THE BULLETIN OF THE FIELD NUSEUN az 320 *uoqgbuLyusem ped S20N 88S }LaSuU0D B@ *3S YAOT L/FSUT UBPLUOSUuaLUS Monica Frota nh ih TIN OF MARCH/APRIL 1997 Archaeological Discoveries in New Guinea Shed New Light on the re; Q Origins of Pacific Islanders A complete schedule of March/April events, including the Margaret Mead Traveling Film and Video Festival. The A. Watson Armour Ill Spring Symposium: “Biological Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restoration.” Working in a remote corner of New Guinea, neglected by anthropologists, an international team of scientists has discovered the missing link in the ori- gins of the Pacific Islanders. Page 11. Discover magazine names Anna Roosevelt's unearthing of an ancient human culture among top ‘96 science stories. John Weinstein /A113254.4c Dinosaur Discovery Offers Glimpse Into Madagascar’s Past By Robert Vosper hile prospecting for fossils in early July on the dry wind-swept savannas of the Mahajanga Basin on the northwest coast of Madagascar, an international team of paleontolo- gists led by David Krause, a Museum research associate from The State University of New York — Stony Brook, noticed several bones sticking out of the side of a hill. Expos- ing a few fossils, the team — which included scientists affiliated with the Field Museum, Field Museum Research Associate Cathy Forster of SUNY and several Malagasy stu- dents — immediately realized they had stumbled across the vertebrae of a dinosaur tail. After four days of digging and finding an almost complete tail, the team hit the jack- pot: a jaw bone with large gleaming teeth serrated like the blades of a steak knife. According to one of the team members, Scott Sampson of the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, “When the crew saw the jaw bone we immediately knew we had bagged a Majungasaurus,” a poorly known meat-eating dinosaur that inhabited Mada- gascar nearly 75 million years ago. The discovery of the jaw, however, was just the beginning. A few days later, they unearthed the skull of the creature — one of the most complete and best-preserved dinosaur skulls ever reported. Unearthing the “True” History of Kenya’s Coastal Cities By Robert Vosper » or Kenyan-born Chapurukha Kusimba, assistant curator of African archaeology, . the history of African has yet to be told — at least correctly. If you read history - books, explains Kusimba, you come away with the distinct feeling that nothing of significance happened in Africa prior to a series of colonial conquests, starting with the Portuguese in the 1500s. “When people think of Africa, they think of an open geographical space in which Africans were led by others,” he says. “People have never thought of Africans as leaders. People have ) the view that / everything that _ exists in Africa . was borrowed _ from someone else.” But Kusim- ba is challeng- ing this view with a personal commitment to _ find the truth of _ Africa's past. “Majungasaurus had only been known from thousands of teeth and bone fragments, but until the discovery we had no idea what it looked like,” says Greg Buckley, the team’s co-principal investigator and collections man- ager of fossil invertebrates at the Museum. Three weeks after the initial discovery, the team encased the specimens in plaster and burlap jackets and carried them back to camp. From there the expedition crew shipped the bones to the Museum for prepa- ration, For the next few months, Museum preparators worked on the fossils to confirm the extent of the discovery. From the fossils, researchers have con- cluded that Majungasaurus was probably big- ger than a rhinoceros, walked on its hind legs, weighed several tons and was a fero- cious predator. In addition, they discovered oR og w So wo o oO ve) o cz) s s G £ S > = = Ss > For the last 10 years he has been excavat- ing an eight hectare site on the eastern coast of Kenya in the town of Mtwapa, about 15 miles north of Mombasa. What he is unearthing is compelling evidence of a com- plex precolonial urban African society. All of which is providing confirmation that the Swahili Coast (a name given to the coastal region from Somalia to northern Mozambique) contains some of oldest and most continuous- ly inhabited “modern” cities in the world. “The archaeological record from this site says to me that by the year 1500, Africa was, in many ways, at the same level of development as Europe and Asia,” he says. “And in fact when you look at the kinds of innovations that are going on at the time, one gets the feeling that these African societies were actually far more advanced than we thought.” To date, Kusimba has uncovered five lay- ers of successive occupations in Mtwapa rang- ing in age from the first millennium A.D, to 1750. Contained within these layers is the story of the how a simple fishing town evolved into a major cosmopolitan hub for internation- al trade. In the lowest and oldest levels, Kusimba has found the remains of hut structures marked by post holes and living floors. The that Majungasaurus had a bony knob on its skull. And from the pattern of the dinosaur's nasal and jaw bones, the scien- tists can tell the creature’s head had a rough, dome-like appearance. But the most dramatic discov- ery came from the jaw bone. When researchers began analyzing the dinosaur's jaw they found something very unexpected — it has some striking similarities to Indosuchus, a genus of dinosaur found in India. It also resembled a group of dinosaurs unearthed in Argenti- na. Particular features of all three suggest they are closely related. But how could these dinosaurs, separat- ed by vast stretches of ocean, all be related? For decades, geologists have known that Madagascar was attached to India as part of a massive agglomeration of continents in the southern hemisphere that formed nearly 600 million years ago. The four other main com- Continued on page 9 (Above): The discovery site. (Left): The jaw bones of Majungasaurus. The reason the jaws are so well-preserved is because of the character of sedi- ment in which they were found. In addition, the fossils were never deeply buried, saving them from the distortion, squeezing and deformation common in most fossil settings. lower levels contain only locally made artifacts such as iron tools and Triangular Incised Ware — a name given to local pottery like red-burnished and bag-shaped cooking pots, and bowls with thick rims. There is no evidence that the inhabitants during this time had any contact with the out- side world. But from artifacts found in the more recent levels above, Kusim- ba is seeing a town that began manufacturing items — first for trade with other African coastal towns and later destined for inter- national markets. His evidence is based on the increasing quantities of foreign artifacts he recovered in the upper levels, including glass, carnelian beads, Islamic sgraf- fiato pottery, Chinese Qing bai, chlorite schist wares and chizhou wares. In return for these foreign goods, East Africans were exporting metals, gold, slaves, ivory, timber, iron and rhinoceros tusks. In the levels representing the 1500s, Kusimba has also found spindle whorls made from local pottery — suggesting that the town's inhabitants were also produc- Continued on page 10 o se = is a 3 = = ~ ‘= 2 D & o = = £ S Ss (Top): 14th Century imported Islamic pottery shard that is believed to have been part of a jar. (Left): Triangular Incised Ware. These “local” pot- tery shards are found extensively in excavation levels from the 9th to 13th century, John Weinstein /GN88120.12c¢ (Right): Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking at a reception on Dec. 17 before his Adler—spon- sored lecture titled “Does God Throw Dice in Black Holes?" Hawking, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, spoke to the audi- ence in The Field Muse- um's James Simpson Theatre from his wheel- chair using a speech syn- thesizer. Facing Hawking in the photograph (left to right) is Leo F. Mullin, former Museum board chairman; Paul H. Knap- penberger, president of Adler Planetarium; and Nicholas J. Pritzker. Flanking Hawking is Field Museum President John W. McCarter, Jr. Early Successes Signal Exciting Year Ahead for Museum he first few months of 1997 have been extraordinary times at The Field Museum, from the tremendously suc- cessful completion of the “Heaven on Earth” exhibit to preparations for the opening in late May of “Dinosaur Families.” Staff members and volunteers are working diligently on many other fronts — from hammering out the details of the Museum Campus to designing new exhibits — all of which ensure 1997 will be a ban- ner year for the Museum. First, let's look at the progress of the long-awaited Museum Cam- pus. We have been working closely with the Shedd Aquarium, the Adler Planetarium, the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Depart- ment of Transportation in planning the Cam- pus. What has come out of these meetings is an across-the-board acknowledgement of the need to improve access and parking — two essential ingredients in ensuring the develop- ment of an ideal destination for students, fam- ilies, residents and vacationers. In the long run, we would like to create an integrated experience much like visitors to the Smithson- ian have with the Mall in Washington, D.C. To illustrate the potential benefits of the Campus, The Field Museum and the Adler Planetarium recently joined forces in present- ing astrophysicist Stephen Hawking to a sold- out audience in the James Simpson Theatre. This Adler-sponsored event represents just the beginning of the many opportunities and member benefits that can be crafted from the cooperative atmosphere the Campus will cre- ate. On the educational front, curators and membership groups have been working close- ly to develop some captivating educational programs. For instance, the Founders’ Council invited Meenakshi Wadhwa, assistant curator of meteoritics and mineralogy, to a luncheon to speak about the Museum's collection of Martian meteorites and her related research. And the Women’s Board organized a highly successful two-day educational seminar titled “Dinosaurs and Their Living Relatives.” The talks, which were presented by Museum cura- tors and research associ- ates, ran the gamut from dinosaur discoveries in Madagascar to a discussion about why scientists believe birds are the direct living descendants of small predatory dinosaurs. The academic depart- ments also are busy orga- nizing the Museum's A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium, “Biological Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restora- tion.” This one-day event on April 12 is aimed at pro- fessionals and college stu- dents, as well as high-school teachers and members of the public who are concerned with ecological, evolutionary and conservation issues. Symposium topics range from the implications of large-scale human colonization in lowland Latin American forests to the con- sequences of aquatic invaders like the Zebra Mussel on the Great Lakes. For the last few months our exhibit staff has been busy preparing the Museum for two fascinating new exhibits — one that tackles issues of spirituality and the other the atroci- ties of war. The first, “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou,” which opened in February, uses art forms derived from Vodou to illustrate how signifi- cant and deeply ingrained this religion is in the culture and spirituality of Haiti. In the exhibit you will have the opportunity to see altars, objects used in religious ceremonies and art work inspired by this passionate reli- gion. All of which, we hope, will challenge any preconceived notions you may have of this beautiful and vibrant religion. Opening in May is “Illegal Camera,” a col- lection of photographs taken by the Dutch Adler Planetarium Resistance to document the German occupa- tion of the Netherlands during World War II. This exhibit not only has significant historical value, but is also a memorial to the courage and bravery of individuals who risked their lives to document Nazi atrocities and the destruction caused by the war. We look forward to seeing you soon, iti John W. McCarter, Jr. Field Museum President Judith S. Block To Chair Field Board n February 17, the Field Museum's Board of Trustees elected Judith S. Block, vice chair of the board, to succeed Leo F. Mullin as the board's chairman. Mullin, who completed his three-year tenure, will remain a board member. Block's contribution to the Museum has been extensive since becoming a member of the Museum in 1976 with her husband Philip D. Block III, vice president of Capital Guardian Trust Company. A long-time mem- ber of the Women's Board, Block took over the reins of the group as president from 1984 to 1986. In 1985 she became a Museum trustee, eventually chairing the development committee and the Museum fund-raising cam- paign, as well as co-chairing the nominating committee. In a recent Chicago Tribune article she said the following about her appointment: “I'm very flattered to be heading this great Muse- um, It’s an honor, not because | am woman [Block is the first woman in Museum history to be elected to the position], but because | have the opportunity to lead.” Leading comes naturally to Block who has been active in the Chicago cultural and civic community since leaving Cleveland to attend Northwestern University. After graduating in 1963, she taught fourth grade and creative drama to grades K-8 in Glencoe. Since then, she has become actively involved in many philanthropic organizations, including the Chicago Community Trust, Northwestern Uni- versity, the Child Welfare League of America, Know Your Chicago, Chicago Child Care Soci- ety and The Latin School of Chicago. MARCH/APRIL 1997 Drive, Chee: 1L 60605- 9410, or via Svospereimppe fmnh.org.> March/April 1997 Vol. 68, No. 2 The Field Museum Exploring The Earth And Its People Editor: Robert Vosper Art Director: Shi Yung Editorial Assistant: Rhonda Jones In the Field (ISSN #1051-4548) is published bimonthly by The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605-2496. Copyright © 1995 The Field Museum, Subscriptions $6,00 annually, $3.00 for schools. Museum membership includes /n the Field subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect policy of The Field Museum. Museum phone 312, 922.9410, 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, Roosevelt Rd, at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496, Second class postage paid at Chicago, Illinois, IN THE FIELD ee The A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium: ae ¢ “Biological Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restoration” Lori Breslauer Academic Affairs n Saturday, April 12, 1997, The Field Museum will present the A. Watson Armour Ill Spring Symposium, “Biologi- cal Invasions: Consequences and Eco- logical Restoration.” This one-day symposium will gather international and local scholars, environmental biologists and conser- vationists to discuss the impact and conse- quences of invasive species — plants and animals that invade (or colonize) a new ecosystem. Freed from predators, diseases and other factors that keep them in check in their original habitats, some of these biological invaders wreak massive ecological and financial havoc, and are extremely difficult to control. Some exotic invaders have made their way to the United States by accident — like the Zebra Mussel (see photograph), which is believed to have arrived in the ballast water of a transatlantic ship. The U-S. Fish and Wildlife Service expects Zebra Mussels to cause $5 bil- lion in damage by the year 2002. Other “invaders” are simply colonizing habitats made more favorable because of human- induced or other changes to the environment (e.g., Brown-headed Cowbirds invading farm- A. Watson Armour Ill he Field Museum’s annual spring sympo- sium is named for A. Watson Armour Il, § who generously provided for the Muse- um’s scientific mission through a major bequest in his will. “The Board of Trustees is exceedingly grateful to Sarah Wood Armour and her late husband for their many years of support,” says Museum President John W. McCarter, Jr. “Their civic leadership and dedication to the advance- ment of culture and learning in the City of Chicago serve as an inspiration to us all.” land and agricultural fields). Still other exotics have been introduced deliberately by humans — for example, Purple Loosestrife and Euro- pean Buckthorn have escaped our gardens and now choke local wetlands and forests, dri- ving away native plants and wildlife. The migration of species into new habitats has always been part of nature, But the ever increasing ease of human mobility in the past 500 years, and the accelerating pace of human-induced habitat changes, have radically increased the numbers of species moving from one ecosys- tem to another. Introduced species are changing the very fabric of many natural communities, pushing already endangered species further toward the Ellen Marsden species to become good invaders, the mechanisms through which exotic species are introduced and Registration Information Advanced registration is _ through his will,” remarked McCarter. “The recommended and must be received by March 15, 1997. The conference advance-registration fee is $15 for Field Museum members. After March 15, the registration fee will be $20 for members. To register by mail, please send a check (please do not send cash) made payable to The Field Museum. All payments should be directed to Spring Symposium, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496. the efforts that have been devel- oped to control and manage “problem” species. The talks are open to the public and are aimed at professionals and students in biology, ecology, anthropology, resource man- agement and conservation biology. The sym- posium is also designed for teachers, particularly at the high-school level, who are concerned with ecological, evolutionary or conservation issues. The morning sessions will examine global biological invasions and human colonizations. Afternoon speakers will focus entirely on local invasions and ecological restoration. A noon- time workshop for Chicago-area land managers and volunteer stewards will focus on the bio- logical riches of the Chicago region, and the critical dependence of these communities on conservation and restoration efforts. The sym- posium coincides with the first-year anniver- sary of “Chicago Wilderness,” a massive regional effort to protect and celebrate our rich biological heritage. Displays and activities in Stanley Field Hall will focus on the juxtapo- sition of a large metropolis and globally signif- icant natural areas, and the concepts, practices and controversies centered around ecological restoration. brink of extinction. Exotic species are estimated to have contributed to the decline of 42 percent of U.S. threatened and endan- gered species. Human interference has so amplified the magnitude and rate of biological invasions that this important evolutionary and ecological topic is now of great practical rele- vance, especially in conservation and ecologi- cal restoration. The symposium will explore the biological and ecological characteristics that lead some In addition to naming the spring sympo- sium, the Museum created an endowed chair in 1994 and appointed Peter R. Crane, P.h.D., the first A. Watson Armour Ill Curator. Crane is the Museum’s vice president for aca- demic affairs and director. “We deeply appreciate the exceptional legacy Mr. Armour provided for the Museum For more information, or a detailed schedule, please contact academic affairs at 312.922.9410, ext. 559, via e-mail: , or visit our Web site at: . Armour Curatorship and Symposium series are tributes to a great Chicagoan and his vision for the Museum’s future.” — Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou Members’ Viewing Night and Lecture Tuesday, March 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The Field Museum invites you to attend the Members’ Viewing Night for “The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou” exhibit and a slide-illustrated talk, From the Isle Beneath the Sea: Haiti's Africanizing Vodou Art with Guest Lec- turer Dr. Robert Farris Thompson. The exhibit viewing is free. Lecture tickets are $3 for members and $6 for non-members. Please purchase tickets in advance. The lec- ture begins at 7 p.m. in James Simpson The- atre. Please respond by mail before Feb. 28. After that date, call 312.922.9410, ext. 453 for availability. Tickets will be mailed. “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou" is the first com- prehensive exhibit that explores the arts produced with- in this vibrant Afro-Caribbean religion. This major presentation, which took more than eight years to organize, highlights Vodou ritual art. Dr. Thompson is professor of African and Afro- American art history at Yale University. See Jan/Feb 1997 issue of In the Field for more details. IN THE FIELD The Board of Trustees takes great pleasure in inviting members of The Field Museum to the 46TH ANNUAL MEMBERS’ NIGHTS Wednesday, April 30 & Friday, May 2 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Join us for our famous “look behind-the- scenes” and find out why our Members’ Night(s) was cited as “the best benefit of a Museum membership” in Chicago by New City magazine. This members-only event is your annual opportunity to visit our research labs and libraries, to explore some of our collections storage areas and to see where and how exhibits are designed. Meet the curators, sci- entists, exhibit developers and educators whose work inspires our imaginations and teaches us so much about the diversity of the earth and the people who inhabit it. Present a Members’ Night pass or invita- tion at the door. Those who hold family mem- berships may bring their immediate family and two guests. Individual members may bring two guests. Enter at the north, south or west entrances. Members’ Nights are sponsored by UNITED AIRLINES. NI =~ fae) = of © oF 6 < Disabled persons may make special arrangements by calling the Membership Office at 312.922.9410, ext. 453. MEMBERS MUST CHOOSE ONE NIGHT WATCH FOR YOUR INVITATION MARCH/APRIL 1997 March 1935 The Field Museum offered for sale two classic restorations of the extinct reptiles, Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus, and a cast skeleton of the pre- historic mammal, Megatherium. Joseph C. Belden donated a shrunken Jivaro Indian head from Ecuador. Eric Thompson, assistant curator of Central and South American archaeology, found an ancient Peruvian quipu (a type of abacus) while rummaging through a 10-year unopened crate from Peru. Overseers used quipus for recording the quantity of tribute paid to the Inca, The reason the crate remained undis- turbed for so long was the Museum did not have a Peruvian archaeological expert on staff when the crates arrived. April 1935 The Museum added to a series of animal exhibits a display of axis deer — native to India and Ceylon, The specimens were obtained from Col. Theodore Roosevelt and Kermit Roosevelt during the James Simpson/Roosevelts Asiatic expedition. Other specimens were donated by Col. J.C. Faunthor- pe — “a noted sportsman.” The Museum completed an exhibit of “mum- mies” and reproductions of two opened graves from ancient Peru, An anonymous friend of the Museum donated an ancient Chinese clay figure of a dancing woman dating from the Tang period. The clay figure had been removed from a Chinese grave. How to Bluff Your Way Through Wine Tasting April 3, 1997 6:30 p.m. — 8 p.m. oin us for a tasting and discussion of wines from around the world. Come and discover what makes every wine the same and each wine unique. Mary Ross, director of The Wine Academy of the North Shore, teaches us ify the basic taste characteristics varieties including Chardon- ing, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvi- sparkling wine. This will be a d informative introduction to wine, or a brush-up for more advanced wine enthusiasts. Tickets are $22 for members and $27 for guests. Paid reservations are required. Charge by phone at 312.922.9410, ext. 453, or mail checks to: Membership Department,Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, II. 60605. Students Embark on Interactive Museum Journey By Rhonda Jones field trip for many high schools can erons. For abou however, it is as sion set in their On March 25, T ing up with Indiana's Ball S The Indiana,Aca¢ ics and Humanit schools on an an elect ney through the Museu The stud um’s geology tions department with as he goes live via sate of a fossil at the exhibition. This eféctronic field the work of Greg Buckley of fossil invertebrates member of an international team of that recently unearthed the skull of gasaurus, a large meat-eating dinosai Madagascar (see p. 1). A special toll-free number wii possible for the students to int ba and ask questions throughoy cast. Laraba’s e-mai discussing adcast in the Interna- education our, “A Trip ored the eras. 2; 1996),”-e From Tsavo to the American Southwest, The Field Press Covers the World By Marjorie Pannell Editor, Fieldiana he Field Museum press publishes the curatorial and field work of scientists asso- ciated with the Museum and has an exten- sive black list of both popular and scholarly works. A current best-seller is Stress and War- fare Among the Kayenta Anasazi of the 13th Century A.D. by Jonathan Hass, curator of North Amer- ican archaeology, and Winifred Creamer, asso- ciate professor of anthropology at Northern Illinois University. Bill Kurtis recently featured the work of Hass and Creamer in a documen- tary that aired on national television. In Stress and Warfare, the authors propose that the com- bined stresses of an extended drought and low-level warfare — itself a last resort to the counterloss of resources — led to the disap- pearance of the Anasazi from the Four Cor- ners region of the American Southwest. The book is generously illustrated with black-and- white site photographs and provides a detailed look at archaeological techniques and the building of theories from in situ evi- dence. The book may be purchased for $30 (plus 8.75 percent Illinois tax) from: Library — Publications Division, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2498. Museum members interested in learning more about the man-eating lions of Tsavo, whose capture in 1898 became the story line for Paramount Pictures’ “The Ghost and the Darkness,” can read a firsthand account of the stalking (lions-man-lions) and capture by Lt. Col. John H, Patterson. The 40-page illustrated booklet can be purchased in the Museum store for $4.95 (ask for The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo). The original work, from which the book- let is a reprinting, was first published in the Museum's Zoology Leaflet series in 1925. The lions themselves, having survived a second incarnation as rugs, are mounted and dis- played in their natural environment in the Rice Wildlife Research Station on the Muse- um’s first floor. [4] MARCH/APRIL 1997 IN THE FIELD MARGARET MEAD TRAVELING FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL Peoples of the Earth: A Visual Voyage April 4 — 6, 1997 pid independent filmmakers and inquisi- tive anthropologists, as The Field Museum, Columbia College and the Universi- ty of Illinois — Chicago, host this year's Mar- garet Mead Traveling Film and Video Festival. Coordinated by the American Museum of Nat- ural History in New York, the renowned Festi- val is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Reflecting an outstanding selection of works, view films from the genre of “fake” doc- umentary, including “Bontoc Eulogy,” a pro- foundly moving, fictionalized narrative about the filmmaker's Filipino grandfather — one of the 1,100 tribal natives displayed as anthro- pological specimens at the 1904 World's Fair. Filmmaker Peter Adair will also be fea- tured with his film, “Holy Ghost People,” which Margaret Mead called one of the best ethnographic films ever made. A diverse range of topics from the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, women in India and mourning practices in Papua New Guinea will add to this not-to-be-missed weekend. Columbia College will open the festival on Friday evening, April 4 with a reception and the Festival's only showing of "Me and My Matchmaker" by Chicago filmmaker Mark Wexler from 6 to 9 p.m. Two concurrent pro- grams will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. f mbark on a celluloid odyssey with intre- From the Indian Film, Anrit Beeja, by Meera Dewan. on Saturday and Sunday: Living Together: The Many Cultures of the USA and Changing Together: The World at the End of the Sec- ond Millennium. A program will also be avail- able for children (ages 5 to10) with films and activities on Saturday and Sunday from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (accompanying adults must be registered in the Film and Video Festival). Tickets for the Friday, April 4 Columbia College screening and reception for “Peoples of the Earth: A Visual Voyage” are $20 ($18 members, students and seniors); one day tickets for The Field Museum festival screen- ings are $15 ($13 members, students and seniors). Two day passes are $25 ($22 mem- bers, students and seniors). Children may be registered for the morning program for $5 a child. Space is limited and preregistration is required for the Children's Program. To reserve tickets, or to receive a full list- ing of the films, call 312.322.8854. “Wild in Chicago 97” April 10 & 11 from 10 a.m, tol p.m, Saturday, April 12 from II a.m. to 3 p.m. 200,000 acres of metropolitan land that includes rich and globally significant con- centrations of plants and animals. Each day, representatives from some of the 34 Chicago Wildermess partner institutions and the Volun- teer Stewardship Network will help visitors learn more about local conservation efforts. Field Museum scientists will share information about current research and show specimens from the Museum's collections. Storytellers, performers and hands-on activities will help younger visitors learn about local plants and animals. All activities, except the symposium, are free with Museum admission. f ind out about the Chicago wilderness—the Field Museum Scientists: Foreign Mussels Muscle Out Local Species. Learn about an alien that threatens Lake Michigan residents. Field Museum zool- ogists provide you with living examples of the Zebra Mussel! and explain how this invader has changed the ecology of Lake Michigan. Specimens of threatened species will be dis- played so you can see what we are losing. A Rolling Stone. Bryophytes, or moss plants, are found year round in Chicagoland ecosystems. Learn about these pioneers and soil stabilizers, and how they get around. Nature’s Recyclers in Action. Watch as dermestid beetles clean off the bones of a bird or mammal. A Field Museum scientist explains why this locally found insect makes the best “cleaner-upper’ the Museum can find. Learn about how and why the Museum prepares skeletal parts for its collections. Flattened Flora: Make a Plant Specimen. Learn the scientific means for col- lecting and storing plant specimens, so that you can start keeping your own records of local plants. Activities: Take your family on a self-guided tour through the exhibits including wildlife found in Chicago, or let a Museum volunteer tell you about Chicago-area plants and animals. In addition, explore the biological diversity of local ponds and learn how deer and other antlered creatures differ from those with horns. Also, look at replicas of local fungi and then shape and paint yours to match. Performances include: “Wild in Chicago Sing Along” invites children of all ages to sing about local species. George and Michele Schricker combine song writing, storytelling and poetry as they teach you songs about butterflies, dandelions, coy- otes and columbines. 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. on Thursday & Friday. Noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, The Earth We Share: Native American Stories. Iroquois Florence Dunham tells sto- ries passed down from the days when Chica- go's only human inhabitants were the Native Americans. How did these people honor Mother Earth and the area's plants and ani- mals? 10:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. on Thursday & Fri- day. | p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. French Traders: an Alien Species in 1675 Chicago. Meet Jean Claude Louis Pierre Chavigny, a Frenchman who actually traded in this area. What were some of of the things that drew Europeans to this area? What did the local inhabitants seek in exchange? Learn to pack a voyageur pack. 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday and Friday. Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday. Hody Coyote Puppet Show (Saturday only). Meet Hody Coyote who entertains and teaches about the natural wonders of the prairie. Learn stories about Coyote and his tricks. Ip.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Throughout the event, Chicago Wilderness Part- ners will have an informa- tive display about natural treasures like wetlands, prairies, savannas and forests that persist in the Chicago region. The dis- play will teach you about the stresses that threaten our natural wilderness and the solutions developed to protect them. On Saturday you are invited to the The A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium, "Biolog- ical Invasions: Consequences and Ecological Restoration." This symposium, open to the public, will focus on the implications of intro- duced species in natural and restored land- scapes (see p. 3). It will feature local, regional and national perspectives. A registration fee is required for the symposium only. Please con- tact academic affairs at 312.922.9410, ext, 559, or e-mail: . = oS E = ij a =) sO = Ss B S Ss a= ua “Drawing in the Field” is one of the activities during Wild In Chicago ‘97 that gives visitors a chance to learn more about local plants and animals. CALENDAR OF EVENTS Monica Frota “Kayapo Imaging” is an insightful photographic exhibit that depicts the Kayapo Indians of Brazil and their experience in learning how to use videotape technology (see cover photograph) as a means of per- petuating their cultural memory. The 30 color photographs vividly capture many aspects of Kayapo life, including activities at men’s houses, headdress production, dance, children's body decoration and the introduction and use by the Kayapo of video technology. “Kayapo Imaging” is free with general Museum admission, and will be on display at the Webber Gallery until July 6. Vodou aitian Hi “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou" explores the arts produced within the vibrant Afro-Caribbean religion of Vodou — a West African term for “sacred.” The exhibit features more than 500 objects including a recre- ated Vodou temple complete with three altars expressing the major rites of the religion. Many objects in the exhibit are courtesy of UCLA's Fowler Museum of Cultural History. Others are on loan from museums in Haiti, the Unit- ed States, Europe and from distinguished private collections. The exhibit is a collaborative effort of the Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince and UCLA's African Studies Center and Center of African-American Studies. Experts on Vodou art, folklore, history, anthropology, sociology, as well as Vodou priests and priestesses contributed to this exhibit. One of the major goals of the exhibit is to foster an appreciation for the beauty of Vodou art and absolve the religion of some of the racial stereotypes that taint its spiritual significance. The flag in the picture above is titled “Flag of Danbhalah" and was created by Antoine Oleyant, a visionary cubist working in a sequined medium. In this flag, Danbala (Rada serpent deity) is represented as a barefoot St. Patrick with miter, staff and ason (rattle used to summon spirits). The exhibit will run in the Special Exhibit Gallery through April 13. (Right): Donald J. Cosentino, co-curator of “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou,” discusses some last minute changes to the exhibit with the Museum staff before the opening. Cosentino, associate professor of African and Caribbean Folklore at UCLA, is standing in the exhibil's recreated Vodou temple. In the middle of the temple (not shown) is a Poto Mitan — a pole erected in the center of most Vodou temples to draw the ener- gies of the Lwa (spirit. At the back of the temple the Museum has installed two television screens showing footage from Vodou ceremonies. “Photography in the Netherlands During the German Occupation, 1940-1945” ~ he “Illegal Camera” exhibit presents 60 images taken by profes- sional and Dutch photogra- phers who set out to document the German occupation of the Nether- lands during World War II. Shot despite harsh restric- tions imposed by the Ger- mans and severe shortages of photographic material and equipment, these pho- tographs depict life in the Netherlands during the occupation. Images include vivid portrayals of the destruction left by the war, everyday life under German mili- tary rule, the persecution of Dutch Jews, the resistance, the shortages and starvation brought on by the war and finally the libera- tion of the Netherlands. German troops entered the Netherlands without a declaration of war on May 10, 1940, and the country was quickly placed under German civil law. While photography was not entirely prohibited, journalists and press pho- ® Kim Mazanek /GN88125,6c Cas Oorthuys tographers were subject to censorship, could present only approved subjects and had to join a trade union. Compelled to document the subjects deemed “undesirable” by the German occupiers, many photographers hoarded film and used many clever and covert means to capture the images of terror. For example, many of the photographs were taken with cameras hidden in coats, bags or behind window panes. Photography became a deter- mined act of resistance as the photographers risked their lives to create a record of war through pictures. Some of the most haunting pictures in the collection, and perhaps of any photographic images to emerge from World War Il, are of the appalling conditions faced by the Dutch dur- ing the “Hunger Winter” — the coldest on record, Many cities, like Amsterdam, were plagued by food shortages, death and starva- tion. Smuggled into England, these pictures may have convinced the Allied Forces to make food-drops during the last days of the occupa- tion. “Illegal Camera" was organized by the Netherlands Photo Archives in Rotterdam and curated by Veronica Hekking and Flip Bool. The exhibit will run through June | in the South Gallery and is free with regular admis- sion to the Museum. DINOSAUR FAMILIES , MAY 24 ~ SEPTEMBER 1, 1997 3/ 1 Saturday Haitian Art Collection Tour 9 a.m —7 p.m. The Milwaukee Art Museum's collection, “A Haitian Celebration,” comprises 120 works of Haitian art from American and European collectors. The works explore the artistic output of a nation, which despite ongo- ing societal and political turmoil, has produced an entire generation of artists who have achieved international stature and recognition. Included in the trip are morning refreshments, lunch in Milwaukee and a tour of The Field Museums exhibit: “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou.” ($65, $57 members). Call 312.322.8854 for information or to register. 3/5 ica 3/ 1 9 Wednesdays Sequin Arts of Vodou: Bottle Decorating 6 —8 p.m. Haitian artist Gerthie David will lead workshops for adults on the Haitian art of bottle decorating. Participants will learn the significance of color choice, sequin application and how to incorporate images into their own design. They will then apply this knowledge as they decorate their own bottle. ($63, $57 members). Call 312.322.8854 for information. Denis J. Nervig 8/7 & 3/21 riaays Haitian Film Series 5:30 — 8 p.m. Two nights of film and discussion will celebrate Haiti’s sacred arts and artists. The March 7 films will offer arintroduction to the cultural, societal and-political history of Haiti, [ on Haitian culture ts, government officials rch 21, explore the his- aitian art through: jinter- ve of several prominent ening’s films will feature unding as the world’s first public using paintings 's foremost artists. Dis- | d' ight Call artists. One of y. of Hai da rose ie any, bother sweet? Get ready for spring with Tho Lammers, assistantic mon and scientific plant names, limitations of each and hows and other botanists name’plants. A slide trated survey of flowers with interesting na and their stories will be included. ($45, $40 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more infor- mation or to register. ator — 3/8 saturiay Milwaukee Cultural Field Trip 8 a.m. —7 p.m. Join us on a field trip to the Milwaukee Public Museum to tour their new permanent exhibit, “A Tribute to Survival,” which honors the past and celebrates the future of American Indian cultures. Following our visit to the Public Museum, we will continue on to the Milwaukee Art Museum to view the traveling exhibit, “Plains Indian Drawings 1865 — 1935: Pages From a Visual History.” ($55, $47 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 3/8 & 3/9 Saturday and Sunday Kahurangi Dancers Noon & 2 p.m. The world renowned Kahurangi Maori Dance Theater of New Zealand will cel- ebrate the 4th anniversary of the reopening of Ruatepupuke, the Maori Meeting House. Kahu- rangi brings to life the heritage of the native Marori people through dazzling choreography, colorful costumes and South Pacific music and chant. Free with Museum admission. Call 312.922.9410, ext. 467 for more information. 3/10 monday Founders Council Reception 5:30 p.m. in the Founders’ Room of the Muse- um, John Flynn, MacArthur Curator of fossil mammals and chair of the geology department, will present a lecture about his summer 1996 expedition to Madagascar and discovery of Tri- assic and Jurassic deposits. For information about joining the Founders’ Council or attend- ing the event, please contact Patricia Stratton at 312.322.8868. B/VS saturday Haitian Music Lecture 2 p.m. Michael Largey, assistant professor of musicology in the School of Music at Michigan State University, will focus on Haitian music and its relationship to Vodou. His lecture will examine relationships between power, play and performance in the musical traditions of Haiti. Free with Museum admission. Call 312.922.9410, ext. 497 for more information. 3/19 & 3/26 swednescays Organic Gardens and Natural Landscapes 6 — 8 p.m. Prairie Crossing is an innovative conservation community encompassing prairies, meadows, wetlands, farm fields and a community supported farm. Learn how Prairie nals create a healthy living | insects to control garden ve prairie grassesand. sionals will then alloon, basket en learn about Bill Burger 4/17 Thursday “The Compleat Cockroach” Author Appearance 5:30 p.m. Join award-winning nature writer David Gordon for a pre- sentation featuring his newest book, The Compleat Cock- roach — a com- pendium of facts on cockroach anatomy, behavior, specifica- tion, culture and influence on the arts. From the jungles of equatorial Africa to the Raid Research Institute in Racine, Wis., this is a lec- ture not to be missed. ($12, $10 members). Books will be available for purchase and sign- ing. Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. A/N8 rice Behind-the-scenes With the Department of Anthropology 5:30 — 7:30 p.m. Join us for a brand new Behind-the-Scenes tour focusing on Anthropol- ogy. On this night, families will have the rare opportunity to view a portion of the collections not on display and see research being conduct- ed in the non-public areas of the Museum. Adults with children grades 3 and up. ($10, $8 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more infor- mation or to register. 4/22 Tuesday “Are We Unique?” Author Appearance 5:30 — 7:30 p.m. James Trefil will discuss and sign his new book, Are we Unique? A Scientist Explores the Unparalleled Intelligence of the Human Mind. In this book, Trefil reviews cur- rent thinking from the worlds of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, psychology, anthropology and animal intelligence. He also offers his views concerning what makes the human mind unique. ($12, $10 members). Please call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. Brochures are available for our popular collaborative summer camp for children ages 5 to 12. Camp sessions begin the week of July 7 and run through August 1. Each week-long session takes place Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. — 3 p.m. With the theme of “Time Travelers,” campers will explore the past, the present and the future at the three “museum cam- pus" institutions. A new program for teens is also in the works. For more information on these programs, please call 312.322.8854. Reserve a space for your child now! The Spring Field Guides will be in mailboxes soon. Watch out for our next Family Overnight that highlights this summer's special dinosaur exhibit: “Dinosaur Families.” If you do not already receive a Field Guide listing the programs offered for adults, families and children, and would like one, please call 312.322.8854. Programs are subject to change Graham Rewita March 8 & 9 Noon & 2 p.m. Kahuran- gi Dancers. Enjoy the exciting dance, music and chants of the South Pacific. Of ered every Thursday. Check weekend listings for Saturday and Sunday. = Offered every Saturday through April 26. 10 a.m.—1 p.m. African Metals activity. Learn about the ancient African art of metallurgy. 10 a.m.— 1 p.m. Human Origins activity. Discover the theories, evi- dence and myths about our origins in the Great Rift Valley of Africa. 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The Aztec Empire and their Predeces- sors tour (English). i Find out about the : diversity of languages 3 and cultures from this region and how the Aztecs built a mighty empire 3,000 years ago. 1 p.m. Stories from Around the World. Travel to distant lands through the magic of storytelling. 1:30 p.m. El Imperio Azteca y sus Predece- sores tour (espanol). Aprenda sobre la diversidad de lenguajes y culturas de esta region y como estas culturas construyeron un poderoso imperio hace 3,000 afos. 1:30 p.m. Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide lecture. Learn about Tibetan refugees in Nepal, India and elsewhere. Witness the dedica- tion ceremony of a Himalayan Bud- dhist chorten in Indiana by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. ll am. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. Noon. Fireballs & Shooting Stars. How old is the solar system? How did it form? Is there life out there? Learn how meteorites are helping us understand comets, stars, aster- oids and planets. | p.m. — 3 p.m. Geology in Action activity. Coral reefs in Chicago? Rocks that float on water? Come participate in hands-on geology activities. 12:45 p.m. The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour. 9 a.m.—3 p.m. Digging Dino Dirt demonstration. Visit the “Life Over Time” exhibit and learn how scien- tists are trying to understand the environment in central Montana by picking out microscopic animal * bones from dirt that dinos died in. Watch on a large screen monitor as microscopic discoveries are made right before your eyes. Travel the Pacific! Join the celebra- tion of the 4th anniversary of the re- opening of Ruatepupuke, a Maori Meeting House. Highlights of The Field Museum tours are offered Monday through Friday, at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m, Visit some of the exhibits that make this Museum one of the world’s greatest. Find out the stories behind the exhibits. Check weekend listings for Saturday and Sunday Highlights tours. Performance: Noon & 2 p.m. Kahurangi Dancers. Enjoy the exciting dance, music and chants of the South Pacific. Activities: 11 a.m. —3 p.m. Venture the Pacific with on-going activities to learn about ancient navigation, island for- mation, Polynesian music and games. Visit the sacred and trea- sured Maori Meeting House. Travel the Pacific! See Saturday, March 8. ll a.m. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 10 a.m. —1 p.m. Adinkra activity. Learn about traditional designs from Ghana representing different African proverbs. Stamp your favorite! Noon. Tibet Today and Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon slide lecture. A slide presentation that takes you to Lhasa and other places now open to tourists in Tibet. Also travel to the small Himalayan coun- try of Bhutan. 1 p.m. Stories from Around the World storytelling. 2 p.m. Haitian Music lecture. Dr. Michael Largey, assistant professor of musicology in the School of Music at Michigan State University, will focus on Haitian music and its relationship to Vodou. His lecture will examine relationships between power, play and performance in the musical traditions of Haiti. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. Explore the Maya's ances- tors’ art, architecture, technical innovations, math and writing sys- tems. Also find out more about the two million people in Mexico and Central America who still speak the Mayan language and maintain Mayan traditions. 2 p.m. Stories of the American Indians. Gather around and learn about the traditional life of Native Americans through stories of long ago. 10 a.m.—1! p.m. Human Origins activity. ll am. &1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The Aztec, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour. | p.m. Nahuatl Poetry reading. Find out how Aztec literature has been preserved as you listen to music of pre-Hispanic influence. Poetry read- ings are in English, Spanish and Nahuatl. 11 a.m. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 10 a.m. —1 p.m. African Metals activity. 11 am. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1 p.m. Stories from Around the World storytelling. 11 am. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 2 p.m. Stories of the American Indians storytelling. 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Human Origins activity. ll am. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The Aztec Empire and Their Predecessors tour (English). 1:30 p.m. El Imperio Azteca y sus Predecessores tour (espafiol). 11 am. & 2 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. Noon. Fireballs and Shooting Stars tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 2 p.m. Stories of the American Indians storytelling. “Wild in Chicago '97” See “Get Smart” page. 10 a.m. — | p.m. Adinkra activity. 1l am. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Human Origins activity. Il a.m. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The Aztec Empire and Their Predecessors tour. 1:30 p.m. Nahuatl Poetry readings. ll am. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. Noon. Fireballs and Shooting Stars tour. 2 p.m. Stories of the American Indians storytelling. 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. African Metals activity. ll am. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1:30 p.m. Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide lecture. 11 am. & | p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1 p.m. —3 p.m. Geology in Action activity. RESOURCE CENTERS Daniel F. & Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station Learn more about the animal king- dom through videos, computer pro- grams, books, and activity boxes. Open daily 10 a.m.— 4:30 p.m. Webber Resource Center Native Cultures of the Americas Use books, videos, tribal newspa- pers and activity boxes to learn more about native peoples. Open daily 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. ON-GOING PROGRAMS Place for Wonder Touchable objects let you investi- gate fossils, shells, rocks, plants and items of daily life in Mexico. Weekdays: | p.m. — 4:30 p.m. Weekends: 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Pawnee Earth Lodge Visit a home of the mid-19th centu- ry Pawnee people. Learn about these Native Americans and their life on the Plains. Weekdays: | p.m. programs. Weekends: 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Ruatepupuke: A Maori Meeting House Discover the world of the Maori people of New Zealand at the trea- sured and sacred Maori Meeting House. Open daily 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. =] <= = cv a [=] oO 2 = S = i= 2 B = > =. = = =) Ss ___s—_ i itLULULULULUCCLlLCOUll Dinosaur Discovery ponents of this supercontinent, named Gond- wana, were South America, Africa, Antarctica and Australia. Over time, Gondwana began tearing apart, eventually forming the land- masses we are familiar with today. During this process, animals that once roamed freely over Gondwana became separated, allowing related species to evolve independently as they adapted to a changing environment. Majungasaurus was no exception. Because Majungasaurus has relatives in India and South America, a common ancestral species of all three must have once used Antarctica as a bridge to travel between the landmasses, And because Majungasaurus shares certain features with Indosuchus — sug- gesting that they are most closely related — clearly India and Madagascar remained con- nected for a relatively long period after all links to South America were severed. « « Continued from page 1 Gondwana affected the area's flora and fauna in the late Cretaceous period (100 to 65 mil- lion years ago). “With the discovery of Majungasaurus, we now have a window into what animals in Madagascar looked like in this period,” says John Flynn, MacArthur Curator and chairman of the geology department. “There are a lot of missing data from the southern hemisphere. Until now we had very little knowledge of what was going on in terms of evolution at that time.” Though Majungasaurus is perhaps the team's most impressive and important find from their three field seasons on the island (1993, 1995, 1996), they also collected 31 other species of vertebrates from the late Cretaceous period. Prior to their project only eight Cretaceous species from this area had been identified. Some of the fossils collected include fishes, crocodiles, frogs, turtles, lizards, snakes, birds and mammals. And dur- ing their 1995 field expedition they unearthed 75 percent of a juvenile skeleton of a sauropod known as Titanosaurus, a large four-legged plant-eating dinosaur. Prior to this discovery, the most complete specimen of the dinosaur family to which it belongs was 25 percent of a single individual. “We were more successful in our three seasons in Madagascar than we could haye hoped for,” says Buckley. “We just cleaned up in the late Cretaceous period. It answered some questions we wanted to address — pri- marily how plate tectonics affected animal diversity in Madagascar. But there are many more questions that remain unanswered." The team’s initial National Science Foun- dation grant has expired, so the crew has requested additional funding to extend their research. “Our work has only just began to fill in the gaps of our knowledge about what was going on in this area in the time of the dinosaurs,” says Buckley. “The team has much more work to do. In fact we have only This assumption supports geophysical evidence that indicates the land connections between Madagascar/India and South Ameri- ca/Antarctica were broken approximately 120 million years ago. India then split away from Madagascar about 88 million years ago, even- tually slamming into Asia and forming the Himalayas. The evolutionary story of Majungasaurus came as no surprise to the team. One reason they were in Madagascar in the first place was to investigate how the fragmentation of Discover Names Roosevelt's Work in Amazon Among Top Stories of 1996 By Rhonda Jones ] human culture in the Amazon by Anna Roosevelt, Museum curator of archaeology and professor of anthropology at the Universi- ty of Illinois at Chicago, ranked among the top 100 science stories for 1996 in the January 1997 issue of Discover magazine. Roosevelt and her international team of researchers first made headlines in April of 1996 (see In the Field, May/June 1996) when they excavated the Caverna da Pedra Pintada, a cave on the north bank of the Amazon in Monte Alegre, Brazil. The cave paintings, stone spear points, and the carbonized remains of fruit, wood and animals from the site — dating back more than11,000 years — are among the oldest cave paintings and remains to be found in the Americas. “It was great to see our story paid atten- tion to,” Roosevelt said of being named in the magazine. “Having an Amazonian site noticed in the general science press helps very much in the cultural and educational programs that local people in the Amazon are developing. It also helps to show that the Amazonian Indians SPECIAL 188 ENCE Discover he research and discovery of an ancient Mara: the Mind af the century? have a great ancient tradition that is worthy of interest.” Other Discover notables included Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and AIDS Researcher David Ho. Diane Alexander White /GN87935.41c exposed the tip of the iceberg.” will be another big blockbuster,” he added. : separately funded research ‘While there, the SUNY team and pare the fossils. _ has found an abundance of new (close relatives of mammals), a (Far Left): Greg Buckley [right] and John Flynn [middle] talk to reporters about the dinosaur discov- ery at a recent press con- ference. The skulls on the table are cast replicas of the Argentinean dinosaurs that are related to Indosuchus and Majungasaurus. “We believe that just past the next hill (Left): Most of the fossils being shipped back from Madagascar, including Majungasaurus, are being worked on in the Museum's fossil prepara- tion lab in Stanley Field Hall. hese eid anda Jurassic _ site containing ena bones and - Together these two teams are helping to paint a clearer picture _ of what inhabited Madagascar = — during the “Age of the. Dinosaurs” (Jurassic, Triassic and _ Cretaceous periods), and they _ are beginning to find answers to the origins of Madagascar’s unique and often bizarre cates ~ fauna. _ teams. In 1996, John Flynn — : embarked ona reconnaissance Members of John Flynn’s Team: “mission of the area in prepara- _tion for excavating fossils from J. Michael Parrish, associate pro- fessor at Northern Illinois Univer- sity; André R. Wyss, associate professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara; William Simpson, chief prepara- tor and collections manager of fossil vertebrates at the Museum; and Malagasy students from the University of Antananarivo: _ Anselme TOTO VOLAHY, Mbini- the Jurassic and Triassic period. Flynn‘s group shared information about their sites, shipped materi- al together and worked jointly back in the United States to pre- Incidentally, Flynn’s team fossils, including cynodonts na ANDRIANTOMPOHAVANA and Léon RAZAFIMANANTSOA. (Left): The Haitian band, Asakivle, played to a lively audience attending the Museum's African Heritage Festival on Feb- ruary | and 2. The festi- val, which focused on the Haitian relationship with African cultures around the world, kicked off the opening of “Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou" exhibit. Participants enjoyed a rich tapestry of music, dance and cuisine. The festival was sponsored by The South Shore Bank. IN THE FIELD MARCH/APRIL 1997 |9| ee (Bottom): Chapurukha Kusimba’s excavation site in Mlwapa, Kenya. When Kusimba joined the Museum he converted his house near this site into a research field station for students, workers and vis- iting scientists. FOOTSTEPS JUNGLE Adventures in the Scientific Explora the American Tropics Jonathan Maslow Footnotes ! Hershkovitz, P. 1987. "A history of the recent mammalogy of the Neotropical Region from 1492-1850.” P. 11-98 in Studies in Neotropical Mammalogy: essays in honor of Philip Her- shkovitz (B. D. Patterson & R. M.Timm, eds.) Fieldiana: Zoology no . 39, Chicago. 2 Papavero, N. 1973. Essays on the history of Neotropical Dipterology, with special references to collectors (1750-1905). Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 2 vols. Kenya's Coastal Cities e © e Continued from page 1 ing textiles. In Kusimba's words, this evolution into a major trading post “created one of the most enduring and uniquely cosmopolitan African cultures.” This is not to say, however, that the East Africans during this time were immune to for- eign influence. For example, with international trade came wealth that enabled the formation and development of an elite class of rulers, high-ranking officials, sheiks, merchants, spe- cialized craftsmen and landowners. And as with the wealthy class today, they began to develop a taste for luxurious foreign items. Many of the elite commissioned foreign masons to build their houses in styles found abroad. Thus, in the upper excavation levels, Kusimba is finding more and more structures built in coral and lime mortar, and dressed in plaster — a stark contrast to the mud and wooden structures of the poor. Yet, under close examination, these “foreign” structures still retain many of the same elements found Chap Kusimba ; Bruce D. Patterson MacArthur Curator, Mammals elebrations of heroes and their exploits in literature surely answer deep-seated human needs. History's great literary tradi- tions were founded by such tales as The Odyssey, Gilgamesh, and Beowulf. In each, our heroes encountered highly personal trials while the fate of entire nations hung in the balance. After all, the protagonists were also warriors and lead- ers. But it is their triumphs on the road of per- sonal discovery that hold our imaginations captive and lend these tales their timeless appeal. Contemporary culture offers no better chronicle of the drama and triumph inherent in the museum business than the “Indiana Jones" films. The films mix travel to remote areas and exposure to foreign cultures with the search for the most celebrated cultural icons of our society. Placing this lofty enter- prise above the fray of human foibles (i.e., the endless quest for fame and fortune), our hero searches on behalf of humanity, the treasure to be held in public trust. No line in that trilo- gy of films resonates for me like Indy's white- knuckle, death-defying proclamation over one or another long-sought prize: "It belongs in a museum." Medieval crusaders must have been filled with the same passion. So too were the 13 biologist-explorers of MARCH/APRIL 1997 in traditional African homes. Even at the peak of Eastern Africa's involvement in international trade, the wealthy class never forgot their roots — their structures still remained unique- ly African. “The record shows that 99 percent of their culture during this period still remained local- ized and distinctively African,” says Kusimba. “Historians, however, don't see the subtle dis- tinctions; they assume the Europeans and Asians were asserting their influence.” One question, however, remains unan- swered: Why has it taken scientists and histo- rians so long to uncover the truth? Part of the problem, Kusimba explains, is that it is hard to conduct research in Africa because of the poorly developed infrastruc- ture. But it is mainly the failure of historians and scientists to peel away the layers of mod- ern Africa to see what existed in the past. For instance, when the Omani Arabs conquered the Swahili coast in the late 1700s, coastal Africans abandoned their cities and fled inland. The Omani Arabs then built over much of the African historical record. In places like Mombasa, many of the architectural styles still reflect Indian and Arab influences. “People who visit the cities assume the Arabs or the Europeans, anyone but the Africans, built them ... Africans aren't expected to have created them,” says Kusimba. “They don't realize there once was a uniquely African infrastructure there before the colonial peri- © od.” “The problem,” he continues, “is that the history of Africa has been written by Euro- peans. But this is changing with the increasing number of African scholars and scientists born after independence. Also, today's scientists all over the world are pursuing the truth. They are A Passion for Discovery the American tropics covered by Jonathan Maslow's book, Footsteps in the Jungle. Like Indy, their mission is discovery and documentation; their treasure is knowledge, and the future of life on Earth surely hangs in the balance of time and our actions. For each adventurer, Maslow offers some biographical details as context for the subject's scientific goals. For most, he presents a recognizable portrait [in the case of Darwin he offers an excuse instead, asking: “Who hasn't seen a likeness of Charles Darwin? Who doesn't know that he was about one year younger than Methuselah, just a bit more severe than Moses?"] For all, he develops an entertaining and engaging account of their scientific passions and an indication of their modern legacies. Maslow writes with obvious affection and enthusiasm for his subject matter, and he has taken pains to research the scientific lives of his subjects. He correctly paints the enter- prise of discovery as one that continues (and may even be accelerating) today. Yet, he offers scant recognition of the heady discover- ies that took place in the American tropics during the three centuries between the “Voy- ages of Discovery” by Columbus and the arrival of Alexander von Humboldt, who Maslow claims "cut the cord tying the Ameri- can tropics to the medieval mind-set, and set humanity on the course of enlightened inves- tigation." Actually, a great deal of scientific informa- not interested in the status quo — in protect- ing their government's interests as colonial sci- entists and administrators were.” “But for African scientists it is also more than just finding the truth,” he adds. “It is pride, the pride of playing an active role in rewriting the history of Africa from a home- grown perspective.” BEFORE THE FIELD n 1986 Chapurukha Kusimba received his undergraduate degree in African history and Kiswahili from Kenyatta University in Nairobi. After graduation, he accepted an internship at the National Museums of Kenya to study under Richard Leakey, noted paleontologist, conserva- tionist and politician. On April 25, 1996, Kusimba got the chance to meet his former teacher, mentor and friend when the Museum's Founders’ Council present- ed Leakey with the Award of Merit for his out- standing achievement in bringing issues of biodiversity to popular attention. — After the internship, Kusimba moved to the United States, where he received his master’s and Ph.D. in anthropology at Bryn Mawr Col- lege in Pennsylvania: In 1994, he joined the Museum. Late last year, Kusimba received grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society to conduct archaeological surveys and excavations of urban sites in the hinterland of the Swahili Coast. Inhabited by farmers, herdsmen and hunters, the hinterlands were the source of raw material for many developing precolonial African cities like Mombasa, Mogadishu, Kilwa, Zanzibar, Lamu and Mtwapa. Kusimba is currently working on a book, The Evolution of the Swahili State, scheduled to be published later this year by the University of Arizona Press, tion accompanied the plundered gold and sil- ver of New World cities back to Europe. By 1758, a half-century before von Humboldt set out, fully a quarter of the world's known mam- mal species were from South America. Bio- graphical sketches for many of those responsible are presented in publications by Field Museum curator Philip Herskovitz! and Brazilian entomologist Nelson Papavero2, The scientific breadth of these 17th and 18th cen- tury workers was amazing: some, like engineer Felix d'Azara and priest Juan Ignacio Molina, offered authoritative natural histories of their precincts, with detailed accounts of minerals, cultures, plants and animals alike. The articles of Hershkovitz and Papavero also include trav- el itineraries and detailed references to the primary literature. Maslow credits a number of libraries as information sources for his research, but most of the literature cited by all three chroniclers can be found in the Muse- um's superb libraries. Maslow deserves praise for presenting his accounts with compelling narratives. He gives his tales enough focus to make their subjects’ overweening curiosity intelligible to a late 20th-century public. But readers moved by his accounts of discovery should recognize these same passions as the driving forces behind studies of natural history everywhere. Footsteps in the Jungle is published by Ivan R. Dee in Chicago. IN THE FIELD Archaeological Discoveries in New Guinea Shed New Light on the Origins of Pacific Islanders orking in a remote corner of New Guinea, neglected by anthropolo- gists for most of this century, an international team of scientists has discovered a missing link in the ori- gins of the Pacific Islanders. The expedition, led by John Edward Terrell, curator of oceanic archaeology and ethnology, has recovered evidence that cultural practices of the first people to colonize Polynesia more than 3,000 Pa es New Guinea Research Program years ago may have evolved on the Sepik coast of northern Papua New Guinea, and not in southeast Asia as most experts have thought. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the expedition's eight archaeolo- gists — including Robert L. Welsch, adjunct associate curator; Michael Therin, Australian National Museum; Glenn Summerhayes, LaTrobe University; and Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery members: Baiva Ivuyo, Alois Kuaso, Robert Mondol and Wilfred Oltomo — found pottery shards, bones and other traces of ancient life on the limestone foothills around the quiet town of Aitape, 90 miles east of Papua New Guinea's border with Indonesia, on the island’s north- ern coast. (New Guinea is one of the chain of Pacific islands called Melanesia; these islands are located between southeast Asia and the scattered islands in the central and eastern Pacific called Polynesia). Six thousand years ago, the hills around Aitape were themselves small tropical islands, six miles off the prehistoric New Guinea coastline. Over the centuries, earth- quakes and heavy tropical rains eroded the steep slopes of the nearby Torricelli Moun- tains and deposited tons of rocks and soil into the sea, As a result, the coastline in this part of the world pushed northward and cap- tured these ancient offshore islands, turning them into steep hills surrounded by swamps and black sandy beaches. “Between 2,000 and 4,500 years ago,” Terrell says, “this part of New Guinea must have been an extremely inviting piece of real estate, with huge lagoons filled with fish and shellfish and good swamplands for growing sago palms, the area’s most impor- tant source of food. People had easy canoe access to the open sea and, therefore, to communities elsewhere on the great Melanesian sailing routes between Indone- sia and the more distant islands of the Pacific.” Around 4,000 years ago, Terrell believes, people first started making pottery in the Aitape area, The oldest pottery shards that Terrell and his colleagues have found on the Aitape hills suggest that the ornate style of prehistoric pottery called Lapita ware used by the first inhabitants of Polynesia around 3,000 years ago can be traced back to Aitape — specifically, to a kind of pottery that Terrell calls Sumalo ware, after one of the hills at Aitape where it has been found. Many scholars have assumed that the ancestors of the Polynesians learned the art of pottery-making somewhere in southeast Asia before they began their famous migrations out into the Pacific Ocean. It now looks more likely that the Lapita pottery style was devel- oped somewhere in northern Papua New Guinea by people who knew how to make Sumalo pottery. “Sumalo pottery looks like Lapita ware, New Guinea Research Program =i so < = =) = =} 2 re £ ay = = = r=) s A volunteer paints the face of one of the many children who attended the “Masks At The Field" festival at the beginning of the year. IN THE FIELD An Exciting Rice Wildlife Research Station. In addition to the nicely printed 40-page book, postcards of the lions are available in all of the Muse- If you saw the movie “Ghost and the Darkness” last fall, you may know it was based on an actual event, The true story is told in a graphically detailed and illustrated book, The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo as experienced by Lt. Col. John H. Patterson. Reading this exciting first-hand account of the hunt for these lions will definitely get your heart pounding. The actu- al ferocious Tsavo lions are displayed in the Museum's MARCH/APRIL 1997 New Guinea Research Program but it lacks Lapita’'s elaborate impressed designs,” Terrell says. “It also resembles pot- tery made in Indonesia dating back 4,000 to 4,500 years — at least 1,000 years before Lapita," Glenn Summerhayes, the expedition's Lapita specialists, says that their success in finding Sumalo pottery in the Aitape area offers groundbreaking insights into the spread of Neolithic civilization throughout the Pacific. “Sumalo ware is the missing link between the Indonesian pottery and Lapita ware.” What remains uncertain is which kind of pottery came first, Indonesian pottery or Suma- lo ware. Recent discoveries elsewhere in north- em New Guinea hint that the art of pottery-making actually began in northern New Guinea around 5,500 years ago, centuries before people started making pottery in Indonesia. “What we are finding,” Terrell reports, “is what archaeologists have been looking for ever since they first linked Lapita pottery with the Polynesians. We now have definite evidence that the ancestors of the Polynesians didn't migrate directly from southeast Asia. They were clearly living in northern New Guinea for a very long time before some people finally left Melanesia to colonize Polynesia. These findings are going to change the way we think about the history of people in the Pacific,” um’s Shops. The book is $4.95 and the postcards are $.50, Phone orders may be called into the Museum’s regular number at 312.922.9410, ext. only available in the Shops of The Field Museum. 693. Both the book and postcards are New Guinea Research Program (Above), These two pic- tures show the two énds of a sequence of pottery styles from about 4,500 years ago to the present. The Sumalo pottery shards (left) are about 4,500 to 3,000 years old. When complete they resembled the modern pottery above that is from Kaiep, a tiny community on New Guinea located near the town of Wewak. (Top Left); John Terrell in the field. (Middle Left): Team member Baiva Ivuyo excavating pottery shards. Exclusive at The Shops of The Field Museum George Papadakis /GN87710.: ; sept. 17 - Oct. I 1997 Nor does it mean eating out of cans or lugging heavy gear on your back. What it does mean is stay- ing in remote lodges or at luxurious camps in a private tent with your own bathroom and hot shower. It means sleeping in a room with a real bed, white linens, a desk, chair lights, hot water and iced drinks. A Kenyan safari also means freshly baked bread in the morning and a camping staff that caters to your needs. More important, it means having complete flexibility to explore the most secluded areas of Kenya. Field Museum Tours is pleased to announce a spec- tacular Kenyan safari, starting in Nairobi and ending in Maasai Mara — the most spectacular game reserve in Kenya. Most of the in-country travel will be aboard Landcruisers equipped with game-viewing roofs and win- dow seats for all. Leading the tour will be Bruce Patterson, MacArthur Curator of mammals at The Field Museum. Not only does Bruce possess significant knowledge of African mammals, he is an experienced and popular Tours study leader. Meru National Park, situated east of the beautiful Nyambene Hills, is the first stop on the tour. The park is known for its rich wildlife including elephants, lions and buffalo. The unspoiled wilderness of the park’s swamps, ravine forests, rivers and savanna woodlands is also the home to rare animals like the Beisa oryx, geirenuk and Lesser kudu. From Meru it is off to Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary where horseback riding, hiking and day and night game A Kenyan tenting safari does not mean roughing it. Jordan & Syria, May 5 — 19, 1997 HSONIAN INSTITUTI wii iii 8 01371 nD o =} ‘= o es oD = a ii > drives provide rare opportunities to see rhinos. On the next leg we will spend time in the rugged thorn bushes and rocky outcrops of the Laikipia Plains. Here we will picnic at Tomlinson’s Rocks with a panoramic view of Mt. Kenya. From there we will continue to Ol Maisor, the ranch of Jasper Evans, a third generation Kenyan. Meeting with Evans, you will have the opportuni- ty to explore his ranch. After spending the night on the banks of a hippo pond, we will drive to Lake Baringo to watch as the wildlife awakens to the sunrise over Molo River. On a boat trip around surrounding islands, we will see hippos, flamingos, crocodiles and fishing villages. You may even catch sight of the elusive kudu, an antelope with narrow, white stripes across its back and long, twisted horns. For the next three days we will explore the vast expanse of undulating grass and woodlands of the Maasai Mara. Here it is possible to see more than a dozen differ- ent species of game in one field of vision. See literally tens of thousands of animals, including wildebeest, zebras, elephants, cheetahs, lions, leopards, impala and gazelles. Each night we will retire to an elegant campsite on a secluded stretch of the Talek River, The cost of the tour, which includes airfare from Chicago, is $5,995 per person. There is also an optional pretrip extension (Sept. 14 — 18) during which you can join Bruce and Chapurukha Kusimba, curator of anthropology, at the Nyali Beach Hotel on the Indian Ocean in Mombasa. Among other things, you will see Chap’s arche- ological excavation site in Mtwapa (see. p.1). Spend 15 days exploring two of the historically richest countries in the world. On this tour you will see the remains of the Roman Empire, ancient biblical ruins and artifacts, the castles of the Crusaders and early monuments of Islam. Discover for yourself why this region has been called the birthplace of human culture and civilization. The tour will be led by Dr. Tarek Swelim, art historian and expert in Islamic art and architecture. Price: $4,360, including airfare. Great Trans-Canada Rail Journey, Aug. 18 — 26, 1997 Enjoy the splendor and magnificence as you travel aboard the American Orient Express from the historic cities of Eastern Canada to the Pacific Ocean. Prices range from $4,990 to $7,890, depending on choice of accom- modation.