Arizona State Museum
Encyclopedia
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University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, and is located in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
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History
Native peoplesIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
have existed in the North American continent
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
for millennia. ASM investigates habitation, lifeways, art and communication in which these peoples in the Southwest engaged.
Museum staff investigate sites of past occupiers of North America to discover how people of that time lived, what they ate, what they wore and how they created their art. These people lived day-to-day, created homesites and villages that, in many cases, have crumbled or been destroyed by natural forces.,,,
An early and significant director of the Museum, Emil Haury
Emil Haury
Emil Walter "Doc" Haury was an influential archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of the American Southwest....
, conducted numerous excavations in the southwest and taught students and others about his methods and discoveries.
Collections
ASM holds artifacts created by cultures from the past as well as those presently active. The types of artifacts include potteryPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, jewelry, baskets, textiles and clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
. Archaeological objects were unearthed during excavations by museum staff and others. Ethnological items (those not acquired from excavation) have been donated by Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes, acquired from individuals, as well as purchased by ASM.
Exhibits
ASM continuously exhibits some of the objects it holds. These may be, for example, an exhibit of pottery made recently and in the past, masks made by Mexican artisans, textiles woven by Native American masters, and many more.Programs
ASM offers a full calendar of public programs, such as the Southwest Indian Art Fair, held annually. Other events include family-oriented activities, lectures on subjects related to ASM’s activities, and many more categories.Other activities
Students of archaeologyArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and other areas of investigation work with ASM personnel to become better acquainted with materials, techniques and objects from ASM’s collections. Some students participate in excavations conducted by the Museum.
The Office of Ethnohistoric Research maintains documents and microfilm for finding written records to research activities of those who entered the southwest prior to the 20th century. The Spanish explorers entered the Southwest in the 16th century. Their influence extended north and south throughout the various civilizations then existing. Their activities affected all whom they contacted and continue to this very day.
AZSite maintains and updates a database of cultural sites and surveys that may be accessed by those involved in related activities. This allows investigators to locate information without having to physically visit widely separated and, perhaps, little-known sites. There are hundreds of these sites in Arizona.
The Arizona State Museum’s Library is a reference library
Reference library
A reference library does not lend books and other items; instead, they must be read at the library itself. Typically such libraries are used for research purposes, for example at a university. See List of closed stack libraries...
containing 70,000 volumes. Those interested in reading and/or studying the monographs, reports of excavations and dissertations may visit it. The library has an extensive collection of periodic journals and magazines dealing with archaeology, excavations and museums.
Each type of artifact held by ASM must be contained in an area that is protected from the damaging effects of humidity, heat and insects. ASM is home to the world’s largest collection of Southwest Indian pottery housed in a recently upgraded vault so as to protect its 20,000 vessels from the damage suffered in the past.
Arizona State Museum administers the Arizona Antiquities Act and state laws concerning the discovery of human remains. In fulfillment of these responsibilities, ASM issues permits for archaeological work on state lands (lands owned or controlled by Arizona or any agent of Arizona), negotiates the disposition of archaeological human remains, maintains an archaeological site file, and provides repository services for the curation of archaeological collections
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The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
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Relationships with Tribes
ASM has ongoing relations and communications with tribal members across the Southwest. This involves staff visits to tribal communitiesTribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
, visits to ASM by tribal members to evaluate objects, and cooperation with ASM staff during excavations. ASM also administers federal law
Federal law
Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join together in a federation, surrendering their individual sovereignty and many powers to the central government while...
dealing with return of human remains
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
, sacred objects, funerary objects and objects of cultural patrimony.
Local impact
Revitalization of downtown Tucson has resulted in an extensive plan to recreate certain of the structures which were, at one time, a prominent part of the life of peoples living then around the area. In addition, ASM and several major institutions will be part of the newly constructed area known as "Rio Nuevo".Administration
The museum has had six directors since its founding:- Byron Cummings (1915–1938)
- Emil HauryEmil HauryEmil Walter "Doc" Haury was an influential archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of the American Southwest....
(1938–1964) - Raymond H. Thompson (1964–1998)
- George J. Gumerman (1998–2002)
- Hartman H. LomawaimaHartman H. LomawaimaHartman H. Lomawaima was the first Native American director of the Arizona State Museum. He was only the fifth director in the history of the museum...
(2002–2008) - Beth Grindell (2008- )