The world is a vast place, but all life living on its surface sprung from the same origins. Everyone and everything on this planet is connected. Sometimes the connections may not be readily apparent, but they are there.. Our “Missed Connections” series is all about exploring the unexpected connections between objects in our different exhibits. […]
The primary purpose of a wall is to hold the ceiling up, but they also get used for a lot of other things that vary depending on culture. Here in Houston we often use the walls in our homes and offices as blank canvases. Walls are also used for storage. Here and now, we store […]
Sunday June 30, 1520, a day that will become known as La Noche Triste,“The Night of Sorrows”. The sun has set behind the rugged, volcanic peaks that ring the Valley of Mexico and there’s a light shower falling as is common in Mexico City during June. But the rain is falling on a very different city […]
Lecture – Rocks & Minerals of the Ancient World Fossils, minerals and rocks have been around since before human civilization, yet the sciences to study them have only been established for a couple of hundred years. Learn how the balance between natural resource abundancy and human ingenuity gave rise to the greatest monuments in […]
Archaeologists study past human behavior. We do so using material evidence left behind that tells us of that behavior. Artifacts and architecture retrieved from the past may be esthetically pleasing, but ultimately archaeologists are most interested in the people who made or built these things to answer questions such as who, what, when, where, and […]
In celebration of the official start of winter today, we proudly present our humble thoughts on the importance of the Sun’s path through the sky as perceived by different cultures around the world. Although it barely seems worth mentioning today, in the past, solar events like the winter solstice were cause for great celebration, […]
Mummies are coming! Our new special exhibit, Mummies of the World, opens Friday, September 23 for members and noon on Saturday, September 24 for the public! GET TICKETS HERE Described as “fascinating, intriguing, and inspiring,” by NBC, “absolutely extraordinary,” by NPR and “a must see,” by FOX TV, Mummies of the World will […]
When Europeans set foot on the shores of the New World, one of the most advanced civilizations they encountered was that of the ancient Maya. With a past spanning close to three millennia, the Maya lived in what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of El Salvador and Honduras. Most of their descendants […]
Imaging the Codex Xolotl and Mapa Quinatzin at the Bibliothèque National de France, Paris, 14-15 June, 2016 Written by Jerome A. Offner, Ph.D, HMNS Associate Curator, Northern Mesoamerica On June 14 and 15, Dr. Antonino Cosentino of Cultural Heritage Science Open Source and I were able to carry out technical photography of the Codex Xolotl […]
As a museum curator, I have the pleasure of working with lots of volunteers. Most of them are students who are interested in archaeology, anthropology and museum careers. This time of the year, as graduation nears, there is an uptick in requests to come visit with me and ask for information and advice. “How did […]
