know 
about  the  distribution  of  land  and  water  in  Southeast 
Asia  today,  and  we  know  how  land  and  water  affects 
the  distribution  of  plants  and  animals.  Presumably, 
those  same  kinds  of  factors  affected  their  distribution 
in  the  past.  The  maps  are  one  way  we  can  begin  to 
visualize  that  historical  information,"  says  Fooden. 

Wallace  believed  that  the  similarity  of  fauna  on 
different  islands  in  Southeast  Asia  was  due  to  dispersal 
across  shallow  seas  by  swimming  or  rafting.  He  wasn't 
aware  that  sea  levels  had  changed  dramatically  thou- 
sands of  years  ago  and  therefore  that  animals  in  the 
Pleistocene  Epoch  could  disperse  by  walking  across 
areas  of  exposed  land.  "The  maps  of  sea  level  change 
represent  a  refinement  of  our  understanding  and  doc- 
umentation of  the  importance  of  sea  level  change  in 
influencing  the  distribution  of  plants  and  animals 
over  Sumatra,  Java,  Borneo  and  mainland  Indo-China," 
said  Voris.  In  fact,  Voris'  work  may  help  many  students 
of  biogeography  in  their  search  for  understanding 
today's  distributions  of  plants  and  animals  in 
Southeast  Asia.  ITF 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     5 


Field  Updates 


"'i.^O 


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/^*>C^-«rfSfc), 


The  final  entry  (Dec.  31)  from  Audubon's  1826  journal. 

Journal  of  a  Voyage 

Be«  WiHiams 

FieU  Mwiettm  Librarian 

"I  Left  My  Beloved  Wife  Lucy  Audubon 
and  My  Son  John  Woodhouse  on  Tuesday  afternoon 
the  26th  April,  bound  to  England." 

So  begins  John  James  Audubon's  handwritten  journal 
of  his  pivotal  trip  to  England  in  1826  to  seek  publica- 
tion of  his  paintings  of  Americas  birds.  The  gift  of 
Charles  W.  Palmer  and  family,  this  remarkable  manu- 
script now  resides  in  the  Library's  Mary  W.  Runnells 
Rare  Book  Room.  There  it  joins  the  splendid  Runnells 
copy  of  Audubon's  The  Birds  of  America  (London,  1827- 
1838),  one  of  the  finest  surviving  sets  of  the  double 
elephant  folio. 

Addressed  to  his  wife  Lucy,  the  journal  describes 
Audubon's  long,  tedious  voyage,  his  introduction  to 
influential  families  and  individuals  in  England,  and  the 
whirlwind  of  his  acceptance  into  British  society  and 
the  scientific  establishment.  Within  weeks  of  his 
arrival  in  Liverpool,  Audubon's  new  friends  and  sup- 
porters arranged  an  exhibition  of  his  paintings  at  the 
Royal  Institution  there,  with  similar  shows  to  follow 
in  Manchester  and  Edinburgh.  Throughout  his  ever- 
growing series  of  introductions,  Audubon  was  moved 


by  the  warmth  and  generosity  of  his  new  friends  and 
acquaintances,  and  was  especially  struck  by  an  ease  of 
manner  where  he  had  least  expected  it.  On  meeting 
Lord  Stanley,  Earl  of  Derby,  he  was  astonished  to  see 
this  patron  of  naturalists  and  artists  drop  to  his  knees 
to  closely  examine  and  discuss  Audubon's  paintings.  By 
the  end  of  October  his  chain  of  introductions  led  him 
to  William  Home  Lizars,  Edinburgh  publisher  and 
engraver,  who  by  mid-November  produced  the  first 
prints  of  Tloe  Birds  of  America,  laying  the  foundation  for 
the  nearly  mythic  status  Audubon  and  his  book  were 
to  achieve  even  during  his  lifetime. 

It  is  Audubon  himself,  "quite  dazzled  with  uncer- 
tainties of  hope  and  fear,"  that  the  journal  gives  us. 
The  date  he  chose  for  departure  on  his  momentous 
voyage- April  26 -was  his  birthday,  and  the  journal 
repeatedly  shows  us  Audubon  on  a  threshold,  gripped 
by  a  sense  that  success  in  his  mission  will  mean  his 
own  birth  into  a  new  life,  and  that  he  will  return  to  his 
beloved  America  a  changed  man.  After  nearly  six 
weeks  of  slow  progress  through  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
following  their  departure  from  New  Orleans, 
Audubon  reports  on  June  23: 

We  at  last  Entered  the  Atlantic  Ocean  this  Morning  23d 
with  a  propitious  Breese  —  The  Land  Birds  have  left  us  and, 
I  —  I  leave  my  Beloved  America,  my  Wife  Children  and 
acquaintances  —  The  purpose  of  this  Voyage  is  to  visit  not 
only  England  hut  all  Europe  with  the  intention  of  Publishing 
My  Work  of  the  Birds  of  America;  if  not  sadly  disapointed. 
My  return  to  these  happy  shores  will  be  the  brightest  Birth 
day  I  shall  have  ever  enjoyed:  Oh  America,  Wife,  Children 
and  acquaintances  Farewell! 

Audubon  never  doubted  his  hard  won  accomplish- 
ments as  an  ornithological  painter  or  the  significance 
of  his  vast  fund  of  observational  knowledge  of  birds  in 
the  wild.  He  was  fearful,  however,  about  the  response 
his  work  would  receive  from  the  circle  of  the  more 
academic  ornithologists  and  systematists.  The  term 
"academician,"  in  fact,  had  acquired  a  sour  taste  to 
Audubon  after  his  conflict  with  George  Ord  in 
Philadelphia.  Ord  was  collaborator  with  Alexander 
Wilson  on  the  latter's  American  Ornithology, 
(Philadelphia,  1808-1814),  authored  the  final  volume 
of  the  work  after  Wilson's  death  in  1813  and  produced 
further  editions  in  the  following  years.  When 
Audubon  had  sought  publication  of  his  paintings  in 
Philadelphia,  Ord  became  his  relentless  antagonist, 
belittling  Audubon's  learning  and  enlisting  colleagues 
in  a  campaign  against  Audubon.  Ord  and  Wilson's 
engraver,  Alexander  Lawson,  called  Audubon  an 
"imposter"  and  widely  denigrated  his  skills.  Ord  con- 
tinued his  opposition  to  Audubon  in  England,  even 
trying  to  prevent  his  election  to  membership  in 
learned  societies. 

By  contrast,  the  naturalists  Audubon  met  in 
England  appreciated  the  depth  of  his  knowledge  of 
living  birds  and  valued  the  skill  evident  in  his  dynamic 
paintings.  On  December  13  Audubon  met  and  spent 
the  day  with  the  ornithologist  Prideaux  John  Selby, 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


whose  Illustrations  of  British  Ornithology,  then  being 
issued  with  life-size  portraits  of  birds  engraved  by 
Lizars,  would  later  earn  him  the  title  of  "the  English 
Audubon."  Selby  and  his  equally  well-known  collabo- 
rator Sir  William  Jardine  were  so  impressed  with 
Audubon's  knowledge  and  talent  that  they  requested 
lessons  in  his  techniques  of  painting,  which  he  duly 
provided.  In  the  journal  Audubon  reports  to  Lucy  on 
that  first  meeting  with  Selby,  reassuring  her  he  is  not 
at  all  like  Ord: 

Mr  Selby  is  a  Gentleman  Naturalist  —  not  in  the  least 
resembling  the  Venomous  Tallow  Chandler  of  Philadelphia, 
the  possessor  of  3  Greek  words,  7  of  Latin,  none  belonging  to 
what  ought  to  be  his  usual  Language,  and  the  Describer  of 
Objects  unknown  yet  to  the  Almighty.  Mr  Selby  is  not  a  man 
that  would  say  at  a  large  meeting  of  the  Wernerian  Society 
that  he  would  be  damned  rather  than  to  give  me  a  favorable 
vote  of  Election  —  he  is  not  a  man  who  would  say  that  I 
knew  nothing  about  Drawing,  nor  the  habits  of  Birds,  no  my 
Lucy  Mr  Selby  is  not  an  Hipocritical  Fool  I  assure  thee  — 

A  published  version  of  the  journal  by  Audubon 
scholar  Alice  Ford  (1967;  2nd  ed.  1987)  now  proves, 
by  comparison  with  the  original,  to  be  more  of  a 
rewriting  of  Audubon's  text  than  a  faithful  transcrip- 
tion. With  the  stated  intention  of  making  the  journal 
more  accessible  to  the  modern  reader,  Ford  justifies 
regularizing  Audubon's  spelling  and  punctuation,  cor- 
recting his  grammar,  rearranging  his  word-order  and 
rephrasing  passages  that  seemed  unclear  to  her.  The 
result  is  a  transformation  of  Audubon's  vigorous  style 
into  proper  school  prose,  stripping  away  much  of  its 
verbal  richness  and  meaningful  idiosyncracy.  The  effect 
is  felt  from  the  very  first  sentence.  Compare  the  literal 
transcription  on  page  6  with  Ford's  version,  given  here 
with  her  changes  italicized:"!  left  my  beloved  wife 
Lucy  Audubon  and  my  son  John  Woodhouse  on 
Tuesday  [afternoon  is  deleted]  the  26th  of  April,  bound 
for  England."  Such  alterations  seem  entirely  gratuitous 
and  beg  the  question  of  exactly  what  Ford  means  by 
the  statement  in  her  foreword  that  her  transcription  is 
"scrupulously  faithful  to  the  original  manuscript."  At 
its  worst  Ford's  rewriting  changes  the  literal  sense  of 
Audubon's  statements,  sometimes  into  the  opposite  of 
his  meaning.  As  his  ship  nears  England,  for  example, 
Audubon  spins  a  political  metaphor  from  a  persistent 
cold,  damp  fog  that  obscures  the  sun  over  the  Old 
World  just  as  the  culture  of  Europe  dims  "that  real 
hope  of  Freedom  now  only  better  felt  in  the  Western 


Hemisphere  ...  The  Englishmen  on  Board  pro- 
nounced it.  Clear  weather  of  England,  but  I  named  it  the 
Blasting  atmosphere  of  Comfort."  Ford  makes  the  final 
phrase  "the  atmosphere  that  blasts  comfort,"  contra- 
dicting Audubon's  clear  meaning  and  transforming  the 
boundlessly  energetic  Kentucky  Woodsman  into 
a  lover  of  comfort.  An  accurate  transcription  of  the 
journal  is  now  in  progress,  intended  to  serve  as  a  face- 
to-face  guide  to  each  page  of  the  original  in  a  facsimile 
publication  of  the  manuscript. 

Audubon's  journal  also  served  as  his  sketchbook, 
especially  during  the  tedious  weeks  aboard  the  ship. 
Fourteen  full-page  pencil  sketches  include  a  dolphin, 
a  shark  and  other  fishes,  a  dusky  petrel,  several 
sketches  of  the  ship's  crew  and  captain,  and  three 
delicate  landscape  scenes  done  in  the  Derbyshire  coun- 
tryside. Four  sketches  of  the  crew  appear  on  the  final 
pages  of  the  journal,  and  are  "upside  down"  since 
Audubon  turned  the  volume  over  and  opened  it  from 
the  back  for  these  sketches  that  amused  both  him 
and  the  crew. 

Through  a  remarkable  circumstance,  a 
leaf  removed  from  the  journal  —  possibly 
by  Audubon  himself —  was  rediscovered 
in  private  hands  and  acquired  by  the 
journal's  appraiser  following  the  Palmers' 
gift  of  the  volume.  On  its  reverse  the  leaf 
bears  a  fifth  "upside  down"  sketch  of  the 
ship's  crew,  and  on  front  Audubon's  final 
entry  in  the  journal,  dated  "Edinburgh 
31st  December  1826,  Sunday  Night  12 
o'clock."  Ford  had  seen  this  leaf  and 
includes  it  in  her  book,  but  refers  to  it  as 
"addressed  to  Lucy."  Although  perhaps 
serving  as  a  cover  letter  to  Lucy  when  he  sent  her  the 
journal,  the  entry  is  addressed  to  the  book  itself,  his 
constant  companion  during  the  most  momentous 
events  of  his  life:  "and  now  My  Dear  book,  must  I  part 
with  thee?"  Audubon  consigns  his  fate,  however  "happy 
or  miserable,"  to  his  "Supreme  comander,"  and  con- 
cludes: "go  let  my  Wife  read  this,  let  my  Children  read 
it  —  let  the  world  know  these  my  heartfelt  sentiments, 
and  believe  me  my  Dear  Book,  for  ever  thy  most 
obliged,  yes  truly  obliged  Friend.  John  J.  Audubon. 
Citizen  of  the  United  States  of  North  America." 

The  Friends  of  The  Field  Museum  Library  have 
committed  to  the  acquisition  of  this  leaf  returning  it 
to  its  point  of  origin,  and  completing  Audubon's  record 
of  the  birth  of  his  great  masterwork.  ITF 


^^rr^- 


'^^^^^  ^/u^. ^Ld  ^^^  J^ ^ ^.^ ^;^:..^  y^^ 


L 


Above:  Pencil 
sketch  of  a 
sailor  on  back 
of  last  leaf. 

Left:  Closing 
entry  of  Audubon's 
1826  journal. 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     7 


Field  Updates 


Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United  States 
La  Vida  Latina  en  los  Estados  Unidos 


Actor,  producer,  activist  Edward  James  Olmos  had  a 
dream  to  capture  Latino  life  in  the  United  States  and 
to  expose  the  world  to  its  beauty  and  culture.  His  idea 
became  a  book  of  photographs  and  essays  titled, 
Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United  States,  (Little,  Brown 
and  Company,  1999.)  that  reveals  a  people  who  are 
"diverse  in  culture,  color  ideas,  and  dreams,  but  who 
share  a  common  desire  to  make  a  better  life  for  them- 
selves, their  families,  and  their  communities."  After 
publication,  the  book  became  a  traveUng  photographic 
exhibition  produced  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
Traveling  Exhibition  Service.  The  Field  Museum,  in 
collaboration  with  the  Mexican  Fine  Arts  Center 
Museum,  is  pleased  to  bring  this  extraordinary,  bilin- 
gual exhibit  to  its  members  from  August  19  to 
November  12. 

The  120  images  organized  into  six  sections  repre- 
senting different  aspects  of  Latino  life  are  accompanied 
by  panels  of  text  by  prominent  Latinos,  including  nov- 


Ahove:  Ramona  Sandoval,  80,  spends 
a  light  moment  with  her  granddaugh- 
ter Jasmine  Zuhia,  in  Los  Angeles, 
California. 

Right:  Carlos  Santana,  1998  tour. 
Concord  California. 


elist  Carlos  Fuentes,  singer  Celia  Cruz,  novelist  Julia 
Alvarez  and  baseball  player  Sandy  Alomar.  The  Field 
Museum  features  the  sections  depicting  Family,  Work, 
Sports  and  Culture  and  the  Arts,  while  the  Mexican 
Fine  Arts  Center  Museum  showcases  photos  of 
Community  and  Spiritual  Life.  Two  of  the  30  photog- 
raphers who  contributed  to  the  exhibition  work  in 
Chicago:  Antonio  Perez,  photographer  from  the 
Spanish  language  newspaper  Exito,  and  Jose  Osorio, 
photographer  from  the  Chicago  Tribune. 

In  the  introductory  panel,  Fuentes  writes,  "Recog- 
nize yourself  in  he  and  she  who  are  not  like  you  and 
me."  Some  of  the  panels  reflect  the  struggles  of 
immigrants  in  the  United  States  as  with  California 
Congressman,  Xavier  Becerra,  who  writes  of  his  par- 
ents Maria  Teresa  and  Manuel  who  came  to  California 
and  "helped  build  our  nation  from  the  ground  up, 
laying  pipe  and  setting  concrete."  He  concludes  his 
essay  with,  "Whether  in  the  House  or  in  the  home, 

I  am  realizing  my  dreams  because  of  the  sacrifice  and 
devotion  of  Maria  Teresa  and  Manuel."  Intimate 
glimpses  into  the  souls  of  the  Latino  people  make  this 
exhibition  a  powerful  and  enriching  experience. 

Since  art  has  the  power  to  transcend  all  mediums, 
Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United  States  is  now  an 
HBO  documentary  conceived  and  co-produced  by 
Olmos  and  directed  by  Andy  Young  and  Susan  Todd 
celebrating  the  unique  heritage  of  Latino-Americans. 
In  addition,  Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United  States  — 
A  Musical  Celebration  was  produced  featuring  a 
wonderful  collection  of  Latino-American  musical 
artists,  including  Ruben  Blades,  Los  Lobos,  Santana, 
Celia  Cruz,  Eddie  Palmieri  and  many  more.  The  music 
can  be  heard  in  the  exhibition.  The  documentary  can 
be  viewed  during  the  Museum's  Celebracion  2000: 
Americanos  (see  the  Get  Smart  section). 

Olmos  summed  up  his  experience  in  creating 
Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United  States:  "There  have 
been  few  experiences  in  my  life  that  have  been  as 
rewarding  to  me  as  the  making  of  Americanos.  As  it 
evolved,  it  became  a  source  of  inner  peace,  and  short  of 
the  birth  of  my  children,  nothing  has  inspired  me  more." 
The  Field  Museum  will  provide  trolley  service  to  the 
Mexican  Fine  Arts  Center  Museum  every  Saturday  that 
the  exhibition  is  open  in  October  and  November  from 

II  a.m.  to  5  p.m.  ITF 

The  Chicago  presentation  is  sponsored  by  Target  Stores  and 
Marshall  Field's  Project  Imagine.  Americanos,  a  project  of 
Olmos  Productions,  has  been  organized  by  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  Traveling  Exhibition  Service  and  the  Smithsonian 
Center  for  Latino  Initiatives.  The  exhibition  has  been  made 
possible  through  the  generous  support  of  Time  Warner  Inc. 
and  US  West.  Additional  support  has  been  provided  by 
Farmers  Insurance.  Media  support  provided  by  Exito. 


8      IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Kremlin  Gold:  1000  Years  of  Russian  Gems 
Members'  Viewing  Days 


October  17,  3-  10  p.m. 
October  19,  9-4  p.m. 
October  29,  5-10  p.m. 

Drawn  from  the  vast  array  of  treasures  in  Moscow's 
Kremlin  Museums,  Kremlin  Gold  will  present  120  mas- 
terpieces of  gems  and  jewelry  spanning  one  thousand 
years  of  Russian  history.  Illustrating  major  chapters 
from  Russia's  storied  past,  the  objects  in  the  exhibition 
include  many  never  before  seen  in  the  United  States. 
Thousand-year-old  icons  excavated  on  the  Kremlin 
grounds,  diamond-and-sapphire-encrusted  crowns  of 
the  tsars  and  two  Imperial  Faberge  eggs,  among  other 
treasures,  testify  to  both  the  splendor  of  Russian  cul- 
ture and  the  richness  of  its  natural  mineral  resources. 
Members  will  be  among  the  first  to  see  the  exhibi- 
tion during  special  viewing  hours  on  October  17, 
19,  and  29,  2000.  Look  for  your  invitation  in  the  mail. 
Reservations  are  required  and  must  be  ordered  by  mail. 

Free  Member  Passes  to  Special  Exhibitions 

Members  are  eligible  to  receive  up  to  four  free  member 
passes  to  see  both  Kremlin  Gold:  100  Years  of  Russian 
Gems  and  Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth.  Member  passes 
are  available  to  you  in  addition  to  any  tickets  you  may 
receive  to  attend  the  members'  previews. 

The  passes  may  be  used  to  see  the  exhibition  a  sec- 
ond time  or  pass  them  on  to  friends.  Family  members 
can  receive  up  to  four  passes  and  Senior,  Student, 
Individual  and  National  Affiliate  members  up  to 
two  passes,  by  calling  Ticketmaster  at  312.902.1500. 
(A  service  charge  and  transaction  fee  will  be  assessed.) 
Members  may  be  able  to  obtain  passes  for  same  day 
viewing  if  available  at  the  Museum.  No  service  charge 


Kolt  Medallion,  Ryazan  Old  Russia, 
12th  century. 


Chewhacca,  Star  Wars:  The  Magic 
of  Myth,  Star  Wars™  and  ©1997 
by  Lucasfilm  Ltd. 


will  be  incurred.  For  more  information,  call  the  mem- 
bership office  at  312.665.7700.  ITF 

Kremlin  Gold:  1000  Years  of  Russian  Gems  and  Jewels 

collection  loaned  by  The  State  Museums  of  the  Moscow 
Kremlin.  Kremlin  Gold  was  organized  for  its  U.S.  tour  by 
The  Field  Museum  in  partnership  with  The  Houston 
Museum  of  Natural  Science. 

Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth  was  developed  by  the 
Smithsonian's  National  Air  and  Space  Museum.  The  exhibi- 
tion was  organized  for  travel  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
Traveling  Exhibition  Service.  All  of  the  artifacts  in  this 
exhibition  are  on  loan  from  the  archives  of  LucasFilm  Ltd. 


Field  Museum  Membership  Tops  40,000 


What  an  exciting  time  it  is  to  be  a  member  of  the 
Field  Museum!  We  currently  have  more  than  40,000 
active  members  on  our  roster.  At  last  count,  the 
Museum  has  more  than  34,000  members  in  Chicago 
and  almost  7,000  in  the  United  States  and  worldwide. 

As  members,  you  share  in  the  pride  when  your 
Museum  is  featured  on  the  nightly  news  with  Peter 
Jennings  and  is  featured  in  newspapers  all  over  the 
world.  Bringing  natural  history  to  the  people  has 
always  been  the  Field  Museum's  mission.  The 
Museum  looks  forward  to  continue  sharing  our  latest 
discoveries  and  exhibitions  with  our  members.  The 
more  we  understand  where  we  have  been,  the  better 
we  can  chart  our  course  for  the  future.  ITF 


Sue  continues  to  bring  in  the  crowds  at  the  Museum. 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     9 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

3  Calendar  of  Events 

5  Get  Smart 

7  Free  Visitor  Programs 


^^wTTiiniii'' 


The  tradition  oj  the  famous  Faberge  eggs 
began  with  Tsar  Alexander  III,  who  first 
commissioned  them  as  Easter  presents  for  his 
wife.  The  custom  was  continued  by  his  son, 
Nicholas  11,  the  last  tsar.  Each  egg  contained 
a  surprise,  usually  commemorating  an  event 
in  the  imperial  family's  life;  this  exquisite 
model  of  the  imperial  yacht  Standart  was 
among  the  most  beautiful.  Inside  a  hollow 
egg  carved  of  transparent  quartz,  riding  on 
waves  of  aquamarine,  is  an  exact  replica  of 
the  yacht — complete  with  platinum  lifeboats, 
moveable  cannons  and  anchors  on  delicate 
gold  chains. 


Collection  loaned  by  The  State  Museums  of 
the  Moscow  Kremlin.  Kremlin  Gold  was  orga- 
nized for  its  U.S.  tour  by  The  Field  Museum 
in  partnership  with  The  Houston  Museum  of 
Natural  Science. 


Kremlin  Gold: 

1000  Years  of  Russian  Gems  and  Jewels 


This  dipper  illustrates  the  great  changes  that 
affected  the  life  of  Russia's  nobility  in  the  mid- 
eighteenth  century,  when  the  introduction  of 
European  arts  such  as  fine  tableware  rendered 


The  Field  Museum  exhibition  Kremlin  Gold: 
1000  Years  of  Russian  Gems  and  Jewels 
brings  the  richly  woven  tapestry  of  Russian 
history  and  culture  to  Chicago  from  October 
21,  2000  to  March  30,  2001.  More  than  100 
masterpieces  of  gems,  jewels  and  precious 
metal  objects,  including  many  never  before 
publicly  displayed,  will  be  exhibited. 

The  objects,  both  secular  and  sacred, 
represent  major  chapters  in  Russia's  storied 
past,  from  the  introduction  of  Byzantine 
Christianity  in  988,  through  the  turbulence 
of  the  Mongol  invasions  of  the  13th  cen- 
tury, to  the  rise  of  towering  figures  such 
as  Ivan  the  Terrible,  Boris  Godunov,  Peter 
the  Great,  Catherine  the  Great  and  Nicholas 
and  Alexandra. 

The  treasures  on  display  testify  to  the  splen- 
dor of  Russian  culture  and  the  wealth  of  the 
region's  mineral  resources.  Breathtaking  in 
their  scope  as  well  as  their  beauty,  they 
include  thousand-year-old  icons  excavated 
in  the  Kremlin  grounds,  diamond-and-sap- 
phire-encrusted  crowns  belonging  to  the 
tsars,  12th  and  13th  century  articles  from 
the  buried  Ryazan  treasure  hoard,  a  gold- 
and  jewel-encrusted  Gospel  from  the  15th 


traditional  Russian  vessels  obsolete.  This  ves- 
sel is  an  example  of  the  transformation  of  a 

traditional  utilitarian  object  into  a  symbolic 
and  decorative  presentation  piece. 


century,  a  17th  century  miter  of  gold  thread 
and  pearls  and  two  imperial  Faberge  eggs. 
Together,  these  glittering  works  provide 
unique  insight  into  the  history  and  charac- 
ter of  the  Russian  people  over  the  past 
millennium. 

Beyond  the  inherent  beauty  of  the  objects 
themselves,  however,  Kremlin  Gold  repre- 
sents something  more.  Partnering  with  The 
Houston  Museum  of  Natural  Science,  The 
Field  Museum  joined  the  directors  and  cura- 
tors of  the  Moscow  Kremlin  Museums  to 
organize  this  ambitious  exhibition  for  its 
exclusive  presentation  in  Houston  and 
Chicago.  Teaming  up  on  research  visits  to 
Moscow,  exchanging  curatorial  expertise 
and  project  management  skills,  sharing 
design  inspirations  and  jointly  publishing 
the  catalogue  to  the  exhibition,  the  two 
museums  have  taken  the  first  steps  toward 
a  model  for  museum  exhibitions  in  the  21st 
century.  Presenting  the  world's  scientific  and 
cultural  riches  and  bringing  down  the  barri- 
ers that  have  so  often  separated  peoples  in 
the  past,  collaborations  like  Kremlin  Gold 
actively  further  The  Field  Museum's  mission 
of  exploring  the  world  and  its  people. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS        1 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Exhibits 


The  Endurance:  Shackleton's 
Legendary  Antarctic  Expedition 


October  7,  2000  through  January  14,  2001 


This  exhibition  brings  to  life  the  epic  story 
of  Sir  Ernest  Shackleton's  1914  Endurance 
expedition,  one  of  the  greatest  tales  of 
survival  in  expedition  history.  More  than 
150  photographs  of  the  expedition,  taken 
by  ship  photographer  Frank  Hurley,  are  dis- 
played chronologically  alongside  memoirs 
and  rare  film  footage.  These  extraordinary 
photographs  were  printed  from  Hurley's 
glass  plate  negatives;  They  capture  the 
courageous  expedition  crew  and  the 
extreme  hardships  they  faced. 

This  exhibition  was  developed  by  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  with 
generous  underwriting  support  from  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  F.  Cullman,  3rd.  Images  by 
Frank  Hurley  are  from  the  collections  of  The 
Royal  Geographical  Society  (with  The 
Institute  of  British  Geographers),  The  Scott 
Polar  Research  Center  and  State  Library  of 
New  South  Wales. 


Right:  The  return  of  the  sun.  1915  Hurley. 
Royal  Geographical  Society. 

Below:  A  glimpse  in  thefo'c'sle.  1915  Hurley 
Scott  Polar  Research  Institute. 


Kachinas:  Gifts  from  the  Spirit  Messengers 


October  3,  2000  -  June  16,  2001 


Kachinas:  Gifts  From  The  Spirit  Messengers 
presents  an  exploration  of  a  familiar,  yet 
fascinating.  Native  American  art  form. 
The  exhibition,  which  is  part  of  the  Webber 
Gallery  program  highlighting  contemporary 
Native  American  artifacts,  will  run  from 
October  3,  2000  to  June  16,  2001. 

Created  by  the  Hopi  people  of  North 
Eastern  Arizona,  colorful,  carved  wooden 
kachinas  represent  spirit  messengers  (called 
katsinam)  who  act  as  intermediaries 
between  the  Hopi  world  and  the  supernat- 
ural realm.  In  Hopi  belief,  katsinam  are 
spiritual  helpers  who  provide  rain  and 
abundant  crops  and  assure  the  continuation 
of  life  in  a  harsh  desert  land.  Small  kachina 
dolls  representing  these  spiritual  friends 
are  given  to  children,  and  sometimes 
women,  to  reinforce  their  religious  and 
cultural  education. 


Important  in  transmitting  and  safeguarding 
ancient  Hopi  traditions,  kachinas  also  illus- 
trate the  dynamics  of  cultural  change  and 
adaptation,  as  Hopi  carvers  respond  to 
influences  from  outside  their  own  world. 
Created  both  for  traditional  religious  uses 
and  for  commercial  trade,  many  contempo- 
rary kachinas  in  the  exhibition  reflect  the 
use  of  new  carving  tools  and  techniques, 
as  well  as  the  introduction  of  motifs  from 
Western  popular  culture. 

Curated  by  Dr.  Jonathan  Haas,  Field 
Museum  Curator  of  North  American  Anthro- 
pology, Kachinas  was  made  possible  by 
bequests  from  the  collections  of  Marcia  and 
Vernon  Wagner  and  through  the  generous 
support  of  Mr.  Donald  W.  Paterson. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Calendar  of  Events 


Stephen  Jay  Gould  to  speak  on  paleontology, 
evolution  and  science  education  at  the  Museum. 


An  Evening  with  Stephen  Jay  Gould 

9/14,  Thursday,  6:30  p.m. 

Acclaimed  for  his  literate  and  accessible 
interpretations  of  the  social  consequences 
of  science,  Stephen  Jay  Gould  presents  an 
engaging  lecture  on  paleontology,  evolu- 
tion and  science  education.  As  a  scientist, 
Gould  has  directed  and  participated  in 
debates  of  the  biological  and  geological 
sciences.  As  a  writer,  he  has  authored  more 
than  20  books  and  hundreds  of  essays  and 
articles,  becoming  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  well-known  scientists  in  America.  A 
winner  of  the  MacArthur  Foundation  prize 
fellowship,  his  credentials  include  being 
Professor  of  Zoology  and  Professor  of 
Geology  at  Harvard,  Curator  of  Invertebrate 
Paleontology  in  the  Harvard  Museum  of 
Comparative  Zoology  and  president  of  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science. 

Co-sponsored  by  the  Earth  Science  Club  of 
Northern  Illinois.  $20,  $18  students/educa- 
tors, $15  members.  Please  call  312.665.7400 
for  more  information  or  to  register. 

Museum  Week 

9118-9124,  9  a.m.  -  5  p.m. 

The  Field  Museum  proudly  celebrates 
Museum  Week,  organized  by  Chicago's 
Department  of  Cultural  Affairs  in  apprecia- 
tion of  the  city's  49  museums.  The  Field 


Museum  will  be  offering  two-for-one 
admission  to  the  Museum  during  that  week. 
Highlights  include  the  World  Music  Festival, 
performances  of  Dancing  With  Dinosaurs 
and  Unity  Day.  Rounding  out  the  activities 
for  the  week  will  be  hands-on  activities 
and  other  programs,  all  free  with  Museum 
admission.  For  more  information,  please 
call  312.665.7400. 

UNITY  Day 

World  Music  Festival:  Chicago  2000 

9/23,  Saturday,  1 1  a.m.  -  3  p.m. 

The  Field  Museum,  the  Human  Relations 
Foundation  and  the  Chicago  Commission 
on  Human  Relations  celebrate  UNITY,  in 
this  day  filled  with  music  and  activities.  This 
year,  UNITY  Day  helps  kick  off  the  opening 
weekend  for  the  World  Music  Festival: 
Chicago  2000.  This  daylong  celebration  of 
diversity  in  culture  and  musical  traditions 
will  highlight  various  hands-on  artistic  and 
musical  activities.  Enjoy  performances  by 
musicians  from  around  the  world;  hear  the 
sacred  chants  of  the  Drepung  Gomang 
Monks,  see  the  riveting  classical  Indian 
dance  of  the  Natyakalalayam  Dance 
Company  and  experience  the  spiritual  world 
of  Steve  Coleman  and  the  Mystic  Rhythmic 
Society.  Free  with  Museum  admission, 
pre-registration  not  required.  For  more 
information,  please  call  312.665.7400. 


The  Natyakalalayam  Dance  Company 
specialize  in  Bharatanatyam,  a  classical  dance 
style  of  Southern  India. 


Chicago  Samba  brings  Brazilian  rhythms  to 
the  Museum  during  the  World  Music  Festival: 
Chicago  2000. 

U.N.O.  Day 

World  Music  Festival:  Chicago  2000 

9/30,  Saturday  9:30  a.m.  -  3  p.m. 

Over  10,000  guests  are  expected  at  The 
Field  Museum  for  the  United  Neighborhood 
Organization's  (U.N.O.)  Take  10!  Minutes 
With  Your  Child  parental  involvement  initia- 
tive annual  kick-off  event.  The  day  begins 
with  a  public  welcome  at  9:30  a.m.  outside 
the  Museum  and  will  continue  with  musical 
performances,  storytelling  and  educational 
activities  throughout  the  day.  Offered  in 
collaboration  with  the  World  Music  Festival, 
this  all-day  family  event  will  feature  the 
rhythmic  Brazilian  sounds  of  Chicago 
Samba,  the  intoxicating  Latin  romance  of 
Casolando  and  the  West  African  group 
WOFA.  Free  with  Museum  admission, 
Pre-registration  not  required.  For  more 
information,  please  call  312.665.7400. 

Dozin'  with  the  Dinos 

9/29-9/30  5:45  p.m. -9  a.m. 

What  is  it  like  to  be  in  the  museum  after 
the  crowds  have  gone  home  and  the  doors 
have  been  locked?  Experience  The  Field 
Museum  in  a  unique  way  as  you  and  your 
family  spend  a  night  of  discovery  before 
falling  asleep  among  specially  chosen  exhi- 
bitions. Overnights  are  designed  for  families 
(adults  accompanied  by  children  grades  1-6) 
and  include  two  natural  science  or  culturally 
based  workshops,  an  evening  snack,  a  per- 
formance and  a  continental  breakfast.  Our 
official  Dozin'  with  the  Dinos  T-shirt  (avail- 
able only  at  overnights)  will  be  sold.  This 
program  is  designed  for  families  with 
children  ages  6  and  up.  Cost  is  $45  for 
non-members,  $38  for  members.  Please 
call  312.665.7400  for  more  information 
or  to  register. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Adult  Course 

Russia  Then  and  Now 

70/5- J 7/9,  Thursdays,  6-8 p.m. 

Join  Russian  historian  Michael  Johnson 
(PhD  Candidate,  History  Department, 
University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago)  as  he 
explores  Russia  in  a  historical  overview 
from  the  country's  beginnings  to  the  pre- 
sent day.  Major  personalities  from  Russian 
history  come  alive  in  this  six-week  course, 
which  includes  the  Kievan  period,  the  devel- 
opment of  Moscow  and  the  rise  and  fall 
of  the  Russian  Empire.  The  course  also 
examines  the  Russian  Revolution  and  the 
subsequent  Soviet  Union,  before  concluding 
with  the  collapse  of  the  Communist  system 
and  a  review  of  Russia's  current  situation. 
Individual  classes  consist  of  lecture  and  dis- 
cussion, with  questions  taken  throughout. 
Cost  is  $90  for  non-members,  $75  for  mem- 
bers. Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 

Valley  of  the  Golden  Mummies 
Zahi  Hawass 

10/13,  Friday,  6:30  p.m. 

In  the  summer  of  1996,  archaeologist  Zahi 
Hawass  discovered  more  than  100  undis- 
turbed mummies  in  a  2000-year-old  tomb 
deep  in  the  Egyptian  desert.  Considered 
perhaps  the  most  spectacular  Egyptian 
archaeological  discovery  since  King  Tut's 


tomb,  Hawass'  find  represents  the  first  time 
in  history  that  so  many  perfectly  preserved 
mummies  were  discovered  at  one  time. 
Hawass  is  Egypt's  Director  General  of  the 
Giza  Pyramids  and  Field  Director  of  the 
Bahariya  Oasis  Excavation;  has  been  profiled 
in  National  Geographic  and  Newsweel<; 
and  has  appeared  on  the  Today  Show, 
Dateline,  Nova  and  fox  TV.  Admission  is 
$12  non-members,  $10  students/educators, 
$8  members.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  or  to  register. 

Margaret  Mead  Traveling  Film 
and  Video  Festival 

70/27,  Saturday,  11  a.m.  -  6  p.m. 

The  Field  Museum  hosts  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History's  Margaret 
Mead  Traveling  Film  and  Video  Festival, 
which  features  highlights  from  the  largest 
showcase  of  independent  cultural  docu- 
mentaries in  the  United  States.  This  year's 
exhibition  at  the  Museum — the  only 
Chicagoland  presentation  of  the  Margaret 
Mead  Film  and  Video  Festival — includes 
three  programs,  each  devoted  to  specific 
social  or  cultural  topics.  Ethnographic  film 
specialist  Martha  Foster  introduces  the  films 
and  moderates  a  discussion  following  each 
program.  Free  with  Museum  admission. 
Please  call  312  665  7400  for  a  complete 
listing  of  movie  titles  and  times. 


Zahi  Hawass  is  Egypt's  Director  General 
of  the  Giza  Pyramids  and  Field  Director 
of  the  Bahariya  Oasis  Excavation. 


Coming  Thanksgiving  Weekend!  Julie  Taymor's  The  King  Stag 


Friday-Sunday,  November  24-26 

Friday,  7:30  p.m.;  Saturday,  8  p.m.;  Sunday,  3  p.m. 


Performances  at  the  Chicago  Theatre 

Presented  by  The  Field  Museum  and  CAPA 
The  American  Repertory  Theater  of  Boston. 
The  King  Stag  is  a  fairy  tale  for  all  ages,  a 
story  of  love  and  betrayal,  intrigue  and 
mirth,  magic  spells  and  pageantry.  Puppet 
birds  zoom  through  space,  and  fanciful 
beasts  cavort  with  delicacy  and  grace.  Carlo 
Gozzi's  18th-century  fable  about  the  search 
for  true  love  is  a  delightful  theatrical  event 
with  costumes,  masks,  puppetry  and  move- 
ment by  Tony-winning  Julie  Taymor  (The 
Lion  King  and  The  Green  Bird). 

Tickets:  $24,  $34,  $44  mention  your  Field 
Museum  Membership  and  receive  a  $5 
discount.  For  tickets  call  Ticketmaster  at 
312.902.1500  or  visit  the  Chicago  Theatre 
Ticket  Office  or  any  Ticketmaster  outlet. 
Or  visit  www.capa.com 


Scenes  from  The  King  Stag,  costume,  masks,  puppetry,  and  choreography  by  Julie  Taymor. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Get  Smart 


Celebraci6n  2000:  Americanos 


October  5-6,  10  a.m.  -  1  p.m. 
October  7-8, 11  a.m.  -  4  p.m. 


Experience  Latin  American  culture  at 
Celebracion  2000:  Americanos.  The  4-day 
festival  gives  visitors  the  opportunity  to  talk 
with  representatives  from  Chicago's  Latino 
communities  about  what  it  means  to  be 
Latino  in  Chicago  and  participate  in  inter- 
active educational  demonstrations. 

Field  Museum  Division  of  Insects  scientist, 
Phil  Parrillo  will  explain  and  demonstrate 
how  insects  are  used  as  objects  of  art  and 
religion  by  South  American  Indian  cultures. 
Learn  about  the  long  history  of  scientific 
bird  investigation  in  South  America  with 
staff  from  the  Museum's  Bird  Division. 
Chat  with  scientist  from  the  Office  of 
Environmental  and  Conservation  Programs 


Queen  of  Salsa,  Celia  Cruz  is  pictured 
with  her  husband,  conductor  Pedro  Knight. 
This  is  one  of  the  many  images  depicting 
Latino  life  in  the  photographic  exhibition 
Americanos:  Latino  Life  in  the  United 
States.  You  can  also  hear  Cruz's  music 
while  walking  through  the  exhibit. 


and  explore  life  in  the  Cofan  Village  of 
Zabalo  in  Amazonian  Ecuador. 

The  Museum  will  also  screen  the  award- 
winning  HBO  documentary  Americanos. 
On  October  5  at  6:30  p.m.  see  the  video 
and  hear  panelists  David  Carrasaco,  Antonio 
Perez  and  Mark  Hinojosa  discuss  their  work 
on  the  project  Americanos:  Latino  Life  in 
the  United  States.  Admission  is  $12  non- 
members,  $8  members  and  $10  student/ 
educators.  A  free  screening  of  the  docu- 
mentary will  also  be  shown  on  October 
8,  at  1  p.m. 

Throughout  the  festival,  Latin  Street 
Dancing  Inc.  will  offer  demonstrations  and 
instruction  in  traditional  style  Latin  "street" 
dances  such  as  Merengue,  Mambo  and  Salsa. 
Festival  activities  also  include  demonstra- 
tions of  traditional  Latin  American  toys  and 
musical  instruments,  and  culinary  stations 
featuring  salsa  and  chocolate.  For  more 
information,  call  312.665.7400. 


World  Music  Festival:  Chicago  2000 


September  21  -  October  1 


The  Field  Museum  in  association  with  the 
Chicago  Department  of  Cultural  Affairs, 
Mayor's  Office  of  Special  Events,  the  Old 
Town  School  of  Folk  Music,  Museum  of 
Contemporary  Art  and  Hothouse/CIPEX 
(Center  for  International  Performance  and 
Exhibition)  present  the  World  Music  Festival: 
Chicago  2000.  This  is  Chicago's  second 
annual  multi-venue  music  festival,  which 
will  kick  off  on  Thursday,  September  21  with 
an  evening  concert  on  the  north  steps  of 
the  Field  Museum.  Performers  include;  Steve 
Coleman  and  the  Mystic  Rhythm  Society, 
Canada's  Kanenhi:io  Singers,  Zimbabwean 
legend  Oliver  Mtukudzi  and  Black  Spirits 
and  Puerto  Rico's  Plena  Libre.  The  opening 
night  musical  extravaganza  begins  at  5:30 
p.m.  and  ends  at  9  p.m.  and  is  free. 


A  wide  variety  of  venues  will  host  musical 
entertainment  featuring  performers  from 
dozens  of  countries.  Last  year,  more  than 
50,000  people  attended  more  than  100 
concerts,  live  radio  broadcasts,  workshops 
and  educational  programs.  To  ensure  that 
everyone  can  attend  the  concerts,  the  World 
Musical  Festival:  Chicago  2000  is  made  up  of 
a  mixture  of  free  and  ticketed  events  cost- 
ing no  more  than  $10.  A  detailed  brochure 
including  a  complete  schedule  is  available 
by  calling  the  World  Music  Festival:  Chicago 
2000  hotline  at  312.742.1938  or  by  visiting 
the  website  at  www.cityofchicago.org/ 
worldmusic.  For  more  information  on  the 
Field  Museum's  concerts  and  educational 
programs  call  312.665.7400. 


WerLci 


Steve  Coleman  will  perform  at  the  Field 
Museum  opening  night  of  the  World  Music 
Festival:  Chicago  2000. 

Coming  to  the  Museum  September  29; 
Savina  Yannaton  &■  Primavera  en  Salonico 
and  Caslando,  8  p.m.  Tickets  are  $10. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Halloween  at  The  Field  Museum 


Field  Museum  Halloween 
Harvest  Festivities 
Costume  Creation  Stations 

Saturdays,  October  14,  21,  &  28 
10  a.m.  -3  p.m. 

Supplies  and  materials  fee  for  costumes, 
masks  and  pumpkins 

'Dem  bones,  'dem  bones,  'dem  bones  gonna 
walk  around....  It  took  67  million  years  for 
Sue's  bones  to  fossilize,  be  discovered  and 
then  erected  at  The  Field  Museum.  Now 
visitors  can  use  Sue  and  the  Museum's  other 
world  class  exhibitions  to  inspire  creativity 
and  construct  a  unique  Halloween  master- 
piece with  the  help  of  artists.  Fashion  your 
own  dinosaur  mask,  design  a  unique  alien 
creature  or  produce  a  festive  decoration 
that  expresses  your  personality  and  interest! 


Halloween  Harvest  Festival 

October  28,  10  a.m.  -  3  p.m. 

Whether  you  want  to  howl  at  the  moon 
with  the  creatures  of  the  night,  or  give 
thanks  for  the  bounty  of  a  good  harvest, 
join  The  Field  Museum  for  the  Halloween 
Harvest  Festival.  Activities  include  self- 
guided  terror  tours,  pumpkin  painting, 
costume  creation  stations  and  two  fun-filled 
performances  by  Dave  Herzog's  Mari- 
onettes. The  festival  will  culminate  with  a 
spectacular  performance  by  Chicago's  own 
Redmoon  Theatre  presenting  their  annual 
Halloween  Spectacle  that  includes  larger- 
than-life  puppets,  elaborate  masks  and 
dynamic  physical  performances.  Wear  a 
costume  or  create  one  on-site,  but  don't 
miss  the  fun. 


Redmoon  Theatre  creates  thrills  and  chills 
during  their  Halloween  Spectacle. 


Polar  Explorations  at  The  Field  Museum 
AND  THE  Newberry  Library 


Sir  Ernest  Shackleton.  1915  Hurley  Scott 
Polar  Research  Institute 


Join  The  Field  Museum  and  the  Newberry 
Library  for  two  programs  that  complement 
the  Museum's  The  Endurance:  Shackleton's 
Legendary  Antarctic  Expedition  exhibition 
and  To  the  Ends  of  the  Earth:  Exploring  the 
Poles,  on  view  at  the  Newberry  from 
October  7,  2000  -  January  1 3,  2001 . 

Going  to  Extremes:  The  Arctic, 
the  Antarctic,  and  the  Himalayas 

Saturday,  October  7,  10  a.m. 
Newberry  Library  (60  W.  Walton, 
312.255.3700) 

In  the  opening  public  program  for  the  two 
exhibitions,  three  lllinoisans  who  have  per- 
sonally experienced  the  earth's  extremes 
join  journalist  Bill  Kurtis  to  discuss  what 
motivates  humans  to  explore  and  live  on 
the  ends  of  the  earth.  Panelist  James 
VanStone  has  spent  nearly  half  a  century 
working  with  Arctic  and  Subarctic  peoples. 
Sharon  Hogan  twice  attempted  to  climb 
Mount  Everest,  often  dubbed  the  earth's 
third  pole.  As  a  student  in  1949  and  1950, 
Edmund  Thornton  participated  in  Admiral 
Donald  B.  McMillan's  Arctic  expedition  and 


met  two  of  the  Inuits  who  accompanied 
Admiral  Peary  on  his  1909  quest  to  reach 
the  North  Pole.  Kurtis  is  producer  of  the 
television  series.  The  New  Explorers. 
Admission  is  free. 

Shackleton:  The  Man  and 
the  Expedition 

Saturday,  October  14,  2  p.m. 
The  Field  Museum 

The  guest  curator  for  The  Endurance: 
Shackleton's  Legendary  Antarctic 
Expedition,  Caroline  Alexander  brings  imag- 
ination and  rich  detail  to  the  story  of  Ernest 
Shackleton  and  his  crew.  The  exhibition, 
and  a  companion  book,  features  the  strug- 
gle to  survive  that  began  when  Shackleton's 
sailing  ship  Endurance  became  trapped  in 
ice  on  January  19,  1915.  The  cost  is  $12 
non-members,  $10  students/educators, 
$8  Field  Museum  Members  and  Newberry 
Library  Associates. 

These  programs  are  made  possible  in  part 
by  a  grant  from  the  Illinois  Humanities 
Council,  the  National  Endowment  for  the 
Humanities  and  the  Illinois  General  Assembly. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Saturdays  and  Sundays 

Family  Fun  at  The  Field 

I  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 
Learn  new  songs  and  stories  and  have  fun 
creating  artwork — all  in  a  20-minute  pro- 
gram in  the  Living  Together  exhibit.  In 
September  and  October,  hear  stories  about 
Underground  Adventure,  hibernation,  the 
fall  harvest,  music  or  a  Mexican  folk  tale 
and  then  design  your  own  cuckoo  bird, 
forest  habitat,  underground  environment, 
jack-o-lantern  or  drum.  This  program, 
designed  especially  for  young  children 

and  their  families,  offers  an  opportunity 
to  relax  and  learn  about  different  aspects 
of  our  environment.  From  worms  to  birds 
to  pumpkin  hunts  to  learning  where  ani- 
mals sleep  in  the  winter,  we  offer  a  wide 
variety  to  whet  the  appetite  and  send  you 
exploring  our  galleries  to  learn  more.  The 
songs  are  fun  to  learn  and  easily  could 
become  family  favorites.  This  program 
is  sponsored  by  The  Siragusa  Foundation 
Early  Childhood  Initiative.  One  adult  for 
every  three  children,  please. 

Daily 

Interpretive  Station  activities:  Drop  by 
hands-on  stations  located  throughout  the 
Museum  (check  informational  directories  for 
daily  listing)  and  delve  into  the  fascinating 
world  of  natural  history. 

September  9  -  Saturday 

II  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 

Visitors  will  have  the  opportunity  to  view 
rarely  displayed  specimens  from  Museum 
collections  and  listen  as  Museum  specialists 
discuss  their  research  relating  to  our  new 
permanent  exhibit.  Underground  Adventure. 

11  a.m..  Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue 

The  Field  Museum  and  Music  Theatre 
Workshop  present  the  Teens  Together 
Ensemble  in  a  30-minute  musical  about 
Sue,  the  largest,  most  complete,  and  best 
preserved  T.  rex  ever  found. 

September  16  -  Saturday 

11  a.m..  Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 
See  September  9 

September  18  -  Monday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week 

The  Field  Museum  proudly  celebrates 
Museum  Week,  organized  by  Chicago's 
Department  of  Cultural  Affairs  in  appreci- 


Join  the  fun  at  the  Halloween  Harvest  Festival! 

ation  of  the  city's  49  museums.  The  fes- 
tivities include  performances  by  the  Music 
Theater  Workshop  Teens  Together  Ensemble 
and  various  music-related  activities. 

September  19  -  Tuesday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 

September  20  -  Wednesday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 

September  21  -  Thursday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 

September  21  -  Thursday 

5:30  p.m.  -  9  p.m.  World  Music  Festival: 
Chicago  2000,  Opening  Concert.  Dance  and 
sway  into  the  sunset  with  a  mixture  of  tra- 
ditional, spiritual  and  rhythmic  sounds  from 
Africa,  the  Latin-Caribbean,  Canada  and  the 
United  States.  See  Get  Smart  section  for  a 
more  complete  description. 

September  22  -  Friday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 

September  23  -  Saturday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 


September  23  -  Saturday 

1 1  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  UNITY  Day.  The  Field 
Museum,  the  Human  Relations  Foundation 
and  the  Chicago  Commission  on  Human 
Relations  celebrate  diversity  in  culture  and 
musical  traditions  with  various  hands-on 
artistic  and  musical  activities. 

11  a.m..  Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  September  9 

September  24  -  Sunday 

9  a.m.  -  5  p.m.  Museum  Week. 
See  September  18 

September  30  -  Saturday 

11  a.m.,  Noon  &  2  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 
See  September  9 

9:30  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  U.N.O.  Day.  Over  10,000 
guests  are  expected  at  The  Field  Museum 
for  the  United  Neighborhood  Organiza- 
tion's (U.N.O.)  Take  10!  Minutes  With  Your 
Child  kick-off  event.  The  day  begins  with 
a  public  welcome  at  9:30  a.m.  and  continues 
with  musical  performances  and  educational 
activities  throughout  the  day. 

October  5  -  Thursday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  Festival:  Celebracion  2000: 
Americanos.  Enjoy  music  and  activities  that 
celebrate  the  arts  and  culture  of  Latin 
America.  See  "Get  Smart"  section  for  a  com- 
plete description. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


October  6  -  Friday 

10  a.m.  -  1  p.m.  Festival:  Celebracion  2000: 
Americanos.  See  October  5 

October  7  -  Saturday 

10  a.m.  Lecture:  Going  to  Extremes:  The 
Arctic,  the  Antarctic,  and  the  Himalayas.  In 

a  powerful  opening  public  program,  three 
lllinoisans  who  have  personally  experienced 
the  earth's  extremes  comprise  a  panel  to 
discuss  what  motivates  humans  to  explore 
and  live  on  the  ends  of  the  earth.  The  lec- 
ture meets  at  the  Newberry  Library,  see 
"Get  Smart"  section  for  more  details. 

11  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  Festival:  Celebracion  2000: 
Americanos.  See  October  5 

October  8  -  Sunday 

1 1  a.m.  -  4  p.m.  Festival:  Celebracion  2000: 
Americanos.  See  October  5 

October  14  -  Saturday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Costume  Creation  Stations. 

Create  a  unique  costume  of  your  favorite 
creature  or  plant  with  the  help  of  artists 
who  will  encourage  the  use  of  the  sur- 
rounding exhibitions  for  inspiration. 
See  the  "Get  Smart"  section  for  a  more 
complete  description  of  Halloween  Harvest 
Festival  activities. 

1 1 :30  a.m.  &  1 :30  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  September  9 

1 1  a.m.  -  2  p.m.  Scientists  on  the  Floor. 
See  September  9 


October  21  -  Saturday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Costume  Creation  Stations. 
See  October  14 

1 1  a.m.  -  6  p.m.  Margaret  Mead  Travel- 
ing Film  and  Video  Festival.  This  film 
festival  features  highlights  from  the  largest 
showcase  for  independent  cultural  docu- 
mentaries in  the  United  States.  See 
"Calendar  of  Events"  section  for  a  more 
complete  description. 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  September  9 

October  28  -  Saturday 

10  a.m.  -  3  p.m.  Halloween  Harvest  Festival. 
The  Field  Museum's  Halloween  Harvest 
Festival  includes  self-guided  terror  tours, 
pumpkin  painting  and  costume  creation 
stations.  The  festival  culminates  with 
a  Halloween  Parade  and  performance  by 
Redmoon  Theatre.  See  the  "Get  Smart" 
section  for  a  more  complete  description  of 
Halloween  Harvest  Festival  activities. 

11:30  a.m.  &  1:30  p.m.  Performance: 
Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  September  9 

Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through  a 
variety  of  resources,  including  computer 
programs,  books,  activity  boxes  and  much 
more  at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and  the 
Daniel  F.  &  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research. 
Open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to  4:30  p.m. 


The  Field  Museum  hosts  the  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History's  Margaret 
Mead  Traveling  Film  and  Video  Festival, 
which  features  highlights  from  the  largest 
showcase  of  independent  cultural  documen- 
taries in  the  United  States. 


Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on 
the  Great  Plains.  Open  from  10  a.m. 
to  4:30  p.m.  on  weekends  and  at  1  p.m. 
during  weekdays. 

Ruatepupui<e: 

The  iVIaori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people 
of  New  Zealand  at  the  treasured  and  sacred 
Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work  on 
various  fossil  specimens.  Open  daily  from 
9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 


Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue  delights  children  of  all  ages. 

Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER  2000 


8       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Field  Updates 


Motion  Pictures  as  Taxidermy: 
Carl  Akeley  and  his  Camera 


Mark  Alvey 

Administrative  Coordinator,  Academic  Affairs 


Although  time  has  diminished  his  celebrity,  Carl 
Akeley  s  name  is  still  famiUar  to  those  steeped  in  the 
age  of  exploration,  natural  history  and  the  art  of  taxi- 
dermy. He  was  The  Field  Museums  Chief  Taxidermist 
from  1896  to  1909.  Akeley  revolutionized  taxidermy 
and  museum  dioramas  with  The  Four  Seasons  deer 
groups  in  Nature  Walk  and  The  Fighting  Bulls  that  stand 
in  Stanley  Field  Hall;  the  basic  principles  of  his 
groundbreaking  techniques  are  largely  unchanged 
today.  His  African  collecting  trips  for  the  Museum 
inspired  no  less  an  adventurer  than  President 
Theodore  Roosevelt  to  undertake  his  famed  1909 
safari.  Akeley  was  also  a  sculptor  (witness  the  Nandi 
Lion  Spearing  bronzes  on  the  Museum's  ground  floor), 
and  an  inventor  (with  patents  on  a  WW  I -era  search 
light  and  a  cement  gun,  among  many  others).  From 
the  standpoint  of  both  zoological  documentation  and 
popular  culture,  however,  Akeley  s  most  important 
invention  was  surely  the  Akeley  Motion  Picture 
Camera,  which  countless  newsreel  cameramen,  doc- 
umentary filmmakers  and  Hollywood  cinematog- 
raphers  would  come  to  rely  on  in  the  '20s  and  '30s. 


The  Akeley  Motion  Picture  Camera.  Because  of  its 
distinctive  shape,  the  Akeley  was  affectionately  dubbed 
'the  pancake"  by  the  Hollywood  cameramen  who  used  if. 


Akeley 's  camera  was  a  direct  product  of  his 
museum  collecting  experiences,  bom  of  the  same 
impulse  as  his  taxidermy  —  a  passion  to  document  the 
wildhfe  of  Africa.  Akeley  regarded  photographic  gear 
as  an  essential  tool  on  his  first  Field  Museum  expedi- 
tion to  Africa  in  1896,  and  by  1906  was  already 
working  on  his  first  designs  for  a  motion  picture  cam- 
era in  his  Chicago  studio.  It  was  on  an  expedition  for 
the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  1910 
that  Akeley 's  quest  for  the  ideal  movie  camera  gar- 
nered the  fuU  force  of  his  inventiveness.  Akeley  longed 
to  film  the  Nandi  of  Uganda  in  a  traditional  (albeit 
staged)  Uon  hunt,  but  his  camera  was  not  up  to  the 
task — the  bulky  apparatus  was  awkward  at  best  when 
it  came  to  recording  the  actions  of  quick-moving, 
unpredictable  game.  After  three  weeks  of  finistrated 
attempts  to  capture  the  Uon-spearing  on  film,  Akeley 
resolved  not  to  return  to  Africa  until  he  had  created 
his  dream  camera. 

Back  in  New  York  in  1911,  Akeley  attracted  some 
investors  to  form  the  Akeley  Camera  Company,  and 
spent  his  spare  moments  working  through  the  design 
of  the  camera.  After  devising  and  abandoning  several 
versions,  in  late  1915  Akeley  patented  the  Akeley 
Motion  Picture  Camera.  The  Akeley  incorporated  a 
number  of  truly  revolutionary  advances,  but  the  most 
important  feature  to  the  naturalist,  and  the  one  that 
would  make  it  indispensable  to  other  filmmakers,  was 
the  freewheeUng  damped-action  gyroscopic  tripod 
head  that  allowed  the  operator  to  pan  (side-to-side) 
and  tilt  (up  and  down)  with  a  steady,  fluid  motion, 
using  only  one  hand.  Previous  tripod  heads  required 
left-hand  cranking  of  two  separate  levers  for  each  axis 
of  movement,  in  addition  to  the  right-hand  cranking 
that  advanced  the  film. 

World  War  I  created  a  rapid  and  probably  unex- 
pected demand  for  the  camera.  After  inviting  Akeley 
to  Washington  to  demonstrate  his  invention,  the 
U.S.  Signal  Corps  adopted  it  for  aerial  reconnaissance, 
purchasing  the  Akeley  factory's  entire  output  for  the 
duration  of  the  war.  After  the  war  ended,  newsreel 
companies  like  Pathe  and  Fox  Movietone  were 
quick  to  adopt  the  Akeley  camera  to  film  their  "news 
weeklies."  Such  momentous  events  as  Man  O'  War's 
final  race,  the  Dempsey-Carpentier  fight  and  the 
1925  Shenandoah  dirigible  disaster  were  captured 
with  Akeleys. 

Not  surprisingly,  the  Akeley  also  became  the  cam- 
era of  choice  for  explorers  and  scientists.  In  1921 
Akeley  himself  used  his  invention,  eqixipped  with  an 
extra-long  lens,  to  take  the  first-ever  motion  pictures 
of  gorillas  in  the  wild  in  present-day  Zaire.  The  list  of 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


expeditions  that  added  Akeley  cameras  to  their  gear 
reads  like  a  greatest  hits  list  of  early  20th  century 
exploration:  the  Katmai  Expedition  of  the  National 
Geographic  Society,  the  Mulford  Biological 
Expedition  to  the  Amazon,  the  American  Museum 
Natural  History  Third  Asiatic  Expedition  and  the 
Byrd  Antarctic  Expeditions.  Akeley  took  a  direct 
role  in  equipping  the  Field  Museum's  1925  Simpson- 
Roosevelt  Asiatic  Expedition  with  movie  gear,  and  on 
the  Chancellor-Stuart-Field  Museum  Expedition  to 
the  South  Pacific,  Philip  Chancellor  used  an  Akeley 
to  record  some  of  the  earliest  footage  of  Komodo 
Dragons  on  Flores  Island,  Malaysia. 

The  Akeley  camera  was  also  embraced  by  docu- 
mentary filmmakers  and  commercial  "motion  picture 
explorers."  Filmmaker  Robert  Flaherty  took  two 
Akeleys  with  him  to  the  Arctic  to  film  his  classic 
Nanook  of  the  North  (1922),  and  used  Akeleys  in  Samoa 
to  film  Moana  (1926).  Noted  still  photographer  Paul 
Strand  bought  an  Akeley  after  the  war  and  worked  as 
a  freelance  newsreel  cameraman  in  the  '20s,  along  the 
way  shooting  the  experimental  film  Manhatta  (1921) 
with  artist  Charles  Sheeler.  Explorer-filmmaker 
Martin  Johnson  used  Akeleys  in  his  dramatized 
(and  sensationalized)  wildlife  films,  most  notably 
Simba  (1928),  which  included  lion-spearing  footage 
shot  by  Carl  Akeley  himself,  and  Congorilla  (1932). 

By  this  time  the  Akeley  camera  was  as  well-known 
on  Hollywood  back  lots  as  it  was  in  tropical  jungles. 
The  skills  of 'Akeley  specialists"  were  in  demand  — 
they  were  even  listed  separately  on  the  American 
Society  of  Cinematographers  roster.  The  influence 
of  postwar  German  films  caused  producers  to  seek 
more  camera  movements  and  unusual  angles,  for 
which  the  Akeley  was  ideally  suited.  Thus,  "Akeley 
specialists  were  called  upon  to  lash  their  instruments 
high  on  the  masts  of  ships,  on  the  arms  of  derricks, 
or  to  be  still  different,  in  deep  holes  looking  up,"  as 
an  American  Cinematographer  writer  put  it  in  1928. 
By  the  mid-'20s  Akeleys  were  in  such  wide  use 
in  studios  that  "Akeley  shots"  were  routinely  called 
for  in  shooting  scripts. 

Akeleys  were  the  natural  choice  when  Hollywood 
undertook  ambitious  location  projects,  traveling  to 
Africa  for  the  epic  Trader  Horn,  and  to  Newfoundland 
for  the  seafaring  adventure  The  Viking  (both  1931). 
The  Akeley 's  deft  mobility  also  made  it  the  ideal  tool 
for  action  and  spectacle,  Hollywood  style.  Akeley  spe- 
cialists shot  some  of  the  most  breath-taking  aerial 
sequences  ever  put  on  film  for  William  Wellman's 
Wings  (1927),  helping  it  win  the  first  Academy  Award 
for  Best  Picture,  and  the  studios  sent  Akeleys  into  the 
sky  for  dozens  of  subsequent  aerial-actioners,  like 


Above:  "Motion  Picture  Explorers" 
Osa  and  Martin  Johnson  in  Africa 
with  their  Akeley  (right,  outfitted  with 
extra-long  lenses),  circa  1925. 

Left:  Carl  Akeley  with  an  early  version 
of  his  camera.  Subsequent  models 
added  more  innovations  and  features. 


Frank  Capra's  Flight  (1929)  and  Howard  Hughes'  Hell's 
Angels  (1930).  Western  star  Tom  Mix  and  swashbuck- 
ler Douglas  Fairbanks  both  called  on  Akeleys  to 
capture  the  elaborate  and  daring  stunts  for  which  they 
were  famous.  Akeleys  were  also  used  to  shoot  the 
spectacular  chariot  races  in  the  1926  version  of  Ben 
Hur,  racetrack  scenes  in  Silks  and  Saddles  (1929),  and 
chases,  stunts  and  daredevilry  in  numerous  adventure 
serials  and  countless  westerns  (e.g..  The  Last  Outlaw 
[1927]  starring  a  young  Gary  Cooper). 

The  Akeley  camera  hung  on  in  Hollywood  for  a 
remarkably  long  time  considering  it  debuted  in  the 
teens.  Although  it  eventually  gave  way  to  lighter  and 
more  mobile  gear  developed  during  World  War  II,  the 
Akeley  gyroscopic  tripods  continued  to  be  used  by 
major  studios  at  least  through  the  late  1980s.  While 
Carl  Akeley  was  undoubtedly  tickled  at  Hollywood's 
adventurous  uses  of  his  invention,  his  own  interest  in 
the  camera  never  went  beyond  his  original  aims,  and 
he  continued  to  promote  the  importance  of  nature 
filmmaking  for  educational  uses.  All  of  Akeley 's  artis- 
tic endeavors  harked  back  to  the  business  cards  he  had 
printed  up  while  still  in  his  teens  announcing  his  pro- 
fession: "artistic  taxidermy  in  all  its  branches."  In  a 
sense,  motion  pictures  for  Carl  Akeley  were  simply 
another  branch  of  the  art  form  that  was  always  his 
primary  passion.  I7F 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     1 1 


The  Photo  Archives 


Lefi:  Stephen  and  Peter  Nash  with 
YorubaTwin  Figures  in  1967. 

Above:  Stephen  and  Peter  Nash 
in  2000. 


From  the  Photo  Archives 


Old  Friends:  Then  and  Now 


Stephen  E.  Nash 

Head  of  Collections,  Department  of  Anthropology 

"The  birth  of  twins  and  their  subsequent  relationship  to  each 
other  and  to  their  society  have  always  fascinated  men  . . ."' 

With  these  words.  Assistant  Curator  of  African 
Ethnology  Leon  Siroto  introduced  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History  Bulletin  (precursor  to  In  Tbe  Field)  read- 
ers to  the  temporary  exhibit  entitled  "Yoruba  Twin 
Figures."  The  exhibit  highlighted  the  acquisition  of  68 
Yoruba  twin  statues  collected  by  English  artist  John 
Underwood.  As  part  of  the  public  relations  efforts 
preceding  the  exhibit,  Edward  G.  Nash,  at  that  time 
Managing  Editor  of  the  Bulletin,  arranged  this  photo- 
graph of  his  twin  sons  Stephen  and  Peter  with  these 
Yoruba  statues.  The  photograph  was  published  in  the 
Chicago  Sun-Times  on  July  7,  1967  under  the  headline 
"Chicago  Twins  Meet  Yoruba  Twins''.^ 

Thirty-three  years  to  the  day  after  this  photo  was 
published,  the  Museum  Loan  Network,  a  granting 
agency  based  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  officially  awarded  The  Field  Museum  a 
grant  of  $14,490  to  conserve,  photograph  and  research 
its  Yoruba  Collection.  Interestingly,  Stephen,  pictured 
here  on  the  left  (or  is  it  the  right?),  is  now  Head  of 
Collections  in  the  Department  of  Anthropology  and 
wrote  the  Museum  Loan  Network  grant  with  assis- 
tance from  Research  Associate  Deborah  Stokes  and 


Curator  of  African  Anthropology  Chap  Kusimba. 
Though  his  father  left  the  Museum  in  1970,  The  Field 
Museum  was  critical  in  helping  Steve  develop  a 
life-long  interest  in  the  natural  and  social  sciences. 
Some  of  his  earliest  and  fondest  memories  are  from 
The  Field  Museum  in  the  late  1960s,  including  a 
Department  of  Geology  fossil  hunting  trip  to  southern 
Illinois,  a  tour  through  the  insect  collections  in  the 
Department  of  Zoology  and  a  visit  to  the  Department 
of  Anthropology's  archaeological  field  school  at 
Vernon,  Arizona. 

After  completing  a  major  in  Anthropology  and 
Environmental  Studies  at  Grinnell  College  in  1986, 
Steve  pursued  graduate  study  in  archaeology  at  the 
University  of  Arizona  before  coming  to  the  Museum 
as  a  Post-Doctoral  Fellow  in  Anthropology  in  1997. 
He  was  promoted  to  his  current  position  in  August 
1999  and  looks  forward  to  renewing  an  old  friendship 
with  Yoruba  twins.  Peter  became  an  economics  major 
at  Macalester  College  and  went  on  to  earn  an  M.B.A. 
at  the  University  of  Southern  California.  He  is  now  a 
stock  and  market  surveillance  analyst  with  Thomson 
Financial  Investor  Relations  in  Oak  Brook,  IL.  ITF 

Siroto,  Leon,  1967.  "Twins  of  Yorubaland"  Field  Museum  of  Natural 
History  Bulletin  38(7):4. 

The  statues  in  each  photograph  are  catalog  numbers  210116  and  210118, 
acquired  by  t/jc  Museum  in  1957  from  Dr.  William  Bascom  of  San 
Francisco,  who  collected  them  at  Oyo,  Nigeria,  at  an  unknown  date. 


12     IN  THE  FIELD 


Field  Tidbits 


'   Ask  a  Scientist 


Do  you  have  a  question  for  one  of 
our  scientists?  If  so,  filease  send  it  to 
the  Publications  Department,  The 
Field  Museum,  T400  South  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605,  or 
via  e-mail  to  shines@fmnh.org.  Only 
questions  published  in  the  magazine 
will  be  answered.  An  archive  of 
questions  and  answers  that  have 
appeared  in  past  issues  can  be 
found  at  www.fieldmuseum.org. 
askascientist.htm. 


Can  I  see  Sue  even  if  I  don't 
live  in  Chicago? 

Two  identical  Field  Museum,  A  T-rex 
Named  Sue,  exhibitions  sponsored  by 
McDonald's  Corporation  will  travel 
simultaneously  to  cities  across  the 
country.  The  tours  began  at  Boston's 
Museum  of  Science  on  June  21,  2000, 
and  Honolulu's  Bishop  Museum  on 
July  15,  2000.  The  exhibitions  will 
spend  approximately  three  months  in 
each  city  on  the  tour.  A  current  list  of 
cities  hosting  A  T-rex  Named  Sue  can 
be  found  at  www.fieldmuseum. 
orglsueltravel.  The  centerpiece  of  the 
exhibition  is  a  breathtaking  life-sized 
articulated  cast  skeleton  of  Sue.  The 
exhibition  tells  the  amazing  story  of 
this  fossil  through  video  footage, 


freestanding  interactive  exhibits,  col- 
orful graphics  and  touchable  casts  of 
bones.  Interactive  anatomical  models 
will  allow  visitors  to  control  the 
movements  of  a  T.  rex's  jaw,  tail, 
neck  and  forelimbs.  Visitors  can  put 
together  a  large  format  3D  puzzle 
of  Sue's  skeleton,  see  the  Cretaceous 
world  through  Sue's  eyes,  experience 
an  eye-level  view  of  Sue's  massive 
skull  and  touch  models  of  Sue's 
dagger-like  12"  long  teeth. 

Marlene  Rothacker 
Project  Administrator 
The  Field  Museum 


Celebrate  the  Past,  Present 

AND  Future  of  Field  Museum  Anthropology 


The  Cultural  Collections  Committee  and  the  Depart- 
ment of  Anthropology  are  planning  a  two-day  event 
to  Celebrate  a  Century  of  anthropology  at  The  Field 
Museum.  Dr.  Gary  Feinman,  Curator  of  Mesoamer- 
ican  Archaeology  and  Ethnology  and  Chair  of  the 
Department  of  Anthropology  will  serve  as  host  and 
moderator  for  a  symposium  beginning  at  4  p.m. 
Sunday,  October,  22  followed  by  cocktails  and  dinner 
on  Monday,  October,  23  at  5:30  p.m. 

The  keynote  speaker  on  Sunday,  October  22,  will 
be  Dr.  David  Wilcox  of  the  Museum  of  Northern 
Arizona  who  will  present  Curating  Field  Anthropology — 
Why  Remembering  Matters.  Following  this  presentation, 
anthropologists  Jonathan  Haas  of  the  Field  Museum, 
Elaine  Bluhm  Herold  of  the  State  University  of  New 
York  at  Buffalo,  Alice  Kehoe  of  Marquette  University 
and  Don  McVicker  of  North  Central  College  in 
Naperville  will  comment  on  Wilcox's  presentation  and 
offer  their  own  perspectives  on  the  legacy  and  future 
of  Field  Museum  anthropology. 

On  Monday,  October  23,  at  5:30  p.m.,  guests  will 
gather  for  cocktails  and  have  the  opportunity  to  exam- 
ine artifacts  from  Field  Museum  storerooms,  hunt  for 
objects  that  have  been  on  exhibit  since  the  1893 


World's  Columbian  Exposition  and  enjoy  a  slide  show 
on  the  history  of  Field  Museum  anthropology.  Dinner 
will  begin  at  7  and  will  be  accompanied  by  short  his- 
torical presentations  by  Sibel  Barut  on  Henry  Field, 
the  Old  World,  and  paleolithic  archaeology;  Ben 
Bronson  on  Berthold  Laufer  and  Asian  anthropology; 
Steve  Nash  on  George  Dorsey,  Paul  Martin,  and 
North  American  anthropology;  and  John  Terrell 
on  A.B.  Lewis  and  Pacific  anthropology. 


Lecture  Presentation  Only 

October  22 

$12  ($10  students/ educator 

&  $8  members) 

For  more  information,  please 

contact  The  Education  Department 

at  312.665.7400 

Lecture  Presentation 
and  Dinner 

October  22  &  23 

$100 

For  more  information,  please 

contact  Stephanie  Powell 

at  312.665.7132 


SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  2000     13 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


For  more  information  or  free  brochures,  please  call  Field  Museum  Tours 
at  800.811.7244,  or  send  them  an  e-mail  at  fmtours@sover.net.  Please  note 
that  rates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subject  to  change  and  that  prices  are 
per  person,  double  occupancy. 


Central  America  Under  Sail 

February  10-25,  2001 
Duration:  16  days 
Museum  Leader.  Botanist 
William  Burger 
Price:  Starts  at  $7,990,  not 
including  airfare 

The  Natural  Wonders  of  Hawaii 

February  14-24,  2001 
Duration:  1 1  days 
Museum  Leaders: 
Zoologist  Harold  Voris 
Price:  $5,545  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

The  Natural  and  Cultural 
History  of  Tsavo:  A  Luxury 
Tented  Safari  Through  the 
Land  of  the  Man-eaters 

March  3-  17,  2001 
Duration:  15  days 
Museum  Leaders:  Zoologist 
Bruce  Patterson,  archaeologists 
Chap  and  SIbel  Kuslmba,  and 
ecologlst  Barbara  Harney 
Price:  $8,800,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago. 

Baja:  Among  the  Great  Whales 

March  9 -17,  2001 
Duration:  9  days 
Museum  Leader:  Zoologist 
Janet  Voight 
Price:  Starts  at  $2,990, 
not  including  airfare 


Each  winter  grey  whales  migrate 
south  from  their  arctic  feeding  grounds 
to  breed  and  rear  their  young  in 
Baja's  sheltered  lagoons.  In  March 
2001  join  Dr.  Janet  Voight  to  learn 
about  whale  behavior. 

Amazon  by  Riverboat 

December  9-17 

Duration:  9  days 

Museum  Leader:  Botanist 

William  Burger 

Price:  $3,598,  Including  airfare 

from  Chicago 

Egyptian  Odyssey 

January  21  -  February  4,  2001 
Duration:  1 5  days 
Museum  Leaders:  Frank  Yurco, 
Egyptologist  and  Research 
Associate  at  The  Field  Museum 
Price:  $5,550,  Including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Classic  Tanzania  Safari: 
Wildebeest  Migration 

January  22  -  February  4,  2001 
Duration:  14  days 

Museum  Leaders:  Zoologists  William 
Stanley  and  Mary  Ann  Rogers 
Price:  $7,940,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 


On  the  Drawing  Board 

Ancient  Wonders  of  Israel  3/01 
Treasures  of  Oaxaca  4/01 
Archaeology  of  Southwest  USA  5/01 


"Hie  isolation  of  the  Hawaiian  Archipelagos,  has  allowed 
much  of  the  island's  extraordinary  geology  and  biology  to 
remain  undisturbed.  The  February  2001  tour,  led  by  Dr. 
Harold  Voris,  studies  Hawaii's  marine  life  through  tide 
pooling,  snorkeling  and  whale-watching. 

Costa  Rica  Adventure 

February  25  -  March  6,  2001 
Duration:  10  days 
Museum  Leader:  Botanist 
William  Burger 

Price:  $3,995,  Including  airfare 
from  Chicago 

Circumnavigation  of  Crete 

May  3-13,  2001 

Duration:  11  days 

Museum  Leader:  Archaeologist 

David  Reese  and  anthropologist 

Catherine  Sease. 

Price:  $3,795  and  higher, 

not  including  airfare 


For  the  first  time,  the  Field  Museum 
is  sponsoring  a  trip  to  Tsavo  National 
Park  in  Kenya  led  by  four  Field 
Museum  scientists. 


Travelers  will  explore  this  rugged,  pristine  park  in 
depth,  studying  its  incredible  fauna,  fiora,  geology,  overall 
ecology  and  human  history.  Also  see  Amboseli  National 
Park's  large,  well-researched  herds  of  elephants. 


INTHEFIELD 

The     Field     Museum's     Member     Publication 


November 
December 
2000 


^•^'^^Htii  'm^ 


The  Endurance 

Shackletons  Legendary 
Antarctic  Expedition 

Through  January  15,  2001 

Mounds,  Myths 
and  Museums    . 

The  Hopewell  Culture 
of  Central  Ohio 


From  the  President 


Innovation  Rooted 
IN  Tradition 


Because  they  amass  collections, 
museums  are  frequently  viewed 
as  storehouses  of  the  past.  While 
a  good  museum  carefully  preserves 
the  past,  a  great  museum  finds 
new  ways  to  bring  its  resources 
to  the  public.  The  vitality  of 
a  great  museum  lies  in  the  inter- 
play between  traditional  and 
new  approaches  to  museum- 
based  learning. 

Consider  the  Harris  Educa- 
tional Loan  program.  When  it 
began  in  1911,  a  truck  carried 
boxes  of  specimens  and  objects  to 
classrooms  throughout  Chicago  to 
establish  a  branch  of  the  Museum 
in  every  school.  Today,  Harris 
provides  teachers  with  access 
to  interactive  experience  boxes, 
miniature  dioramas  and  other 
resources.  Every  year,  these  materi- 
als teach  more  than  300,000  area 
students  about  nature  and  culture. 

A  more  recent  example  of  the 
portable  outreach  museum  is  the 
Soil  Adventure  Museum  or  SAM. 
Launched  last  year  as  an  extension 
of  "Underground  Adventure,"  SAM 
trucks  bring  the  world  of  soil  to 


life  for  thousands  in  schools  and 
community  organizations  from 
as  close  as  Chicago  to  as  far  away 
as  Washington,  D.C.,  and  St. 
Louis,  Missouri. 

Creative  partnerships  also  help 
us  stimulate  learning  far  outside 
the  Museum's  doors.  One  partner- 
ship with  an  indigenous 
community  in  South  America  is 
helping  its  citizens  protect  and 
study  endangered  turtles  along  the 
rivers  of  eastern  Ecuador.  The 
Cofan  are  also  sharing  what  they 
know  and  learn  with  other  South 
American  communities  through 
displays,  posters  and  illustrated 
technical  booklets. 

While  one  tradition  brings  the 
Museum  to  the  public,  it  remains 
important  to  bring  the  public  to 
the  Museum.  We  are  on  a  pace  to 
welcome  350,000  school  visitors  by 
the  end  of  2000 — an  increase  from 
317,000  visits  last  year. 

In  1999,  we  created  the  Field 
Ambassadors  program  to  extend 
our  reach  into  the  classroom  and 
encourage  increased  school  visits 
to  the  Museum.  This  program 
familiarizes  teachers,  known  as 
Field  Ambassadors,  with  the 
Museum's  resources  so  they,  in 
turn,  can  provide  exciting,  effective 
and  unforgettable  learning  experi- 
ences for  their  students.  This  year, 
64  Field  Ambassadors  are  exposing 
more  than  3,000  students  to  the 
wonders  of  natural  science,  and 
visits  from  these  schools  have 
increased  dramatically. 

Our  Dozin'  with  the  Dinos  pro- 
gram allows  children  and  their 
families  to  spend  the  night  in  the 
Museum.  Here  they  enjoy  flash- 
light tours  of  exhibitions, 
art-related  activities  and  educa- 
tional performances.  During  the 
2000-2001  school  year,  we  will  wel- 
come close  to  7,000  people  through 
14  of  these  special  evenings. 


We  are  constantly  exploring 
new  ways  of  how  technology  can 
introduce  students  to  all  this 
Museum  offers.  Starting  next 
month,  for  example,  you  can  once 
again  share  in  the  process  of  dis- 
covery as  Dr.  Gary  Feinman  and  a 
team  of  Chinese  and  American 
archeologists  excavate  an  ancient 
site  in  China.  Regular  e-mail 
updates  and  digital  photographs 
give  participants  in  this  virtual 
archeological  expedition  a  first- 
hand view  of  scientific  exploration. 

We  also  offer  multimedia  educa- 
tional programs  called  e-fieldtrips, 
which  feature  live  broadcasts  of 
field  research  and  supporting 
online  curriculum  activities.  The 
broadcasts  have  enabled  more  than 
5  million  students  to  participate 
in  scientific  investigation  by  giving 
them  access  to  our  scientists,  col- 
lections and  field  research  sites. 
The  online  activities  allow  students 
to  conduct  scientific  experiments 
of  their  own.  Since  the  first  e-field- 
trip  in  1999,  the  program  has 
broadcast  from  a  working  dinosaur 
dig  in  Grand  Junction,  Colorado, 
to  the  live  Sue  unveiling  this  past 
May,  which  an  estimated  3  million 
students  viewed. 

These  are  only  a  few  examples. 
We  constantly  develop  new 
workshops,  symposia  and  other 
programs  to  serve  students,  teach- 
ers, families,  younger  learners  and 
older  adults.  Now  that  2000  signi- 
fies another  successful  chapter 
in  the  Museum's  history,  we  look 
forward  to  bringing  you  exciting 
developments  in  2001. 

John  W.  McCarter  Jr. 
Preiicient  £r  CEO 


What  do  you  think  about  /n  the  Field? 


Please  send  comments  or  questions  to  Amy  Cranch,  publications  manager. 
The  Field  Museum,  1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496, 
or  via  e-mail  at  acranch@fmnh.org. 


Inside 


Anthropologists  Stephen  E.  Nash 
and  Jonathan  R.  Haas  explore 
the  facts  and  fiction  of  the  Ohio 
Hopewell  moundbuilders. 


The  Cofan,  an  indigenous  group 
from  Ecuador,  are  saving  endan- 
gered river  turtles  and  teaching 
other  communities  and  countries 
how  to  participate. 


Fun  member  events  and  savings 
will  light  up  your  holidays. 


10 


The  Field  Museum  Library  joins 
the  digital  movement. 

Your  Guide 
to  The  Field 

Whether  it's  a  polar  expedition, 
Puerto  Rican  guitar  concert  or 
dinosaur  festival  for  the  family, 
find  the  activity  that  suits  you 
in  our  complete  schedule  for 
November  and  December. 


Grizzly  bear  tooth  inlaid  with 
freshwater  pearl. 


^ 

k  ^ 

At  the  Field,  Roberto  Aguinda 
(right)  explains  how  the  Cofan 
rescue  endangered  turtles  to  a 
Shipibo  chief  from  eastern  Peru, 
Jose  Roque  Maynas. 


Detail  from  the  Common 
American  Wild  Cat,  Plate  I,  in 
J.  J.  Audubon,  The  Viviparous 
Quadrupeds  of  North  America 
(1845-1848) 


INTHEFIELD 


November/December  2000,  Vol.71,  No. 6 

Editor: 

Amy  E.  Cranch,  The  Field  Museum 

Consultant: 

Lisa  Laske,  k/g  communications,  ltd. 

Designer: 

Hayward  Blake  &  Company 

Copy  editor: 
Laura  F.  Nelson 

In  the  Field  (ISSN  #1051-4546)  is  published 
bimonthly  by  The  Field  Museum.  Copyright 
2000  The  Field  Museum.  Annual  subscriptions 
are  $20;  $10  for  schools.  Museum  membership 
includes  In  the  Field  subscnption.  Opinions 
expressed  by  authors  are  their  own  and  do  not 
necessanly  reflect  the  policy  of  The  Field  Museum. 
Notification  of  address  change  should  include 
address  label  and  should  be  sent  to  the  member- 
ship department.  POSTMASTER:  Send  address 
changes  to  In  the  Field,  The  Field  Museum,  1400 
South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605-2496. 
Periodicals  postage  paid  at  Chicago,  Illinois. 

This  issue's  cover  photograph,  "The  Endurance 
keeling  over"  by  Frank  Hurley,  1915,  ©  Royal 
Geographical  Society  can  be  viewed  in  the  exhi- 
bition, "The  Endurance:  Shackleton's  Legendary 
Antarctic  Expedition." 


TV  Field 


% 


useum 


The  Field  Museum  salutes  the  people 
of  Chicago  for  their  long-standing 
generous  support  of  the  Museum 
through  the  Chicago  Park  Distrirt. 

The  Field  Museum 

1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive 

Chicago,  IL  60605-2496 

ph  312.922.9410 
wvvw.fieldmuseum.org 


Museum  Campus  Neighbors 


Shedd  Aquarium 


Looking  for  a  New  Year's  celebration 
the  whole  family  can  enjoy?  Join  Shedd 
Aquarium  for  its  traditional  Kiddie  New 
Year,  Sunday,  Dec.  31,  from  3  to  6  p.m. 
This  family-oriented  party  features  crafts, 
games,  refreshments,  entertainment  and  a 
noisy  "midnight"  countdown  to  2001  that 
even  the  littlest  revelers  can  stay  awake 
for.  Admission  is  $35  for  adults  and  $30  for 
children  (ages  3  to  11)  and  seniors.  Children 
age  2  and  under  attend  free.  All  children 
must  be  accompanied  by  an  adult. 
Reservations  are  required;  call  Shedd 
at  312.692.3333. 


Adler  Planetarium 

Visit  Adler  on  Friday  nights  through  mid- 
April  for  a  free  telescope  viewing  of 
exploding  stars.  For  more  in-depth  learning, 
participate  in  our  extensive  lecture  pro- 
grams. Call  312.322.0323  for  dates  and  costs 
on  the  secrets  of  black  holes,  the  beauty  in 
physics  and  the  accelerating  universe,  or  the 
discovery  of  pulsar  planets  beyond  our  solar 
system.  Call  312.322.0329  to  register  for  a 
free  Oct.  22  Webster  Lecture  on  "Tombs, 
Temples  and  Their  Orientation:  Adventures 
in  Mediterranean  Archeology."  Or,  take  an 
Education  Department  class  on  stargazing 


for  beginners,  previewing  the  fall  and  win- 
ter skies,  the  remarkable  work  of  legendary 
Polish  astronomers,  and  more.  For  class 
information,  call  312.322.0551. 

The  Field  Museum 

See  the  Calendar  Section  for  a  list  of 
programs  and  exhibitions  offered  in 
November  and  December. 


NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     1 


Mounds,  Myths  and  Museums: 

The  Hopewell  Culture  of  Central  Ohio, 

100  B.C.-A.D.  400 

Stephen  E.  Nash  and  Jonathan  R.  Haas,  Department  of  Anthropology 


StAx^^i  • 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUMA:SA39651 


Early  archaeological  rendering  of  the  Hopewell  Site,  including  plan  and  cross  sections. 


2     IN  THE  FIELD 


In  the  land  we  call  Ohio,  a  sophisticated,  flamboyant 
and  prosperous  people  thrived  2,000  years  ago.  Known 
by  archaeologists  as  the  Ohio  Hopewell,  they  were 
successful  gatherers,  hunters,  gardeners  and  engineers. 
They  built  large  ritual  and  burial  mounds  without  the 
aid  of  draft  animals  such  as  horses  or  oxen,  traded  all 
over  North  America  without  knowledge  of  the  wheel, 
and  developed  sophisticated  naturalistic  and  geometric 
art  forms  and  styles  that  distinguished  them  from 
other  cultures  across  the  continent. 

Developing  our  understanding  of  Hopewell  culture 
is  a  story  of  anthropological  research  at  The  Field 
Museum,  from  the  earliest  excavations  in  the  1890s 
through  collections-based  research  today. 

Who  were  the  Ohio  Hopewell? 

The  Ohio  Hopewell  were  one  of  dozens  of  prehistoric, 
largely  autonomous  cultures  present  all  over  North 
America  2,000  years  ago.  Recent  radiocarbon  dating 
of  organic  remains  in  The  Field  Museum  collection 
by  Dr.  N'omi  Greber,  curator  of  archaeology  at  the 
Cleveland  Museum  of  Natural  History,  has  confirmed 
that  the  Hopewell  thrived  between  approximately  100 
B.C.  and  A.D.  400.  Their  cultural  center  was  located  in 
southern  Ohio,  and  the  Hopewell  Site,  for  which  the 
culture  is  named,  is  now  part  of  the  Hopewell  Culture 
National  Historic  Park  near  Chillicothe,  Ohio. 

The  Ohio  Hopewell  survived  in  a  lush  environment 
by  gathering  wild  plants,  nuts  and  seeds,  and  hunting 
wild  deer,  turkey  and  fishes.  Though  maize  horticul- 
ture was  introduced  to  the  Ohio  Hopewell  by  about 
A.D.  100,  they  were  never  full-time  maize  agricultural- 
ists and  instead  tended  local  oily  (e.g.,  sumpweed  and 
sunflower)  and  starchy  (e.g.,  goosefoot,  maygrass,  erect 
knotweed,  little  barley)  seeds  and 
plants.  They  did,  however, 
make  ritual  use  of  corn  to 
supplement  their  already 
diverse  diet.  Despite  their 
relatively  well-balanced  diet, 
life  was  not  always  easy. 
Physical  ailments,  including 
arthritis,  rickets,  osteoporosis, 
tuberculosis  and  syphilis, 
plagued  individuals,  and  the 
average  life  expectancy  was 
much  shorter  than  it  is  today. 

What  makes  the  Ohio 
Hopewell  so  unusual  among 
prehistoric  North  American 
populations?  Two  things  — 
mounds  and  objects.  Burial  and 
ceremonial  mounds  of  various 
shapes  and  sizes,  including  snakes, 
spirals  and  vast  complexes  of  Copper  celt. 


Effigy  fii"''^"^- 


circles,  squares  and  walled  enclosures  dotted  the  land. 
The  mounds,  often  containing  elaborate  funerary 
structures  and  ceremonial  artifacts,  ranged  from  small, 
simple,  single-burial  mounds  to  large,  multiple-acre 
mounds  constructed  to  honor  the  elite,  as  indicated  by 
the  sheer  mass  of  mounds  and  the  exotic  raw  materials 
and  objects  buried  with  the  dead. 

The  Ohio  Hopewell  did  not  live  on  these  large 
mounds,  however.  They  lived  in  small  homesteads 
and  camps  of  one  to  a  few  households  each, 
evenly  dispersed  across  the  valleys  and  orga- 
nized around  mound  sites.  It  is  difficult 
to  reconstruct  prehistoric  societies  without 
written  records,  yet  we  do  know  that  the 
Ohio  Hopewell's  social  and  political  systems 
changed  during  their  500-year  history. 
It  is  likely  that  leadership  was  determined 
through  social  custom,  familial  lineage, 
persuasion  and  individual  abilities  and 
accomplishments. 

Ohio  Hopewell  ritual  and  burial 
deposits  contain  a  bewildering  variety  of 
finished  artifacts  and  exotic  raw  material, 
often  fashioned  into  ceremonial  objects, 
from  all  over  North  America.  Copper  from  Lake 
Superior's  shores  became  ear  spools,  celts,  plaques  and 
headdresses.  Freshwater  pearls  and  grizzly  bear  teeth 
from  the  northern  Rocky  Mountains  were  used  to 
make  necklaces  and  ornaments.  Mica  sheets  from 
eastern  Tennessee  were  fabricated  into  silhouette  and 
cutout  forms  of  geometric  and  naturalistic  objects. 
Soft  pipestone  was  ground  into  ornate  pipes  with 
human  and  animal  effigy  forms.  Obsidian  from 
Wyoming's  Yellowstone  area  and  crystal  quartz  were 
shaped  into  extremely  large  blades  and  other  stone 
tool  forms.  Interestingly,  each  raw  material  and  fin- 
ished artifact  is  uniquely  distributed  across  space  and 
through  time,  suggesting  that  the  Hopewell  exchanged 
with  a  vast  array  of  groups  across  North  America  at 
any  given  moment. 

Sometime  around  A.D.  400  the  Hopewell  trade 
networks  collapsed,  inter-regional  art  styles  disap- 
peared, and  moundbuilding  activity  in  the  core  Ohio 
Hopewell  area  ceased.  Archaeological  evidence  does 
not  explain  why,  though  a  complex  combination  of 
social,  environmental  and  other  factors  probably  dis- 
rupted the  balance  Ohio  Hopewell  culture  had  enjoyed 
for  five  centuries.  It  is  important,  however,  that  we 
resist  saying  the  Ohio  Hopewell  "mysteriously  disap- 
peared." Rather,  they  changed  the  way  they  lived  off 
the  land  and,  like  other  well-known  ancient  cultures, 
faded  from  their  dominant  position.  Descendants 
of  the  Ohio  Hopewell  exist  in  Native  American 
populations  today. 


NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     3 


Obsidian  blade. 


The  Hopewell  Site  and  Collection 

The  Hopewell  Site  at  Paint  Creek  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  is  massive,  with  at  least  38  mounds  scattered 
over  about  110  acres.  Its  most  prominent  feature  is 
a  rectangular  earthwork  enclosing  more  than  99  acres 
that  follows  the  contours  of  the  creeks  north  fork. 
A  smaller  square  earthwork  conjoins  the  enclosure's 
eastern  side,  and  another  D-shaped  enclosure 
surrounds  the  largest  mound  inside  the  larger 
rectangular  enclosure. 

The  contents  of  Hopewell  Site  mounds  are 

impressive.  Mound  2  held  more  than  8,000 
chipped  stone  disks  made  of  Knife  River 
flint  from  South  Dakota.  Mound  11,  two 
feet  high  and  45  feet  in  diameter,  con- 
tained a  ritual  cremation  deposit  with 
nearly  500  pounds  of  obsidian  from 
Yellowstone  National  Park  in  Wyoming. 
Mound  17  contained  one  individual 
buried  with  3,000  sheets  of  mica,  a  silicate 
mineral  from  eastern  Tennessee  and  south- 
western North  Carolina,  and  200  pounds  of 
galena,  a  bluish  gray  mineral  that  forms  in 
perfect  cubes  in  western  Illinois  and  elsewhere. 
Mound  25,  the  largest  and  arguably  most 
complex  mound  at  the  Hopewell  Site,  consisted 
of  three  segments  that  covered  a  central  building 
complex  flanked  by  plaza  areas.  It  is  500  feet  long, 
180  feet  wide,  30  feet  high  and  contained  more 
than  250  burials.  The  central  buildings,  which  housed 
burials  and  groups  of  artifacts,  including  one  with  150 
ceremonial  obsidian  spear  points  and  63  copper  celts, 
were  destroyed  before  the  final  construction  of  the 
mound.  Layered  deposits  indicate  that  these  mounds 
were  used  over  generations  of  time.  In  short.  Mound 
25,  and  others  like  it,  was  not  constructed  as  a  mound 
per  se;  it  was  constructed  to  cover  ritual  and  ceremonial 
spaces  filled  with  deposits  of  exotic  raw  materials  or 
finished  artifacts. 

The  Hopewell  Site  stands  out  in  Ohio  Hopewell 
culture.  It  is  more  massive,  elaborate  and  com- 
plex. It  has  received  the  most  archaeological 
attention,  particularly  because  of  its  artifact 
types  and  features.  And  it  has  greatly  influ- 
enced our  understanding  of  Hopewell  life. 

Recent  Research 

The  Field  Museum  and  the  Ohio  Historical 
Society  now  curate  the  massive  collections  created 
from  the  first  expeditions  in  the  1890s  and  1920s. 
The  Kalamazoo  Valley  Museum  greatly  enhanced  our 
collection  this  year  with  a  major  donation,  including 


at  least  45  objects  that  we  had  given  them  in  1931,  and 
they  are  now  giving  back.  The  new  objects  have  been 
fully  integrated  into  our  collections,  fascinating  archae- 
ologists who  continue  to  tease  additional  information 
from  the  vast  materials  yet  unanalyzed. 

To  enhance  research  access  to  our  rich  Hopewell 
collection,  we  recently  reorganized  and  computerized 
it  with  support  from  the  National  Endowment  for 
the  Humanities.  Recent  analyses  have  focused  on  a 
variety  of  topics  ranging  from  Hopewell  iconography 
to  geophysical  origins  of  silver  and  other  minerals,  to 
paleodemographic  and  paleopathology  analyses  of 
human  remains. 

In  1998,  The  Field  Museum  awarded  a  Karl  P. 
Schmidt  Fellowship  to  Dr.  Greber  to  obtain  new 
radiocarbon  dates  for  the  Hopewell  collection.  Because 
of  recent  technological  advancements  in  radiocarbon 
dating,  it  is  now  possible  to  derive  dates  from  very 
small  samples  of  organic  materials,  such  as  bits  of 
wood,  plants,  textiles  or  bone.  In  1999,  Greber  gath- 
ered organic  samples  from  pieces  in  the  collection  and 
submitted  them  to  a  radiocarbon  dating  laboratory. 
We  now  have  10  radiocarbon  dates  for  the  Hopewell 
Site,  when  we  previously  only  had  three,  that  reinforce 
our  belief  that  the  Hopewell  lived  between  100  B.C. 
and  A.D.  400. 

Earlier  this  year.  Dr.  Christopher  Carr,  professor 
of  anthropology  at  Arizona  State  University,  analyzed 
copper  plaques  and  ornaments  using  digital  photogra- 
phy, electron  microprobes  and  image  enhancement 
techniques.  He  was  trying  to  determine  whether  the 
Ohio  Hopewell  attached  materials  such  as  pigments, 
textiles  or  shells  to  the  plaques  to  enhance  their 
visual  imagery  and  symbolism.  Carr's  technologically 
sophisticated  analyses  testify  to  the  value  of  curating 
museum  collections,  for  his  insights 
help  us  better  understand  the 
fascinating  world  of  the  prehis- 
toric Ohio  Hopewell. 

Conclusion 

The  Field  Museum  had,  and  will 
continue  to  have  an  integral  part  in 
understanding  the  Hopewell 
culture.  From  one  of  the  early 
successes  of  scientific  archae- 
ology —  refuting  the  Myth  of 
the  Moundbuilders  (see  page 
5)  —  to  applying  21st  century  technol- 
ogy in  the  study  of  prehistoric  cultures, 
Field  Museum  anthropologists  do  more  than  manage 
collections.  They  facilitate  the  creation  of  new 
knowledge.  ITF 


W^D  P'P^ 


4     IN  THE  FIELD 


The  Myth  of  the  Moundbuilders 


Early  Euro-American  attempts  to 
understand  the  source  and  function 
of  mounds  in  eastern  North  America 
resorted  to  pure,  unabashed  specula- 
tion based  on  Biblical,  historical  and 
mythical  texts.  Published  theories 
attributed  the  mounds  to  the  Asians, 
Celts,  Egyptians,  Hindus  and  other 
groups  that,  we  now  know,  never 
came  close  to  the  Americas  in  ancient 
times.  Other  theories,  later  known 
as  the  Lost  Race  Theory  or  the  Myth 
of  the  Moundbuilders,  held  that  a 
technically  advanced,  artistically 
sophisticated  super-race  of  Anglo  or 
Asian  origin  created  the  mounds  but 
then  disappeared  or  was  vanquished 
by  intruding  Native  Americans. 
Anthropologist  Donald  Blakeslee  has 
recently  found  archival  evidence  that 
the  Myth  of  the  Moundbuilders  may 
be  attributed  to  one  individual  — 
John  Rowzee  Peyton. 

In  1774,  the  intrepid,  creative  and 
socially  connected  Peyton  was 
arrested  for  unknown  reasons  in 
Santa  Fe,  N.M.  During  his  incar- 
ceration he  convinced  the  jailer's 
daughter  to  help  him  and  his  servant 
break  out  of  jail.  After  a  successful 
escape,  the  trio  acquired  an  old,  rudi- 
mentary map  of  the  American  West 
and  walked  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  During 
an  arduous  four-month  flight,  the 
trio  took  time  out  to  excavate  a  bur- 
ial mound  in  central  Kansas.  Though 
not  considered  scientific,  their  exca- 
vation constitutes  one  of  the  earliest 
documented  archaeological  exam- 
inations in  the  New  World.  Peyton's 
diaries  describe  the  investigations 
and  speculate  about  a  super-race 
of  technological  sophisticates  that 
created  the  mounds. 

The  Peyton  family  was  prominent 
in  Virginia's  political  and  intellectual 
circles,  befriending  such  notables  as 
Ben  Franklin  and  Patrick  Henry.  By 
the  time  John  Rowzee  Peyton  arrived 
in  Washington,  now  a  seasoned 
fugitive  and  partially  paralyzed 
Revolutionary  War  hero,  he  was  the 
talk  of  the  town.  Books  containing 
various  permutations  of  his  Myth  of 
the  Moundbuilders  were  published, 
and  resolving  who  constructed  the 
mounds,  as  well  as  other  mounds 
discovered  in  the  Southwest,  came  to 
dominate  the  archaeological  agenda 
between  the  1780s  and  the  1880s. 


Moorehead's  excavation  crew  at  their  field  camp,  1891. 


The  myth — inaccurate,  speculative 
and  fantastic  though  it  was — served 
several  socio-political  functions  that 
helped  maintain  its  appeal,  despite 
the  lack  of  material  evidence  to  sup- 
port it.  It  satisfied  romantic  notions 
that  superhuman  forces  created  the 
mounds;  it  justified  Euro-American 
emotional  prejudice  against  Native 
Americans  who,  they  believed, 
could  not  possibly  have  created  the 
mounds;  and  it  supported  Biblical 
and  mythical  explanations  of  other 
phenomena  around  the  world.  In 
short,  the  Myth  of  the  Mound- 
builders helped  European  Americans 
justify  exploitation  of  Native 
Americans  by  suggesting  that  they 
were  technologically  inferior,  or  had 
somehow  regressed,  from  the  sophis- 
ticated moundbuilder  culture. 

Serious  scholarly  attention  to  resolv- 
ing the  moundbuilder  question 
began  with  the  1820  publication 
of  Caleb  Atwater's  Archaeological 
Americana,  which  detailed  numerous 
mound  groups  in  Ohio  and  else- 
where but  did  not  attempt  to  explain 
their  origin.  Between  1825  and 
1840  political  events  such  as  moving 
Native  Americans  to  reservations 
did  nothing  to  dissuade  mound- 
builder believers. 

Ephraim  G.  Squire  and  Edwin  H. 
Davis  were  the  next  archaeologists  to 
tackle  the  issue  when,  in  1845,  they 


visited  and  mapped  the  Hopewell 
Site  and  excavated  four  or  five 
mounds.  In  1848,  Squire  and  Davis' 
report  was  published  as  the  first 
scholarly  contribution  of  the  newly 
founded  Smithsonian  Institution. 
Like  Atwater,  their  predecessor,  they 
offered  descriptions  but  not  explana- 
tions of  the  mounds,  and  for  the 
next  50  years,  almost  no  systematic 
field  research  was  conducted  on 
Ohio  Hopewell  sites. 

Warren  K.  Moorehead  supervised 
the  first  formal  excavations  of  the 
famous  Hopewell  Site  in  Ross  County, 
Ohio,  in  1891  and  1892.  Moorehead's 
excavations  collected  artifacts  for  the 
1893  World's  Columbian  Exposition 
at  Chicago  and  illuminated  the 
moundbuilder  problem.  As  he  wrote 
in  Primitive  Man  in  Ohio  in  1892, 
"The  purpose  of  our  book  is  to  do 
away  with  certain  of  these  illusions... 
The  time  has  come  when  we  prefer 
facts  to  flights  of  fancy."  Indeed,  the 
materials  he  recovered  became  part 
of  The  Field  Museum's  founding  col- 
lection in  1893  and  helped  slay  the 
mighty  Myth  of  the  Moundbuilders. 
Today,  a  richly  detailed  archaeologi- 
cal record  helps  us  recognize  that 
the  marvelous  mounds  and  material 
culture  of  the  Hopewell  were  the 
products  of  Native  American 
genius  and  creativity.   ITF 


NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     5 


Field  Updates 


Project  Toolbox:  Supporting  Community 
Conservation  in  the  Ecuadorian  Amazon 


Dan  Brinkmeier,  community  outreach  program  developer. 
Environmental  and  Conservation  Programs 

Zabalo,  Ecuador:  A  small  group  of  men  and  women 
cluster  around  the  glowing  screen  of  a  laptop  as  they 
tap  in  numbers  on  a  keyboard.  Others  take  turns 
reading  figures  from  their  hand-written  notes  in  their 
own  language,  Cofan.  The  data  they  enter  into  a 
spreadsheet  —  changes  in  the  river's  temperature  and 
level,  rainfall  and  the  number  of  turtle  eggs  found  in 
nests  —  will  be  used  to  help  the  Cofan  and  scientists 
understand  environmental  effects  on  endangered 
river  turtles. 

Suddenly,  chaos  erupts.  The  group  is  yelling  excit- 
edly in  Spanish, "It's  a  little  animal!"  A  man  runs  to 
tell  me  that  an  "animal"  is  in  the  computer!  I  see  that 
they  have  accidentally  activated  the  help  menu  and  are 
experiencing  21sr  century  technological  humor.  An 
animated  icon  of  a  bug-eyed  "paperclip  man"  wiggles 
and  whirls  across  the  blinking  screen  —  an  animal  that 
couldn't  exist  in  their  wildest  dreams.  I  close  out  the 
help  menu,  and  the  cartoon  paperclip  jumps  up,  spins 
around  and  disappears  from  the  screen,  the  Cofan 
laughing  and  waving  goodbye.  Modern  technology 
crashes  headlong  into  the  rainforest,  sometimes  with 
amusing  consequences. 

This  is  just  another  typical  day  for  Project 
Toolbox,  as  The  Field  Museum's  Environmental  and 


Conservation  Programs  (ECP)  collaborates  with 
an  indigenous  group  —  the  Cofan  —  to  recover  popu- 
lations of  two  species  of  endangered  river  turtles, 
Podocnemis  unifilis  and  Podocnemis  expansa.  This  commu- 
nity of  25  families  on  the  Aguarico  River,  deep  in  the 
Ecuadorian  rainforest,  collects  baby  turtles  from  their 
nests  on  the  river's  beaches,  and  then  raises  the  hatch- 
lings  for  one  year  before  releasing  them  back  into  the 
wild.  Larger,  and  with  harder  shells,  the  yearlings  have 
a  greater  chance  of  escaping  predation  and  surviving 
into  adulthood.  Combined  with  a  moratorium  on  turtle 
hunting  and  collection  of  eggs  for  food,  this  program  is 
increasing  the  number  of  turtles  in  the  Aguarico  River. 

For  conservationists,  the  key  to  this  successful  grass- 
roots effort  comes  from  within  the  community  itself. 
This  is  a  Cofan-based  initiative  that  capitalizes  on  their 
knowledge  of  the  environment.  Now,  in  collaboration 
with  The  Field  Museum  and  others,  the  Cofan  are 
showing  the  way  for  other  communities  as  well. 

But  the  rescue  of  endangered  turtles  is  not  the 
entire  story.  In  addition  to  collecting  data  and  informa- 
tion about  the  turtles  and  the  environment  for  nearly 
10  years,  the  Cofan  are  also  demonstrating  how  the 
rainforest  can  be  managed  in  a  sustainable  way  for 
future  generations.  A  gentle  society,  the  Cofan  have 
instituted  progressive  resource-use  regulations  on 
nearly  130,000  hectares  of  rainforest  now  under  their 
control.  Hunting  animals  such  as  turtles,  parrots  and 


Le/r:  ECP  stag  Sophie  Twichell  (standing  with  backpack) 
and  Tyana  Wachter  {lower  right),  along  with  turtle  project 
members,  carefully  open  a  turtle  nest  on  a  river  beach.  The 
baby  turtles  are  removed,  raised  in  ponds  for  one  year  and 
then  released  into  the  wild. 


Right:  Tfce  kids  in  Zdbalo  actively  help  save  turtles.  Elio 
Lucitante  holds  a  yearling  before  it  is  weighed,  measured  and 
marked  for  its  release. 


6     IN  THE  FIELD 


monkeys  is  prohibited,  and  restricted  hunting  zones 
around  the  village  allow  each  family  to  take  only  a 
certain  number  of  some  animal  species  each  year.  Using 
poisons  and  dynamite  for  fishing  is  prohibited.  Forest 
resources  are  also  protected,  and  families  cannot  sell 
wood  for  profit. 

These  self-imposed  environmental  management 
practices  starkly  contrast  the  uncontrolled  hunting  and 
logging  the  Cofan  see  around  them  on  lands  invaded 
by  colonists  or  other  indigenous  groups  pushed  out  of 
their  own  ancestral  lands  by  unregulated  development. 
The  Cofan  reserve  at  Zabalo  stands  as  a  sanctuary  of 
protected  rainforest  in  a  world  where  rivers  are  pol- 
luted with  oil  spills,  animals  have  disappeared  from 
habitats  and  forests  are  clear-cut  for  raising  cattle  and 
crops  that  exhaust  fragile  tropical  soils.  The  Cofan  are 
alarmed  and  struggle  to  combat  what  is  happening 
around  them. 

Museum  initiatives  with  the  Cofan  also  include 
ECP  s  Robin  Foster's  development  of  visual  reference 
guides  that  identify  local  plants  using  scientific  and 
Cofan  names,  and  labeling  trees  and  vines  along  an 
interpretive  trail  at  Zabalo.  As  part  of  this  ongoing 
collaboration  to  document  Cofan  knowledge  and  use 
of  plants,  Zabalo  president  Roberto  Aguinda  recently 
spent  eight  weeks  at  the  Museums  herbarium,  thanks 
to  a  gift  from  Mrs.  Robert  D.  Hyndman.  The  Cofan 
people  were  once  renowned  throughout  the 
Ecuadorian  Amazon  for  their  extensive  knowledge 
of  medicinal  plants,  and  that  heritage  now  benefits 
the  Museum. 

The  Cofan  realize  that  if  they  are  going  to  help 
protect  the  rainforest,  they  cannot  do  it  alone.  The 
community  of  Zabalo  controls  only  the  section  of 
the  Aguarico  River  that  runs  through  its  protected 
reserve,  and  since  river  turtles  do  not  know  the 
reserve's  boundaries,  the  Cofan  are  reaching  out  to 
other  communities  —  and  other  countries  —  to  include 
the  whole  watershed  in  their  conservation  efforts.  Afi:er 
learning  that  an  indigenous  community  in  Venezuela 
wanted  to  start  its  own  turtle  recovery  project,  Zabalo 
turtle  project  leader  Eduardo  Yiyoguaje  said,  "They're 
indigenous  people...  like  me...  and  they  need  our 
help."  And  while  working  with  the  Museum's  botany 
collection,  Aguinda  met  members  of  an  indigenous 
group  from  Peru,  the  Shipibo,  and  off^ered  Cofan 
expertise  to  the  Shipibo  when  they  start  a  turtle  con- 
servation project  of  their  own.  The  Shipibo,  in  return, 
ofi^ered  to  help  the  Cofan  relearn  how  to  produce 
pottery,  a  traditional  skill  the  Cofan  have  lost. 

To  get  their  word  out,  the  Museum  is  working  with 
the  Cofan  to  develop  their  own  educational  tools  such 
as  illustrated  books,  posters  and  small  exhibits  — 
appropriate  resources  for  a  rural  world  of  poor 
schooling  and  little  access  to  mass  media.  Early  last 
year  Museum  staflF  and  the  Cofan  designed  an  illus- 
trated technical  manual  depicting  the  rescue  and  care 
of  river  turtles  —  a  "comic  book  for  conservation."  Since 


Utilici  ant  btmbi  fttt  neitr  f  ^iri  llm^iar  It  ^Ueim  et^t  1 1 
li  iitttd  no  la  hau  la>  ehara^ilai  ^«tdan  anfarmarit. 

Motoro  bombaiccu  poi  ccoa'gi  ccovuga  sutsaen  cati'jcja  pisinamanda.  Tsambitatsu  charapachocco  pa'faya. 


(§) 


Vaeit  la  piscina  y  raeaja 
las  eliarapitas  en  baldas... 

Sutsaen  catipa  indija  chantpachoccoanda 
vande  jaccuga. 


Giyena'cho  tsu  ande  loya'caen  ccaqueje 
congumba  jin'choma  tsu  catiya'cho 


Isu'ccuiiia  ombaemba  cease  maenjan 
toe'ccugayi  charapamanda 


iui^»wwtH  tktiaf*  ttmtplM  UMi,  FMjailti  MrnlfMtl*  Mia.  tutht^  Pi^M 
jft    »  ulikmiltii  in  •!  FliM  MilMa,  ClilMit  II.UI).  Tfc'Ej," 


Above:  Page  from  bilingual  version 
of  the  turtle  conservation  technical 
booklet,  with  captions  in  Spanish 
and  Cofan.  The  Cofan  are  the  nar- 
rators in  the  drawings.  Versions 
in  other  indigenous  languages  are 
also  under  way. 

Left:  Boys  on  the  remote  Muyumanu 
River  in  northwestern  Bolivia  eagerly 
read  the  Cofan's  illustrated  technical 
manual  on  how  to  save  turtles. 


the  same  turtle  species  are  endangered  throughout  the 
Amazon,  other  versions  of  the  book  are  being  produced 
in  different  languages,  including  a  bilingual  version  in 
Cofan  and  Spanish. 

This  past  July  marked  the  grand  opening  of  the 
Turtle  Project  Information  Center  along  the  Aguarico 
River  at  Zabalo,  next  to  a  pond  in  which  last  year's 
baby  turtles  will  grow  until  they  are  released  next 
spring.  It  may  appear  rustic  compared  with  more  for- 
mal institutions,  and  may  not  receive  as  many  visitors, 
but  it  is  as  important  as  any  museum  in  the  world 
because  it  symbolizes  how  "citizen  scientists"  teaching 
other  people  just  like  themselves  is  what  the  future  of 
conservation  is  all  about.  It  all  starts  right  here  at  the 
ground  level,  with  the  Cofan  and  Project  Toolbox. 

Project  Toolbox  has  been  funded  in  part  by  the 
John  D.  and  Catherine  T.  MacArthur  Foundation, 
Patricia  Schnadig-Field  Dreams  and  the  Kaye  Family 
Foundation.  To  find  out  more  about  the  Cofan,  visit 
www.cofan.org.  ITF 


NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     7 


Field  Notes 


Gift  Giving  Simplified  at  The  Field  Museum  Store 


Lisa  G.  Laske 

Every  holiday  season  the  same  troubling  thoughts 
dance  like  sugarplums  in  my  head.  What  do  I  give 
my  friends  and  family  who  seem  to  have  everything? 
Where  can  I  shop  to  find  unique,  one-of-a-kind 
gifts  that  fit  my  budget?  After  a  visit  to  see  Sue  the 
T.  rex,  the  answer  hit  me — The  Field  Museum  Store. 
I  receive  a  10  percent  discount  as  a  member,  my 
purchases  support  education  and  research  at  the 
Museum,  and  the  array  of  merchandise  is  amazing! 
If  jewelry  lovers  are  on  your  list,  this  is  the  place 
for  unique  pieces.  Personalized  cartouche  necklaces, 
styled  after  the  nameplates  and  seals  used  by  ancient 
pharaohs,  are  handcrafted  by  Egyptian  artists  and 
shipped  direct  from  Egypt.  The  cartouches  translate 
English  names  or  words  such  as  "peace"  into  hiero- 
glyphics. If  your  taste  leans  toward  turquoise  and 
beads,  consider  Native  American  jewelry.  Using  a 
design  technique  called  "symmetry,"  Navajo  artisans 
focus  on  the  center  of  each  piece  and  work  outward 
to  create  intricate  designs.  I  also  found  a  beautiful 


A  delight  for  all  ages  and  interests.  The  Field  Museum  Store 
is  a  New  World  marketplace  embodying  the  extraordinary 
diversity  for  which  the  Museum  itself  is  so  well  known. 


display  of  Native  American  fetishes,  small  stone 
carvings  used  to  invoke  protection,  luck,  fertility 
and  healing  through  an  association  with  the  animal 
it  represents.  My  favorite  is  the  horned  toad,  said 
to  bring  good  luck! 

Teapots,  vases,  copperware,  bookends  and  silk 
scarves  can  all  be  found  within  15  feet  of  one  another. 
This  year's  Egypt  in  Chicago:  Festival  of  the  Sun  has 
set  the  trend  for  collecting  Egyptian  artifacts,  such 
as  a  pair  of  Pharaoh  bookends  or  a  delicate  glass- 
blown  perfume  bottle.  Tea  lovers  would  relish  Korean 
Celadon  pottery  teapots,  replicas  of  Koryo  Dynasty 
(A.D.  918-1392)  pottery  with  their  characteristic  green 
hue.  Pick  up  one  of  the  numerous  books  on  tea  as  a 
perfect  companion  to  the  teapots. 

For  me  the  gifi:'s  origin  often  holds  as  much  mean- 
ing as  the  gift  itself.  The  store's  copperware  from 
Nepal  has  a  wonderful  tale.  Beautifully  decorative 
and  useful  hand-hammered  artifacts  made  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Association  for  Craft  Producers 
support  indigenous  craft-focused  development  organi- 
zations in  Nepal.  The  24  blacksmiths  come  from 
low-income  social  groups  that  do  not  own  land  and 
depend  on  copper  making  for  their  livelihood.  In  fact, 
the  Museum  supports  many  impoverished  nations 
by  purchasing  local  artifacts  to  sell  in  the  store. 

If  you  are  looking  for  the  written  word,  the  store 
offers  books  to  please  any  friend  or  relative  with  an 
eclectic  taste  in  literature.  Colorful  field  guides  can 
help  nature  enthusiasts  identify  birds,  trees,  flowers 
and  other  wildlife.  Cookbooks  featuring  global  foods 
and  flavors  might  inspire  a  different  holiday  dinner, 
or  select  from  numerous  books  about  religions  around 
the  world.  For  the  armchair  academic  the  store  carries 
more  than  30  titles  written  by  Field  Museum  scientists 
ranging  from  memoirs  of  a  paleontologist  to  the  man- 
eating  lions  of  Tsavo  to  tree-ring  dating.  For  young 
readers,  Jan  Wahl's  The  Field  Mouse  and  the  Dinosaur 
Named  Sue  (Scholastic  Inc.,  2000)  is  a  delightful 
tale  told  by  a  curious  mouse  of  how  Sue  came  to 
The  Field  Museum. 

Cookbooks,  vases,  candles,  birdhouses  and  hun- 
dreds of  children's  games,  books  and  t-shirts  —  the 
list  runs  long.  I  can't  think  of  a  better  way  to  prepare 
for  the  holidays  than  touring  my  favorite  Field 
Museum  exhibits  and  then  finding  rare  gifts  in  the 
store  for  those  hard-to-buy-for  friends  and  relatives. 
The  store  is  open  daily  from  10  a.m.  to  5  p.m.,  and 
some  items  can  be  purchased  via  phone  or  mail  forms 
located  at  www.fieldmuseum.org.  For  additional  store 
information,  call  312.665.7694.  ITF 


8     IN  THE  FIELD 


Membership  News 


Notes  on  Shopping  Days,  Programs  and  Visiting  Guests 


Member  Double  Discount  Shopping  Days 

On  December  2,  3  and  4,  enjoy  a  double  discount 
off  merchandise  purchased  in  the  Museum  Stores, 
where  you  will  find  an  abundance  of  distinctive  hand- 
crafted gifts,  educational  toys,  books  and  festive 
souvenirs  to  please  anyone  on  your  holiday  gift  list. 
Instead  of  your  regular  10  percent  discount,  receive 
20  percent  off  nearly  all  of  your  purchases  in  The 
Field  Museum  stores. 

ASTC  Reciprocal  Admission  Program 

Since  May,  The  Field  Museum  has  been  a  member 
of  The  Association  of  Science -Technology  Centers 
(ASTC)  Reciprocal  Free  Admission  Program,  which 
offers  you  free  admission  privileges  when  visiting  one 


of  the  more  than  200  institutions  in  50  states  and 
several  foreign  countries  that  participate.  These  privi- 
leges are  subject  to  restrictions  established  by  each 
institution,  so  it  is  wise  to  call  before  visiting.  Call  the 
membership  department  at  312.665.7700  if  you  would 
like  to  receive  a  roster  of  participating  institutions. 

Visiting  with  a  Guest 

Members  often  visit  the  Museum  with  a  non-member 
guest  who  is  required  to  pay  admission.  To  expedite 
purchasing  tickets  for  your  visitors,  you  can  now 
obtain  admission  and  special  exhibition  tickets  at 
the  Membership  Desk  on  the  south  side  of  Stanley 
Field  Hall.  ITF 


Children's  Holiday 
Tea  Celebration 

Wednesday,  December  6,  4-6:30  p.m. 


Every  December  the  Women's  Board  hosts  the 
Museum's  Children's  Holiday  Tea  Celebration  for 
Field  Museum  members  and  their  families.  This  year's 
celebration  will  spotlight  one  of  our  newest  exhibits, 
"The  Endurance:  Shackleton's  Legendary  Antarctic 
Expedition."  Through  craft-making  activities  and 
educational  programs  along  our  Winter  Wonderland 
Walk,  guests  will  learn  how  animals  and  humans 
adapt  to  Mother  Nature's  harshest  season. 

As  is  tradition,  the  celebration  will  also  include 
an  appearance  by  Santa  Claus  and  one  of  his  merry 
elves,  holiday  music  by  the  Stu  Hirsh  Orchestra 
and  performances  by  the  Jessie  White  Tumblers, 
Mr.  Imagination,  Ballet  Chicago  Youth  Company, 
the  Chicago  Children's  Choir,  and  stilt  walkers  and 
jugglers  Frank  Birdsall  and  Andy  Head.  Throughout 
the  afternoon,  guests  can  feast  on  pizza,  popcorn, 
hot  dogs,  ice  cream  and  a  host  of  holiday  treats 
and  refreshments. 

If  you  would  like  to  attend,  please  fill  out  the 
form  on  the  right,  cut  it  out  or  photocopy  it  and  mail 
to:  Children's  Holiday  Tea  Celebration,  The  Field 
Museum,  Women's  Board  Office,  1400  South  Lake 
Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605. 

To  receive  your  tickets  by  mail,  include  a  self- 
addressed  stamped  envelope  and  a  check  made  payable 
to  The  Field  Museum.  Guests  cannot  purchase  tickets 
at  the  door.  Reservations  are  limited,  so  please  reply 
early.  For  more  information,  call  312.665.7135.  ITF 


Ballet  Chicago  Youth  Company. 


The  Women's  Board  Children's  Holiday  Tea  Celebration 

Please  fill  out  this  form,  cut  it  out  or  copy  and  mail  to: 

Children's  Holiday  Tea  Celebration,  The  Field  Museum,  Women's  Board  Office, 
1400  South  Lake  Shore  Drive,  Chicago,  IL  60605 


NAME 

ADDRESS 

CITY                                                           STATE 

ZIP 

PHONE 

Adult  Members  at  $12  each 
Adult  Non-Members  at  $17  each 

NO.  OF  TICKETS 
NO.  OF  TICKETS 
NO.  OF  TICKETS 

PRICE 
PRICE 

Children  (13  and  under)  at  $7  each 
Total 

PRICE 

NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     9 


Your  Guide  to  The  Field 


Inside 


1  Exhibits 

3  Calendar  of  Events 

5  Get  Smart 

7  Free  Visitor  Programs 


The  Endurance:  Shackleton's 
Legendary  Antarctic  Expedition 


Through  striking  photographs,  vintage 
filnfis  and  diary  excerpts,  "The  Endurance: 
Shackleton's  Legendary  Antarctic 
Expedition"  tells  a  true  drama  of  adventure, 
courage,  heroism  and  survival  against  a 
brutal  polar  backdrop.  It  follows  Sir  Ernest 
Shackleton's  1914  expedition  to  Antarctica, 
when  his  ship  sank  and  he  traveled  800 
miles  In  a  lifeboat  to  rescue  his  crew,  who 
lived  in  severe  conditions  for  nearly  a  year. 
Frank  Hurley  was  the  ship's  photographer 
whose  bold,  experimental  approach  inspired 
a  dive  into  icy  waters  as  the  ship  descended 
to  retrieve  his  glass  plate  negatives. 


14  January,  1915.  "This  ice  was  more  like 
serracs  than  pack  ice  for  it  was  so  tossed,  bro- 
ken &  crushed.  Great  pressure  ridges  thrown 
up  15  to  20  feet  in  height  hear  evidence  of 
the  terrific  force  &■  pressure  of  the  ice  in  these 
latitudes."  (Hurley,  diary). 

This  exhibition  was  developed  by  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  with 
generous  underwriting  support  from  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  F,  Cullman,  III.  Images 
by  Frank  Hurley  are  from  the  collections  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  (with  the 
Institute  of  British  Geographers),  the  Scott 
Polar  Research  Center  and  State  Library  of 
New  South  Wales.  "The  Endurance"  runs 
through  Jan.  15,  2001. 


Hauling  tbe  James  Caird.  "We  all  followed  with  the  heavier  boat  on  the  composite  sledge.  It  was 
terrific  work  to  keep  it  going.  We  all  did  our  best  but  were  practically  exhausted  by  the  time  we 
reached  the  new  camp,  No.  4,  barely  %  miles  away."  (Lees,  diary).  Loaded,  the  boats  weighed  as 
much  as  a  ton  each. 

Here  is  an  abbreviated  timeline  of  events  to  accompany 
the  photos  in  the  exhibit: 


1914 

Jan.  13    Sir  Ernest  Shackleton  announces 
the  trans-Antarctic  expedition. 

Aug. -Dec.    The  Endurance  first  sails 
from  England  to  South  America  and  then 
to  South  Georgia  Island.  On  Dec.  5  it  leaves 
South  Georgia  through  the  Weddell  Sea 
for  Vahsel  Bay,  Antarctica.  It  enters  pack 
ice  two  days  later  and  still  proceeds  toward 
the  continent. 

1915 

Jan.  18    One  day's  sail  from  the  continent, 
the  Endurance  becomes  trapped. 

Feb.-Oct.    Ice  floes  carry  the  Endurance 
to  its  southernmost  point,  the  77th  parallel. 
Shifting  ice  shakes,  wrenches  and  throws 
the  ship,  sometimes  onto  its  side,  and 
dangerous  leaks  form  in  the  sternpost. 

Oct.  27-Nov.  1    Shackleton  orders  the 
crew  to  abandon  ship.  They  establish  Dump 
Camp  and  try  to  march  on  for  three  days. 
On  Nov.  1  they  establish  Ocean  Camp. 

Nov.  21    The  Endurance  sinks. 

December    The  crew  hauls  the  three 
lifeboats  westward,  but  can  only  go  a  short 
distance.  They  abandon  Ocean  Camp  on 
Dec.  23,  march  for  six  days  and  set  up 
Patience  Camp  on  Dec.  29,  which  drifts 
north  of  the  Antarctic  Circle. 

1916 

April  9-23    The  ice  breaks  and  the  crew 
journeys  to  Elephant  Island  in  the  three 
lifeboats.  On  April  16,  they  touch  dry  land 


— the  first  in  16  months.  For  the  next  eight 
days,  the  crew  prepares  a  lifeboat  for  its 
voyage  to  South  Georgia  Island  and  sets 
up  camp  for  the  22  men  staying  behind. 

April  24-May  10    Shackleton  and  five 
crewmen  set  sail  in  the  James  Caird  for 
South  Georgia  Island,  800  miles  away. 
They  land  safely  at  King  Haakon  Bay. 

May  11-18    The  band  recovers  mentally 
and  physically  from  the  voyage  and  plans 
its  route  to  the  whaling  stations  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island. 

May  19-20    Shackleton  and  two  men 
cross  snowfields,  glaciers  and  mountains, 
covering  22  miles  in  36  hours.  From 
Stromness  Station  they  plan  a  rescue  for 
those  on  the  other  side  of  South  Georgia 
and  the  22  left  on  Elephant  Island. 

May23-July12    Three  rescue  attempts 
are  all  thwarted  by  unrelenting  pack  ice. 

Aug.  25-30    With  help  from  the  Chilean 
government,  Shackleton  sets  sail  on  trawler 
Yelcho  for  his  fourth  attempt.  It  finally 
penetrates  the  pack  ice  and  rescues  the  22 
men  left  on  Elephant  Island. 

Sept  3    Shackleton  and  crew  arrive 
in  Chile.  All  28  men  had  survived  the 
22-month  odyssey. 

1922 

Jan.  5    Shackleton  dies  of  a  heart  attack 
in  South  Georgia  while  on  his  fourth 
Antarctic  expedition. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS       1 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Exhibits 


it 


Kremlin  Gold:"  Beyond  the  Glitter 


"Kremlin  Gold:  1000  Years  of  Russian  Gems 
and  Jewels"  brings  120  sacred  and  secular 
objects  to  The  Field  Museum  in  an  exhibi- 
tion that  illuminates  the  grand  pageant 
of  Russian  history — both  glorious  and 
tragic— as  well  as  the  objects  themselves. 
Many  have  never  before  been  publicly 
exhibited,  while  others  are  making  their 
first  U.S.  appearance. 


Most  of  Russia  is  unknown  to  the  average 
American,  and  the  objects  do  not  fit  our 
stereotypical  vision  of  its  vast,  cold  terrain. 
Cast  in  gold,  worked  into  exquisite  detail 
and  encrusted  with  precious  jewels,  each 
piece  represents  a  moment  in  Russian  cleri- 
cal or  imperial  history,  the  human  story 
behind  it  surpassing  its  value  in  carat 
weight  and  beauty. 

For  example,  in  1557  Ivan  IV,  also  known 
as  Ivan  the  Terrible,  commissioned  the  icon 
cover  pictured  left  as  a  frame  to  fit  over  a 
painting  of  the  Madonna  and  child.  Amidst 
the  saints  depicted  along  the  edge  is  St. 
Anastasia,  for  whom  Ivan's  first  wife  was 
named.  She  died  13  years  after  they  were 
married,  and  historians  often  cite  this  psy- 
chological trauma  as  a  source  of  Ivan's 
reputed  madness  and  sadism. 

The  "Kremlin  Gold"  exhibition,  as  evocative 
as  the  pieces  themselves,  expands  viewers' 
knowledge  and  appreciation  of  Russian 
history.  It  runs  through  March  30,  2001. 


Icon  cover:  Our  Lady  of  Odighitria, 
1557-60.  Gold,  ruby,  sapphire,  emerald, 
tourmaline  and  pearl. 


Visit  The  Field  Museum  Store  for  a 

wide  variety  of  Russian  merchandise  to 
complement  "Kremlin  Gold. "  Choose  from 
items  to  fit  every  price  or  gift  need, 
including  lacquered  boxes,  nesting  dolls, 
decorative  enameled  eggs,  fine  porcelain 
tableware,  linens,  books,  jewelry,  toys, 
stationery  and  holiday  items  such  as  hand- 
carved  Santa  Clauses  and  ornaments. 
(Reminder:  member  double  discount 
shopping  days  are  Dec.  2,  3  and  4.) 
For  more  information,  call  312.665.7651. 


Collection  loaned  by  The  State  Museums 
of  the  Moscow  Kremlin.  "Kremlin  Gold" 
was  organized  for  its  U.S.  tour  by  The  Field 
Museum  in  partnership  with  The  Houston 
Museum  of  Natural  Science. 


Kachinas  Dolls  Bridging  the  Cultural  Gap 


Days  after  "Kachinas:  Gifts  From  The 
Spirit  Messengers"  opened  in  October,  Dr. 
Jonathan  Haas,  curator  of  North  American 
anthropology,  received  a  pointed  letter 
from  a  fifth-grade  boy  disputing  the  labels 
on  two  wooden  dolls.  "Donatello  and 
Leonardo's  tags  should  be  switched  around. 
Donatello  is  the  purple  one  and  Leonardo 
is  the  blue  one." 

He  wasn't  referring  to  replicas  of  the 
famous  Italian  Renaissance  artists.  He  was 
referring  to  the  Teenage  Mutant  Ninja 
Turtles,  or  vibrant  representations  of  them 
created  by  the  Hopi  people  of  northeastern 
Arizona.  Not  only  did  the  letter  allow  us  to 
fix  an  error,  but  it  revealed  a  more  global 
accomplishment  The  Field  Museum  is  always 
striving  for — that  a  Chicago  child  visiting 
our  Museum  could  connect  to  an  Arizona 
Hopi  child  through  their  mutual  interest  in 
these  cartoon  icons. 


Kachina  dolls  represent  spirit  messengers 
called  katsinam  who  act  as  intermediaries 
between  the  Hopi  world  and  the  supernat- 
ural realm.  The  Hopi  believe  katsinam 
provide  rain  and  abundant  crops  to  ensure 
continued  life  in  a  harsh  desert  land.  Small 
kachina  dolls  signifying  these  spiritual 
friends  are  given  to  children,  and  sometimes 
women,  to  reinforce  their  religious  and 
cultural  education. 

Important  in  transmitting  and  safeguarding 
ancient  Hopi  traditions,  kachinas  also  illus- 
trate the  dynamics  of  cultural  change  and 
adaptation  as  Hopi  carvers  respond  to  out- 
side influences.  Created  both  for  traditional 
religious  uses  and  commercial  trade,  many 
contemporary  kachinas  in  the  exhibition 
reflect  new  carving  tools  and  techniques 
and  motifs  from  Western  popular  culture. 


"Kachinas"  was  made  possible  by  bequests  from  the  collections  of  Marcia  and  Vernon 
Wagner  and  through  the  generous  support  of  Donald  W.  Paterson.  It  runs  through 
June  16,  2001. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Calendar  of  Events 


Family  Behind-the-Scenes  Evening: 
Department  of  Geology 

Friday,  Novembers,  6-8 p.m. 

Did  you  know  that  The  Field  Museum  has 
more  than  70  scientists  on  staff  helping  us 
learn  more  about  our  world?  Fossil  prepara- 
tor  Jim  Holstein  will  take  you  on  a  guided 
tour  of  the  Museum's  Geology  Department. 
Get  the  inside  scoop  on  how  scientists  col- 
lect, transport  and  prepare  the  fossils  that 
are  on  display  in  the  Museum's  exhibit  halls. 
You'll  also  learn  about  the  research  that 
goes  on  behind-the-scenes  at  the  Museum 
and  what  scientists  have  learned  about  life 
on  Earth  millions  of  years  ago.  $12;  mem- 
bers $10.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 

Family  Field  Trip:  Life  Underground 

Saturday,  November  4,  10  a.m. -3  p.m. 

Discover  what  goes  on  every  day  in  the 
exciting  world  that  is  just  beneath  our  feet. 
Start  your  day  at  The  Field  Museum,  where 
you'll  be  magically  shrunk  to  the  size  of  a 
bug  and  receive  a  guided  tour  through  the 
"Underground  Adventure"  exhibition.  You'll 
walk  through  a  soil  ecosystem  that  has  been 
blown  up  to  100  times  its  normal  size  so 
that  you  can  see  what  life  is  like  through 
the  eyes  of  a  bug.  You'll  meet  millions  of 


microscopic  creatures  that  aren't  usually 
visible  to  the  human  eye.  Then  board  a  bus 
for  Lincoln  Park  Zoo,  where  you'll  meet  a 
ferret,  a  rabbit  and  other  animals  that  make 
their  homes  in  the  earth.  Join  us  to  learn 
how  life  below  the  earth's  surface  sustains 
life  above  it.  Fee  includes  round-trip  trans- 
portation to  the  Lincoln  Park  Zoo  and 
admission  to  The  Field  Museum  and 
"Underground  Adventure."  Please  bring  a 
sack  lunch.  Beverages  will  be  provided.  $12; 
members  $10.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for 
more  information  or  to  register. 

Adult  Course:  Healing 
Aromatherapy/Essential  Healing 

Saturday,  November  11,  10  a.m. -5  p.m. 
and  Sunday,  November  12,  10  a.m. -4  p.m. 
(2  sessions.) 

Discover  the  healing  properties  and 
therapeutic  uses  of  essential  oils  and 
develop  your  own  therapeutic  blend  to 
take  home.  You'll  learn  the  basics  of  aro- 
matherapy, including  its  history,  safety  and 
distillation  practices.  You'll  also  learn  the 
basic  recipes  and  techniques  to  promote 
healing  for  the  skin,  body,  stomach,  heart, 
chest  and  lungs.  $175;  members  $150. 
Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more  infor- 
mation or  to  register. 


On  November  4,  the  Life  Underground 
Family  Field  Trip  will  include  a  guided  tour 
through  "Underground  Adventure"  and  a  trip 
to  Lincoln  Park  Zoo. 


Adult  Field  Trip:  Orthodox 
Cathedrals  and  Churches 

Saturday,  November  4,  9  a.m. -4  p.m. 

Experience  the  powerful  architecture  of 
Orthodox  Cathedrals  and  learn  the  history 
of  the  Orthodox  Christian  community  in 
Chicago.  Join  church  historians  Harold  and 
Faye  Peponis  for  a  day-long  tour  of  these 
cathedrals,  many  of  which  were  established 
more  than  a  century  ago  by  industrious 
immigrants  who  were  nurtured  by  tradition, 
a  love  of  freedom  and  a  strong  faith.  Key 
stops  include  Annunciation  Greek  Orthodox 
Cathedral,  Holy  Resurrection  Serbian 
Orthodox  Cathedral  and  Holy  Trinity 
Orthodox  Cathedral — a  Chicago  landmark 
that  is  also  on  the  National  Register  of 
Historic  Places.  Lunch  Is  Included.  $60,  mem- 
bers $52.  Please  call  312.665.7400  for  more 
information  or  to  register. 

Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Every  Saturday  and  Sunday, 
Open  House  10  a.m. -4:30  p.m. 
Weekdays,  Programs  at  1  p.m. 

Experience  a  way  of  life  as  the  Pawnee 
Indians  lived  more  than  a  century  ago  out 
on  the  Great  Plains.  An  interactive  exhibi- 
tion, the  Pawnee  Earth  Lodge  is  a  full-size 
replica  of  an  1850s  Pawnee  lodge.  Sit  on 
buffalo  hides  around  the  cooking  fire  and 
try  to  use  buffalo  horn  spoons.  Examine 
tools  and  toys  made  of  buffalo  as  you  listen 
to  stories  of  what  It  was  like  to  go  on  a  buf- 
falo hunt.  Free  with  Museum  admission.  Call 
312.665.7400  for  more  information. 


Fossil  preparator.  Join  us  on  November  3  for  a  behind-the-scenes  tour  of 
the  Museum's  Geology  Department. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Performing  Arts:  The  Puerto  Rican 
Cuatro  Conference  and  Festival 

Conference:  Friday,  November  3, 

10  a.m. -4  p.m. 

Evening  Concert:  Friday,  November  3,  7  p.m. 

Discover  the  cuatro  guitar — the  10-string 
instrument  that  is  a  compelling  symbol  of 
Puerto  Rican  identity.  Organized  by  the 
Puerto  Rican  Arts  Alliance,  this  event 
includes  a  series  of  public  workshops  for 
both  adults  and  students.  Enjoy  musical 
demonstrations  and  learn  about  the  history 
of  this  guitar  and  its  significance  in  Puerto 
Rican  society.  The  conference  will  culminate 
in  an  evening  concert  that  features  several 
of  today's  most  important  cuatro  musicians. 
Workshops  at  the  conference  are  free. 
Tickets  to  the  evening  concert  are  $20.  For 
more  information,  call  773.342.8865. 


(oirfereMce  Afr  Feftivnl 


This  festival,  celebrating  the  10-string  cuatro  guitar, 
will  he  at  The  Field  Museum  on  November  3. 


SoR  JuANA  Festival  featuring  Las  Super  Tejanas 


Friday,  November  10,  7  p.m. 


Come  hear  the  musical  legends  of  Tejano 

music  in  this  showcase  of  Latina  artists. 
From  Lydia  Mendoza's  pioneering  recording 
to  Selena  Quitanillas'  meteoric  rise  and 
tragic  death,  the  music  of  Texas  Mexican- 
American  women  has  made  a  significant 
impact  on  their  community.  This  first-time 
grouping  includes  a  wide  range  of  Tex-mex 
musical  styles,  from  contemporary  country 
to  traditional  romantic  trios.  Performers 
include  stellar  guitar  player  Rosie  Flores, 
conjunto  accordionist  Eva  Ybarra  and  shin- 
ing stars  Tish  Hinojosa  and  Shelley  Lares. 
This  program  is  presented  through  a  part- 
nership between  The  Field  Museum  and 
The  Mexican  Fine  Arts  Center  Museum.  For 
more  information  and  tickets,  please  call 
312.738.1503. 


The  powerhouse  musical  showcase  known  as  Las  Super  Tejanas  will 
make  its  Midwest  premiere  at  The  Field  Museum  on  November  10. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


4       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Get  Smart 


New  Dinosaur  Discoveries 


New  Discoveries  from  the 

Age  of  Dinosaurs  in  Madagascar 

Thursday,  November  16,  6:30  p.m. 

Find  out  what  Field  Museum  scientists  are 
discovering  about  dinosaurs  and  other  ani- 
mals that  lived  millions  of  years  ago.  Dr  John 
Flynn,  chair  of  the  Museum's  department  of 
geology,  has  lead  numerous  field  expeditions 
in  the  United  States,  Madagascar,  Mexico 
and  South  America.  You'll  learn  what  his 
latest  research  reveals  about  dinosaurs,  mam- 
mals and  "cynodonts" — mammal  ancestors 
with  some  reptile-like  traits.  Dr.  Flynn  is  also 
the  associate  chair  of  the  Committee  on 
Evolutionary  Biology  at  the  University  of 
Chicago  and  the  president  of  the  Society 
of  Vertebrate  Paleontology.  Tickets  are  $12 
for  general  admission,  $10  for  students  and 
educators  and  $8  for  members.  For  more 
information,  call  312.665.7400. 


Field  Museum  Geologist  Dr.  John  Flynn  will  share  his  latest  research  on  November  16. 


Polar  Explorations 


The  Field  Museum  and  the  Newberry 
Library  are  collaborating  on  this  series 
about  polar  exploration  to  complement 
exhibitions  at  both  institutions. 

"The  Endurance:  Shackleton's  Legendary 
Antarctic  Expedition"  is  at  The  Field 
Museum  through  January  15,  2001. 

"To  the  Ends  of  the  Earth:  Exploring  the 
Poles"  is  at  the  Newberry  Library  through 
January  13,  2001.  The  Newberry  Library  is 
located  in  Chicago  at  60  W.  Walton. 

For  inquiries  about  programs  at  The 
Field  Museum,  please  call  312.665.7400. 
For  programs  at  the  Newberry  Library, 
please  call  312.255.3700. 


A  Social  Anthropologist 
in  the  Arctic 

Thursday,  November  2,  6:30  p.m. 
The  Field  Museum 

Ernest  S.  Burch  Jr.  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution's  Arctic  Studies  Center  will  reflect 
on  his  experiences  from  23  research  trips  to 
the  Arctic  over  the  past  40  years.  Tickets  are 
$12  for  general  admission,  $10  for  students 
and  educators  and  $8  for  Field  Museum 
Members  and  Newberry  Associates. 

World  Premiere:  The  Arctic  and 
Antarctic  in  Image,  Word  and  Song 

Saturday,  November  11,  11  a.m. 
The  Newberry  Library 

Music,  images  and  dramatic  readings  of 
first-person  accounts  let  you  experience 
the  feelings  of  fear,  excitement  and  accom- 
plishment that  polar  explorers  have  faced. 
Written  and  directed  by  Douglas  Post. 
Tickets  are  $12  for  general  admission,  $10 
for  students  and  educators  and  $8  for  Field 
Museum  Members  and  Newberry  Associates. 

Left:  Frank  Hurley,  the  Australian  photog- 
rapher whose  images  tell  the  tale  of  "The 
Endurance:  Shackleton's  Legendary  Antarctic 
Expedition"  at  Tbe  Field  Museum. 


The  Politics  of  Polar  Exploration 

Saturday,  December  9,  1 1  a.m. 
The  Newberry  Library 

Take  a  provocative  look  at  how  the  politics 
of  gender  and  cultural  identity  influence 
the  portrayal  of  polar  exploration  in  our 
culture.  Lisa  Bloom  of  the  University  of 
California  at  San  Diego  presents  this  slide 
lecture.  Learn  about  African-American 
explorer  Matthew  Henson — the  unacknowl- 
edged co-claimant  to  the  discovery  of  the 
North  Pole.  Find  out  how  rethinking  famous 
expeditions  has  assumed  new  cultural 
importance.  Admission  is  free. 

Mapping  the  Poles 

Saturday,  December  16,  11  a.m. 
The  Newberry  Library 

Track  the  history  of  polar  cartography, 
beginning  with  the  earliest  European 
expeditions. 

Curator  of  Maps  at  the  Newberry  Library, 
Robert  W.  Karrow  Jr  draws  on  materials 
from  the  library's  own  collection  to  present 
this  slide  lecture.  Karrow  is  also  the  curator 
for  the  current  exhibition  "To  the  Ends  of 
the  Earth."  Admission  is  free. 


These  programs  are  made  possible  in  part  by  a  grant  from  the  Illinois  Humanities  Council, 
the  National  Endowment  for  the  Humanities  and  the  Illinois  General  Assembly. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS       5 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


Julie  Taymor's 
The  King  Stag 

Coming  Thanksgiving  Weekend! 

Friday,  November  24,  7:30  p.m.; 
Saturday,  November  25,  8  p.m.; 
Sunday,  November  26,  3  p.m. 


Dinosaurs  and  More  Festival 

Saturday  and  Sunday,  November  11-12,  11  a.m. -3  p.m. 
Monday,  November  13,  10  a.m.-l  p.m. 


Explore  the  world  of  dinosaurs  at  this 
festival  for  the  entire  family.  Enjoy  theater 
performances,  hands-on  activities,  story- 
telling and  demonstrations  by  Field  Museum 
scientists — including  Chris  Brochu,  who 
heads  the  research  on  Sue  the  T.  rex.  Sue 
Hendrickson,  the  fossil  hunter  who  discov- 
ered Sue  the  dinosaur  in  South  Dakota  in 
1990,  will  sign  autographs  from  11  a.m. 
to  2  p.m.  each  day  of  the  festival.  John 
Lanzendorf,  whose  dinosaur  art  collection  is 
featured  in  the  "Picturing  T.  rex"  exhibition, 
will  offer  tours  at  noon  on  Saturday  and 
Monday  and  sign  autographs  from  10  a.m. 
to  noon  and  1:30  to  3  p.m.  on  Monday. 
Learn  about  the  evolution  of  dinosaurs 
through  Dancing  with  Dinosaurs:  The  Story 
of  Sue,  the  latest  original  musical  by  The 
Field  Museum's  Teens  Together  Ensemble. 
You  can  also  search  the  Museum  floor  for 
remnants  of  ancient  sea  creatures,  interact 
with  colossal  dinosaur  puppets  and  create 
your  own  dinosaur  with  fun  foam.  Free  with 
Museum  admission. 


Sue  Hendrickson,  who  discovered  Sue  the 
T.  rex,  will  he  signing  autographs  at  the 
Dinosaurs  and  More  Festival. 


Julie  Taymor,  best  known  for  her  Tony- 
award-winning  direction  of  The  Lion  King 
on  Broadway,  brings  her  vibrant  costumes, 
enchanting  movement  and  remarkable 
puppets  to  the  lavish  Chicago  Theater  for 
three  special  Thanksgiving  weekend  per- 
formances. Performed  by  the  American 
Repertory  Theater,  The  King  Stag  is  a  magi- 
cal Italian  fable  for  all  ages  about  the 
search  for  true  love.  The  Field  Museum  is 
collaborating  with  the  Chicago  Association 
of  Performing  Arts  (CAPA)  to  present  this 
event,  and  a  retrospective  exhibition,  "Julie 
Taymor:  Playing  with  Fire,"  will  open  at  the 
Field  in  June  2001. 

"Julie  Taymor:  Playing  with  Fire"  will  fea- 
ture designs  from  The  King  Stag,  The  Lion 
King,  the  film  Titus  and  other  examples 
of  Taymor's  flair  for  visual  wizardry.  The 
exhibit  is  organized  by  the  Wexner  Center 
for  the  Arts  at  The  Ohio  State  University 
and  is  made  possible  by  a  generous  gift 
from  Ford  Motor  Company.  Major  support 
is  also  provided  by  Agnes  Gund  and  Daniel 
Shapiro,  the  John  S.  and  James  L.  Knight 
Foundation  and  PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Tickets  for  The  King  Stag  are  $24,  $34  and 
$44.  Field  Museum  members  receive  a  $5 
discount.  For  tickets,  call  Ticketmaster  at 
312.902.1500  or  visit  the  Chicago  Theater 
box  office  or  any  Ticketmaster  outlet.  Visit 
www.capa.com  or  www.fieldmuseum.org 
for  more  information. 


Star  Wars  Symposium 


"Star  Wars:  The  Magic  of  Myth"  was 
developed  by  the  Smithsonian's  National 
Air  and  Space  Museum  and  organized 
for  travel  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution 
Traveling  Exhibition  Service.  All  artifacts 
are  on  loan  from  Lucasfilm  Ltd. 


The  Stories  Behind  Star  Wars 

and  Sue:  Envisioning  Environments 

in  Film  and  at  The  Field 

Saturday,  December  9, 
8:30  a.m. -5  p.m. 

Get  a  behind-the-scenes  look  at  how  film- 
makers and  museum  professionals  create 
the  environments  that  transport  us  to  other 
worlds  and  bring  ancient  creatures  to  life. 
Presenters  include  artists  from  The  Field 
Museum's  acclaimed  exhibits  department 
and  award-winning  film  artists  Lome 
Peterson  and  Paul  Huston  from  Lucasfilm's 
Industrial  Light  &  Magic,  who  created  mod- 
els and  visual  effects  for  the  Star  Wars  films. 
Hear  how  design,  storytelling,  model  mak- 
ing and  special  effects  come  together  to 
produce  such  industry-changing  projects  as 
Star  Wars  and  "Sue."  This  symposium 
includes  lunch  and  a  viewing  of  "Star  Wars: 
The  Magic  of  Myth"  and  "Sue."  Tickets  are 
$30  for  general  admission,  $25  for  students 
and  educators  and  $23  for  members. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Free  Visitor  Programs 


Every  Saturday  and  Sunday 

Family  Fun  at  The  Field 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 
In  November  and  December,  hear  a  Russian 
folk  tale,  a  story  about  Sue  the  T.  rex, 
children  around  the  world  or  Antarctica. 
From  life  today  to  prehistoric  times,  we 
offer  a  wide  variety  of  subjects  to  whet  the 
appetite  and  send  you  exploring  our  gal- 
leries to  learn  more.  Story  Time  takes  place 
in  the  "Living  Together"  exhibit.  This  pro- 
gram for  young  children  and  their  families 
is  sponsored  by  the  Siragusa  Foundation 
Early  Childhood  Initiative.  One  adult  for 
every  three  children,  please.  For  more 
Information,  call  312.665.7400. 

Interpretive  Station  Activities 

Every  weekend  you'll  find  a  variety  of 
hands-on  activities  throughout  the  Museum 
as  you  delve  into  the  world  of  natural 
history  and  culture.  For  example,  you  may 
be  able  to  learn  what  makes  a  dinosaur 
a  dinosaur,  see  a  soil  scientist  at  work, 
find  out  what  your  name  would  look  like 
in  Egyptian  hieroglyphs  or  dissect  an  owl 
pellet  to  see  what  the  bird  ate.  Check 
the  informational  directories  when  you 
arrive  at  the  Museum  for  a  list  of  each 
day's  activities. 


November  1 -Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

Discover  a  spectacular  array  of  artifacts 
depicting  two  very  different  North 
American  neighboring  environments 
and  cultures. 

November  3-Friday 

10  a.m. -4  p.m.  The  Puerto  Rican  Cuatro 
Conference  and  Festival.  Join  us  for  a  series 
of  public  workshops  on  the  cuatro  guitar, 
the  10-string  instrument  that  is  a  com- 
pelling symbol  of  Puerto  Rican  identity. 
This  event  is  organized  by  the  Puerto  Rican 
Arts  Alliance  and  includes  workshops  for 
students  and  adults. 

November  4-Saturday 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing  with 
the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue.  Learn 
about  the  evolution  of  dinosaurs  and  the 
science  of  paleontology  in  this  original 
musical  by  the  Teens  Together  Ensemble. 

November  8-Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 


Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday  Festival 


11  a.m.-4  p.m. 

December  26-December  31 

Take  a  break  from  the  hustle  and  bustle 
of  the  holiday  season  and  join  us  for 
our  annual  celebration  of  winter. 

Music  and  hands-on  activities  will  fill 
the  halls  throughout  this  six-day  festival. 
Take  a  self-guided  tour  along  the 
"Winter  Wonderland  Walk"  to  learn 
how  animals  and  humans  in  different 
regions  have  adapted  to  Mother 
Nature's  harshest  season. 

This  festival  is  free  with  Museum 
admission. 


This  tranquil  winter  scene  is  one  of  many  on 
display  during  the  holidays. 


November  11 -Saturday 

10:30  a.m.  and  noon.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 

1 1  a.m. -3  p.m.  Dinosaurs  and  More 
Festival.  Explore  the  world  of  dinosaurs 
at  this  festival  for  the  entire  family.  Enjoy 
theater  performances,  hands-on  activities, 
storytelling  and  demonstrations  by  Field 
Museum  scientists.  See  page  6  for  details. 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing 
with  the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  November  4. 

November  12-Sunday 

11  a.m. -3  p.m.  Dinosaurs  and  More 
Festival.  See  November  11. 

2:15  p.m.  Dancing  with  the  Dinosaurs: 
The  Story  of  Sue.  See  November  4. 

November  13-Monday 

10  a.m.-l  p.m.  Dinosaurs  and  More 
Festival.  See  November  11. 

November  15-Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 
See  November  1. 

November  18-Saturday 

10:30  a.m.  and  noon.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 

11  a.m. -2  p.m.  Scientist  on  the  Floor. 
Find  out  more  about  those  creepy  critters 
that  live  beneath  our  feet  from  Field 
Museum  scientist  Dan  Summers. 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing 
with  the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  November  4. 

November  25-Saturday 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing 
with  the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue, 
See  November  4. 

1 1:30  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:30  p.m.  Guided 
Tour:  The  Aztec,  Maya  and  Their 
Predecessors.  Learn  about  the  diverse 
and  complex  pre-Columbian  cultures 
of  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

November  29-Wednesday 

11:30  a.m.  and  1:30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


December  2-Saturday 

10:30  a.m.  and  noon.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eslcimos. 

See  November  1. 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing 
with  the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  November  4. 

11  a.m. -2  p.m.  Scientist  on  the  Floor. 

See  rarely  displayed  specimens  from  the 
Museum  collections  and  hear  scientists  talk 
about  their  research  as  it  relates  to  the 
"Underground  Adventure"  exhibit. 

1:30  p.m.  Tibet  Today  and  Faith  in  Exile. 

Visit  Tibet  and  Tibetan  refugee  sites  around 
the  world  through  this  slide  show. 

December  6-Wednesday 

11 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 


The  Pawnee  Earth  Lodge. 


December  9-Saturday 

11  a.m.,  1  p.m.  and  2:15  p.m.  Dancing 
with  the  Dinosaurs:  The  Story  of  Sue. 

See  November  4. 

December  13- Wednesday 

1 1 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 

December  16-Saturday 

10:30  a.m.  and  noon.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 
See  November  1. 

December  26-Tuesday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 
Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 

December  27-Wednesday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 
Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 

11 :30  a.m.  and  1 :30  p.m.  Guided  Tour: 
Northwest  Coast  Indians  and  Eskimos. 

See  November  1. 

December  28-Thursday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 
Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 

December  29-Friday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 
Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 


December  30-Saturday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 
Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 

December  31 -Sunday 

11  a.m. -4  p.m.  Peaceable  Kingdom  Holiday 

Festival.  See  sidebar  on  previous  page. 

January  2 -Tuesday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 

See  Family  Fun  at  The  Field,  page  7.  During 
the  first  week  in  January  this  program  will 
also  be  offered  during  the  week. 

January  3-Wednesday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 
See  January  2. 

January  4-Thursday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 

See  January  2. 

January  5-Friday 

1  p.m.  Story  Time:  Facts,  Fables  and  Fiction. 
See  January  2. 

Resource  Centers 

Explore  topics  in  more  depth  through  a 
variety  of  resources,  including  computer 
programs,  books,  activity  boxes  and  much 
more  at  the  Africa  Resource  Center  and  the 
Daniel  F.  and  Ada  L.  Rice  Wildlife  Research 
Center.  Open  daily  from  10  a.m. -4:30  p.m. 


Pawnee  Earth  Lodge 

Visit  a  traditional  home  of  the  Pawnee 
Indians  and  learn  about  their  life  on 
the  Great  Plains.  Open  from  10  a.m.  to 
4:30  p.m.  on  weekends  and  at  1  p.m. 
on  weekdays. 

Ruatepupuke: 

The  Maori  Meeting  House 

Discover  the  world  of  the  Maori  people 
of  New  Zealand  at  the  treasured  and  sacred 
Maori  Meeting  House.  Open  daily  from  9 
a.m.  to  5  p.m. 

McDonald's  Fossil 
Preparation  Laboratory 

Watch  Field  Museum  preparators  work 
on  various  fossil  specimens.  Open  daily 
from  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m. 


Daily  Highlight  Tours 

Want  to  learn  more  about  what  you  see 
at  the  Field?  Take  a  guided  tour  of  the 
exhibits  that  make  this  Museum  one  of 
the  world's  finest.  Tours  are  offered 
Monday  through  Friday  at  1 1  a.m.  and  2 
p.m.,  and  at  1 1  a.m.  and  1  p.m.  on 
Saturdays  and  Sundays. 


Please  note  that  programs  are  subject  to  change.  Check  the  informational  directories  located  throughout  the  Museum  for  daily  program  listings. 


THE  FIELD  MUSEUM 


NOVEMBER/DECEMBER  2000 


8       CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 


Field  Updates 


Rare  Books,  New  Formats: 
Toward  the  Digital  Library 


Ben  Williams,  Librarian 


.POLYNESENNE  POUNESIERrN    POLYNESIM 

■IMWELI  mi  oil  HTEIIICIIT  !•  UTHOPOLtllE.  ETMNUPmE  >  lEOIUmE. 

mtrnmnn  m  nwtuovH  moi*  Munn  nmi  i  ifiua  »t  miitvi  hui  fvnti.  JstiCH 


Above:  Rare  classroom  wall  chart  from  Rudolph  Martin's 
Wandtafeln  fiiir  den  Unterricht  in  Anthropologic  (Zurich,  1902). 

Opposite  page  top:  The  Museum's  original  charter,  September  16,  1S93, 
under  the  name  Columbian  Museum  of  Chicago. 

Opposite  page  bottom:  Detail  from  the  Virginian  Partridge,  Plate  76,  in 
fj.  Audubon,  The  Birds  of  America  (1827-1838). 


At  any  given  moment  20,000  of  the  265,000  total 
volumes  from  The  Field  Museum  Library's  regular 
research  collections  have  been  checked  out  by  research 
stafF,  exhibit  developers  or  education  specialists. 
Volumes  flow  in  and  out  of  nine  separate  stack  areas, 
and  photocopiers  run  almost  continuously  as  Museum 
staff  copy  essential  resources  for  their  ongoing  work. 
And  since  no  library  can  own  everything  it  desires, 
an  interlibrary  loan  specialist  borrows  or  acquires 
requested  materials  from  other  holding  libraries.  More 
and  more,  these  copies  are  received  in  electronic  for- 
mat and  forwarded  through  the  Museum's  computer 
network  to  individual  desktops. 

For  more  than  a  century,  as  the  Museum's  scientific 
collections  grew  toward  21  million  objects,  the  Library 
has  built  its  research  collections  through  purchase, 
gift  and  exchange  with  other  institutions.  Each  year 
we  receive  about  3,000  journals  and  acquire  more  than 
2,000  books  —  each  one  a  record  of  the  natural  and 
cultural  objects  in  our  own  Museum  and  other  muse- 
ums throughout  the  world.  The  Library's  holdings 
could  conveniently  be  called  the  collection  that  is 
used  to  study  collections. 

The  Library's  regular  research  holdings  merit 
bibliographic  and  historical  study  in  their  own  right, 
but  they  form  only  part  of  a  broader,  richer  context 
that  includes  special  collections  of  rare  books,  original 
art,  archives,  manuscripts  and  objects.  This  distinctive, 
varied  treasure  trove  can  be  mined  for  historical 
insight  into  scientific  disciplines,  notable  individuals 
and  the  origins  and  development  of  our  Museum. 
With  startling  immediacy  these  special  collections, 
which  contain  many  objects  found  nowhere  else,  often 
reveal  the  "news  that  stays  news"  about  our  endless 
endeavor  to  understand  the  world. 

Entering  the  Mary  W.  Runnells  Rare  Book  Room 
one  walks  past  the  case  holding  our  remarkable  copy 
of  Audubon's  The  Birds  of  America  and  is  suddenly  sur- 
rounded by  original  paintings  and  sketches  by  Louis 
Agassiz  Fuertes,  the  best  of  all  ornithological  artist- 
naturalists.  His  watercolor  field  studies,  created  on  the 
Museum's  Abyssinian  Expedition  of  1926-1927,  feature 
his  favorite  birds  of  prey  poised  and  looking  at  you, 
the  viewer,  as  if  ready  to  strike. 

A  large  table  that  once  stood  in  President  Stanley 
Field's  oflSce  is  usually  littered  with  books  and  objects 
examined  by  researchers,  visiting  groups  or  college 
students  from  the  School  of  the  Art  Institute,  the 
University  of  Chicago  and  other  institutions.  One 
recent  class  surveying  how  fibers  are  used  across  the 
world  left  in  its  wake  a  pictographic  divinatory  manu- 
script rendered  on  bark  by  a  Nakshi  divine  in  China, 
our  volume  of  tapa  cloth  samples  collected  on  Captain 
James  Cook's  voyages  to  the  Pacific  in  the  1770s  and 
1780s,  and  a  portfolio  of  loose  prints  of  classic  Indian 
ornamental  calico  patterns.  One  might  also  find 
among  the  table's  clutter  some  of  our  oldest  Western 


10     IN  THE  FIELD 


and  Eastern  printed  books:  the  Gart  der  Gesundheit 
(Garden  of  Health),  printed  in  Augsburg,  Germany, 
in  1486,  an  herbal  with  hand-colored  woodcuts;  and 
the  Gazetteer  of  the  Great  Unified  Ming,  the  "Domesday 
Book"  of  the  Ming  Dynasty,  completed  in  1461. 

The  Archives  section  presents  a  similarly  abundant 
treasury  holding  the  history  of  The  Field  Museum, 
beginning  with  its  origins  from  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition.  One  is  confronted  with  2,500 
linear  feet  of  records,  ledgers,  personal  papers  and 
manuscripts,  40  drawers  of  oversize  flats  of  every 
description,  including  maps,  plans  and  scientific  illus- 
trations, and  400  reels  of  film  that  include  numerous 
expeditionary  films,  mostly  in  poor  condition.  We 
are  slowly  transferring  important  films  to  new  stock 
and  digital  formats.  Restored  films  of  Malvina 
Hoffman's  world  travels  and  the  Chicago  Daily 
News/Field  Museum  Abyssinian  Expedition  of  1926- 
1927  can  once  again  be  viewed.  We  are  planning  a 
public  exhibition  space  in  which  we  hope  to  share 
more  of  these  treasures  directly  with  our  visitors. 

There  is  an  ever-growing  need  to  provide  electronic 
access  to  these  rarely  held  and  unique  materials.  The 
digital  library  movement  is  creating  a  broad  electronic 
neighborhood  of  library  resources  by  supplementing 
the  already  familiar  online  catalogs  of  collections 
with  digitized  content  of  books,  journals  and  special 
collections  of  every  description.  Our  need  to  join  this 
movement  received  greater  emphasis  when  the  Library 
reorganized  under  the  new  Information  Services  and 
Technology  division,  which  is  charged  with  managing, 
developing  and  disseminating  the  Museum's  rich 
information  resources.  In  the  emerging  plans,  provid- 
ing electronic  access  to  the  Library's  collections  has 
become  a  clear  and  immediate  priority. 

The  essential  first  step  is  to  convert  our  card  cata- 
log to  an  Online  Public  Access  Catalog  (OPAC)  freely 
available  on  the  World  Wide  Web,  now  under  way 
thanks  to  a  generous  gift  from  Nicolas  Jannes,  Chicago 
businessman  and  fine  art  publisher.  The  Friends  of 
The  Field  Museum  Library  also  established  a  special- 
ized image-licensing  program  several  years  ago  to  build 
the  Library's  endowment  and  create  high-resolution 
digital  images  of  prints  and  original  art  in  the  collec- 
tions. These  images  are  perfected  and  profiled  for 
various  types  of  output,  including  offset  lithography 
and  fine  art  Giclee  digital  printing.  We  are  creating 
a  portfolio,  for  example,  called  Audubon's  Fifty  Best, 
The  Oppenheimer  Field  Museum  Edition,  published  by 
Kenyon  Oppenheimer  Inc.,  Chicago.  It  includes  lim- 
ited edition  Giclee  facsimile  prints  from  the  Library's 
gloriously  colored  set  of  Tl)e  Birds  of  America. 

The  Library  will  be  seeking  new  support  to  expand 
its  efforts  toward  creating  both  exhibit-oriented  and 
scholarly  electronic  databases.  Meanwhile,  in  future 
issues  of  In  The  Field  we  will  let  some  of  the  remark- 
able treasures  in  our  collections  tell  their  stories.  ITF 


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NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     1 1 


From  the  Archives  and  Beyond 


Big  Museum  on  the  Lake 

Amy  Cranch,  publications  manager 


W^fSSSBB^     ^^  3  child  I  wanted  to 
rWliflBli^^^l     be  two  things  when  I 
grew  up  — English  and 
Laura  Ingalls  Wilder. 
I  still  occasionally  fake 
an  English  accent  to 
my  friends'  embarrass- 
ment, and  while  I  don't 
live  on  the  prairie,  my 
favorite  TV  show  and  hours  of  backyard 
pretend  (reluctantly  playing  Ma  because 
I  was  too  tall  for  Laura)  have  deeply  influ- 
enced me  as  an  adult. 

My  idea  of  a  vacation  is  a  week  in 
the  woods.  A  simple  cabin  surpasses  any 
hotel,  and  hot  almond  milk  by  the  fire 
tastes  like  a  fine  cocktail.  I  relish  a  trick- 
ling creek,  a  moss-covered  rock  or  a 
meadow  lit  by  fireflies  and  a  full  moon. 
Finding  nature  —  or  nature  finding  me 
—  has  given  me  a  greater  sense  of  adven- 
ture, wonder  and  peace. 


As  the  new  editor  for  In  the  Field, 
I  hope  to  bring  some  of  my  passion  and 
curiosity  about  the  natural  world  to  the 
magazine.  A  journalist  with  nearly  10 
years  experience,  including  two  years  at 
the  John  G.  Shedd  Aquarium,  I  am  learn- 
ing how  to  put  some  scientific  context 
around  the  splendor  I  observe  outdoors. 
For  In  the  Field  I  will  look  at  every  poten- 
tial article  with  fresh  eyes  and  an  ear 
toward  ensuring  the  magazine  can  be 
understood  by  our  10-  and  80-year-old 
members  alike.  My  desire  is  to  make  the 
faces  and  facts  behind  the  Field  more 
accessible  to  you — to  keep  you  reading, 
learning  and  coming  back. 

I  have  the  Field's  commitment  and  the 
talent  and  foresight  of  my  predecessors  to 
thank  for  making  In  the  Field  the  quality 
publication  that  it  is.  As  I  plan  for  2001 
and  beyond,  I  will  be  reviewing  how  to 
even  better  serve  our  growing  readership. 


now  at  about  50,000  members,  with  sur- 
veys or  other  opportunities  to  add  your 
opinion.  After  all,  this  is  your  publication 
and  one  of  the  best  ways  to  stay  con- 
nected to  the  Museum. 

I  don't  anticipate  writing  any  books 
like  my  childhood  heroine's  famed  Little 
House  on  the  Prairie  series,  but  upcoming 
issues  of  In  The  Field  may  become  my  own 
personal  anthology  of  all  our  experiences 
with  this  beloved  institution.  Maybe  I'll 
call  it  Big  Museum  on  the  Lake.  ITF 


The  museum's  magazine  first  started  in 
1930  and  was  called  Field  Museum  News. 
In  1944  it  became  The  Bulletin  and  then 
changed  to  its  current  name,  In  the  Field, 
in  1990.  Tbe  covers  below  are:  (top  row,  left 
to  right)  1948,  1963,  1964  and  1974;  (bottom 
row,  left  to  right)  1985,  1988,  1997  and  2000. 


Keeping  tlic  PcaiT  in 
T.JVO  Ninonil  P^k 


12     IN  THE  FIELD 


Field  Tidbits 


Live  from  The  Field: 

A  Virtual  Archaeological  Expedition  in  China 


From  Dec.  10,  2000,  through  Jan.  15,  2001,  you  can 
virtually  join  an  archaeological  field  expedition  in 
Shandong,  China.  In  his  sixth  year  of  fieldwork.  Dr. 
Gary  Feinman,  chair  of  The  Field  Museums  anthro- 
pology department,  will  send  electronic  updates  about 
a  Chinese  and  American  archaeological  team's  work  to 
investigate  the  origins  of  early  civilization  more  than 
4,000  years  ago. 

Consider  what  you  will  learn  on  this  virtual 
expedition  through  regular  e-mails  and  digital 
photographs: 

Get  a  taste  of  the  day-to-day  challenges  of  fieldwork 
and  the  experiences  of  a  team  of  archaeologists. 

Hear  about  the  team's  efforts  to  pioneer  a  research 
method  new  to  China  called  regional  survey.  Walking 
systematically  over  the  land,  scientists  look  for  ancient 
pottery  and  other  surface  remains  that  are  used  to 
map  and  date  the  sites. 

Share  discoveries  of  ancient  sites.  To  date,  the  team 
has  covered  400  square  kilometers,  more  than  two- 
thirds  the  size  of  Chicago,  and  discovered  and  mapped 
hundreds  of  sites. 

Gain  insight  to  the  world  of  anthropology  and 
Chinese  culture  and  life. 

One  teacher,  whose  students  received  e-mails  from  a 
previous  dig,  said,  "Feinman  in  China  was  a  wonderful 
experience  for  our  students.  They  eagerly  awaited  each 


update,  charted  where  he  was  and  had  many  lively  dis- 
cussions. It  was  a  revelation  to  find  that  fieldwork 
does  not  resemble  an  Indiana  Jones  movie.  Other  stu- 
dents started  investigating  anthropology  because  they 
thought  that  kind  of  work  would  be  very  'cool.'" 

If  you  would  like  to  subscribe  to  this  FREE  list, 

e-mail  fieldexpeditions@fieldmuseum.org  with  the 
subject  heading  "Feinman  in  China."  For  more 
information,  call  312.665.7557.  ITF 


Dr.  Feinman  (standing  right)  collects  ceramics  from  the  sur- 
face of  an  archaeological  site  in  China  with  the  help  of  his 
colleague,  Fang  Hui  (white  cap),  and  local  schoolchildren. 


Obtaining  Member  Passes  for  Special  Exhibitions 


Members  are  eligible  to  receive  free  passes  to  see 
selected  special  exhibitions  throughout  the  year. 
Family  members  receive  four  free  passes,  and 
Individual,  Senior,  Student  and  National  AflSliate 
members  receive  two  passes  to  each  special  exhi- 
bition. Use  them  yourself  or  give  them  to  friends 
or  family  members. 

You  can  obtain  your  member  passes  three 
different  ways: 

Come  to  the  Museum  the  day  you  would  like  to  see 
an  exhibition  and  obtain  your  passes  on  a  first-come, 
first-served  basis.  Tickets  are  not  guaranteed  but  are 
usually  available  before  11  a.m.  each  day. 


Reserve  your  passes  for  a  future  date  and  time 
through  Ticketmaster  at  312.902.1500.  Remember  to 
give  them  your  member  number.  Ticketmaster  adds 
a  discounted  service  charge  and  transaction  fee  to 
provide  this  service. 

Visit  the  Membership  Services  Desk  if  you  are  visit- 
ing the  Museum  and  would  like  to  reserve  your  passes 
for  future  dates.  There  is  no  extra  service  charge. 
Regular  operating  hours  are  from  9  a.m.  until  5  p.m. 

If  you  have  any  questions  about  member  events  or 
benefits,  please  call  the  membership  department  at 
312.665.7700  between  8:30  a.m.  and  4:30  p.m.  ITF 


NOVEMBER  •  DECEMBER  2000     13 


Field  Museum  Tours  at  a  Glance 


For  more  information  or  free  brochures,  please  call  Field  Museum  Tours  at 
800.811.7244,  or  send  them  an  e-mail  at  fmtours©sover.net.  Please  note  that 
rates,  prices  and  itineraries  are  subject  to  change  and  that  prices  are  per 
person,  double  occupancy. 


This  winter  you  will  have  two 
chances  —  one  by  water  and  one  by 
land — to  join  Field  Museum  Botanist 
William  Burger  and  explore  Costa 
Rica  and  Central  America.  Dr. 
Burger  has  been  conducting  research  in 
Costa  Rica  for  more  than  30  years. 

Central  America  Under  Sail 

Feb  10-25,  2001  (16  days) 

On  this  16-day  odyssey,  sail  aboard 
the  luxurious  Wind  Star  in  the  Pacific 
and  the  Caribbean,  visiting  Costa 
Rica,  Panama,  Nicaragua,  Honduras 
and  Belize.  Optional  extension  to 
see  Costa  Rica's  volcanoes  and  cloud 
forest,  and/or  the  Mayan  ruins  of 
Tlkal  in  Guatemala. 

Museum  Leader: 
Botanist  William  Burger 
Pnce;  $7,990  and  higher, 
not  including  airfare 

The  Natural  Wonders  of  Hawaii 

Feb  14-24,  2001  (11  days) 

Join  us  on  an  in-depth  natural  his- 
tory excursion  to  Hawaii — a  living 
museum  of  geology  and  biology. 
Study  marine  biology  through 
exploring  tide  pools,  snorkeling 
and  a  whale-watching  cruise,  and 
observe  spectacular  birds  and  vivid 
examples  of  volcanic  activity. 

Museum  Leader: 
Zoologist  Harold  Voris 
Price:  $5,545,  including 
airfare  from  Chicago 


On  the  Drawing  Board 

Treasures  of  Oaxaca,  4/01 


Costa  Rica  Adventure 

Feb  25-March  6.  2001  (10  days) 

Costa  Rica's  natural  heritage  Is  one 
of  astonishing  diversity.  Our  itinerary 
includes  the  jungle  river  channels  of 
Tortuguero  on  the  Caribbean  coast, 
Poas  Volcano  and  the  cloud  forests 
of  Monte  Verde  high  in  the  central 
mountains  and  Palo  Verde's  wildlife 
areas  on  the  Pacific.  Optional  exten- 
sion to  Tamarindo  Bay. 

Museum  Leader: 
Botanist  William  Burger 
Price:  $3,995,  including 
airfare  from  Chicago 

The  Natural  and  Cultural 
History  of  Tsavo:  A  Deluxe 
Tented  Safari  Through  the 
Land  of  the  Man-eaters 
March  3-17,  2001  (15  days) 

For  the  first  time  ever,  four  FM 
scientists  are  leading  a  trip  to  the 
spectacular  Tsavo  National  Park, 
home  to  the  legendary  man-eating 


Explore  Crete,  home  oj  the  ancient 
Minoans,  with  Field  Museum 
Anthropologists  David  Reese  and 
Catherine  Sease,  who  combined  have 
nearly  40  years  of  archaeological  expe- 
rience on  this  historic  island.  David 
and  Catherine  led  last  year's  successful 
Crete  voyage  and  look  forward  to 
again  showing  you  the  rich  cultural 
heritage  of  the  island. 


lions.  Experience  the  unforgettable 
ambiance  of  a  luxury  mobile  tent 
camp  while  enjoying  the  company 
of  Museum  scientists  involved  with 
primary  research  In  Tsavo.  Also  visit 
Amboseli  National  Park,  home  to 
large,  well-researched  herds  of  ele- 
phants, and  experience  urban  Africa 
in  Nairobi.  Extensions  available 
to  Kenya's  Indian  Ocean  coastline 
and/or  Tanzania's  Serengetl. 

Museum  Leaders:  Zoologist  Bruce 
Patterson,  Archaeologists  Chap 
and  Sibel  Kusimba  and  Ecologist 
Barbara  Harney 
Price:  $8,800,  including  airfare 
from  Chicago 


Circumnavigation  of  Crete 

May  3-13,  2001  (11  days) 

Circumnavigate  Crete  on  a  34- 
passenger  luxury  yacht,  visiting 
a  variety  of  splendid  archaeolog- 
ical sites  such  as  Gournia,  Lato, 
Phaestos,  Gortyn  and  Knossos. 
Explore  quaint  villages  and  breath- 
taking ocean  views,  plus  the  wildly 
beautiful  Kourtaliotiko  Gorge, 
Frangokastello  fortress  and 
Europe's  only  palm-tree  forest. 

Museum  Leader:  Archaeologist 
David  Reese  and  Anthropologist 
Catherine  Sease 
Price:  $3,795  and  higher, 
not  including  airfare 


Explore  Tsavo  National 
Park,  with  four  Museum 
scientists  and  learn 
about  the  infamous  man- 
eating  lions  that  killed 
and  ate  135  railroad 
workers  at  the  end  of  the 
19th  century.  Lt.  Col. 
Patterson,  the  railroad's 
chief  engineer,  shot  these 
lions,  which  Tbe  Field 
Museum  later  bought 
and  still  exhibits.