Brigham Young University Museum of Peoples and Cultures
Encyclopedia
The Brigham Young University Museum of Peoples and Cultures, located in Provo, Utah
, is the university
's museum of archaeology
and ethnology
. The Museum of Peoples and Cultures has a wide variety of collections containing over a million objects. Most of the 7,000 collections come from the regions of South America
, Mesoamerica
, Central America
, the American Southwest, the Great Basin
and Polynesia
. However, there are many objects from other parts of the world which are available for study and research.
) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Museum has occupied the building since 1981.
, whose expeditions were actively generating collections as early as the 1960s. In 1981 the Department’s repository function was relocated off-campus to Allen Hall, a former men’s dormitory. In 1982 the Museum received its current name and, a few years later, was administratively separated from the Department. During the 1980s, the museum improved by securing a Museum Assessment Program grant and a General Conservation Survey grant from the federal government.
In addition to the MPC's first full-time administrator’s position, an assistant director was created. The 1990s were a period of professionalization. Two half-time curator
positions (1995, 1999) were created. This allowed the museum to improve and emphasize its teaching function. The museum continued to receive federal grants and also began to receive grants from the state of Utah
. The increase in outside funding and emphasis on teaching lead to a program of changing exhibits, which were developed and produced as part of class work.
Late in 2003, after ten years of development, a new Certificate in Museum Practices Program was approved, with the Museum’s permanent staff teaching the core courses using the Museum as the Program’s hands-on learning stage. In addition, the number of grants received has increased during the new millennium. Since 2000, the MPC has received over $250,000 in federal and state grants. In the same time period, over $1.5 million in object and cash donations have significantly increased the quality of the collections and programming.
Many of the Museum’s accessions come from the South America
n continent. One of the notable collections of the MPC is the ancient Andean textiles. The Spoerl Collection and the Cheesman Collection account for the majority of these textiles. The Spoerl Collection contains mostly textiles and textile production tools but the Cheesman Collection contains other ancient and modern artifacts from South America. The majority of the textiles from both collections date from the prehistoric period in Peru
. There have been no exhibits or publications on these objects so they remain largely unknown to the public.
Mesoamerica and Central America
The Museum’s also has many accessions from Mesoamerica
and Central America
. Four select collections that contain a variety of artifacts from ancient and modern cultures of this region are the Cluff, Barlow, Bowen, and Krenusz Collections. The Barlow Collection is specifically from Costa Rica
and Nicaragua
and contains mostly ancient pottery. However, there are other artifacts such as axe heads and projectile points within the collection. The Birrell Collection contains ethnographic textiles from Mesoamerica and South America. Many of the pieces within this collection are women’s clothing such as skirts, sashes, hair wraps and huipils. The collection also contains a variety of woven blankets, rugs, and bags. However, it is important to note that the MPC ethnographic textile collection is not limited to Mesoamerica and South America but contains examples from other parts of the world. The Bowen Collection contains fine examples of ancient Mesoamerican pottery. The Krenusz Collection contains little pottery but has other important pieces like metal axe heads, blades and projectile points. The jade figurines and jewelry are also a highlight of this collection. Some of the most unique objects from the Krenusz Collection are the ancient Mexican stamps which display a variety of animal and geometric designs. The Cluff Collection contains unusual black pottery which was acquired on an expedition by Benjamin Cluff to the American Southwest and Mesoamerica in the early 20th century.
The American Southwest and Great Basin
The American Southwest and the Great Basin
is another region that accounts for a large portion of the Museum’s collections. One select collection from this area is the Dillman Collection. This collection contains a variety of Ute
objects made in the 1930s on Native American
reservations in eastern Utah. This collection contains mostly baskets and leather pieces but there are some archeological objects as well. The leather pieces in particular exhibit the superb craftsmanship of the Ute artists and show how their beliefs influenced their work. Part of this collection was on display in the early 1990s.
The recently acquired Reidhead Collection from the site of Fourmile Ruin in Arizona
is another impressive holding of the Museum. Altogether this collection contains 8,712 items including 1,000 whole vessels and 2,000 arrowheads. The pottery is the main highlight of this collection and displays a variety of Hopi
Yellow Ware and White Mountain Red Ware. Additionally, there are a variety of other artifacts which reveal more about the Native American civilization at Fourmile Ruin. Some of the objects from this collection are part of the Museum's current exhibit New Lives: Building Community at Fourmile Ruin.
The Turley Collection contains objects from Casas Grandes.
Most of the collection contains pottery styles such as Ramos Black, Madera Black-on-Red and Villa Ahumada. Although the majority of the pottery in this collection is in the form of pots and bowls, there are also impressive examples of effigy jars
.The pottery displays a variety of geometric designs and patterns and is frequently intermixed with representative drawings of animals and plants.
Polynesia
Polynesia
is another important area of collections. Two select collections that contribute to the Polynesian collection are the Snow Collection and the Clark Collection. Both of these contain a number of tapa cloth
s and mats. The Snow Collection also displays many examples of jewelry and fans and the Dacosta Clark Collection contains spears, blades and clothing. Other Polynesian collections contain a variety of baskets, carved figurines and totem
s, and ceremonial clothing. These objects provide a deeper understanding of the cultures of Fiji
, Hawaii
, Samoa
, Tonga
and Australia
.
Brigham Young University Department of Anthropology Excavations
The Museum also has extensive excavated collections from the Department of Anthropology. There are over 100,000 lots which contain over 1,000,000 individual artifacts of sherds, lithics, projectile points and soil samples. The artifacts come from various archaeological sites across Utah with an emphasis in the areas of Utah Valley and southeastern and central Utah. Along with the Excavated Collections, the Museum also holds a large collection of photographs and notes that document archeological sites and artifacts researched by the BYU Anthropology Department. There are over 30,000 photographs that document the various sites and artifacts found in Southern Mexico and Utah. Field notes from expeditions and digs conducted by the BYU Anthropology Department are also available from as early as the 1930s.
led tours are available during regular Museum hours. Visiting Boy Scouts
can complete a worksheet related to the exhibits to earn a scout activity patch.
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, is the university
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
's museum of archaeology
Archaeology
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...
and ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
. The Museum of Peoples and Cultures has a wide variety of collections containing over a million objects. Most of the 7,000 collections come from the regions of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the American Southwest, the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. However, there are many objects from other parts of the world which are available for study and research.
Location
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures is located in Allen Hall on the corner of 700 N and 100 E in Provo, Utah. Allen Hall was built in the late 1930s as a men’s dormitory. During World War II it housed women. The galleries were the eating and common areas, with the classroom as a kitchen. The building was then adapted for use as a Language Training Mission (a pre-cursor to the Missionary Training CenterMissionary Training Center
Missionary Training Centers are centers devoted to training missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, USA, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University....
) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Museum has occupied the building since 1981.
History
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures began as a repository for the Department of AnthropologyAnthropology
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...
, whose expeditions were actively generating collections as early as the 1960s. In 1981 the Department’s repository function was relocated off-campus to Allen Hall, a former men’s dormitory. In 1982 the Museum received its current name and, a few years later, was administratively separated from the Department. During the 1980s, the museum improved by securing a Museum Assessment Program grant and a General Conservation Survey grant from the federal government.
In addition to the MPC's first full-time administrator’s position, an assistant director was created. The 1990s were a period of professionalization. Two half-time curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
positions (1995, 1999) were created. This allowed the museum to improve and emphasize its teaching function. The museum continued to receive federal grants and also began to receive grants from the state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The increase in outside funding and emphasis on teaching lead to a program of changing exhibits, which were developed and produced as part of class work.
Late in 2003, after ten years of development, a new Certificate in Museum Practices Program was approved, with the Museum’s permanent staff teaching the core courses using the Museum as the Program’s hands-on learning stage. In addition, the number of grants received has increased during the new millennium. Since 2000, the MPC has received over $250,000 in federal and state grants. In the same time period, over $1.5 million in object and cash donations have significantly increased the quality of the collections and programming.
Collections and Archives
South AmericaMany of the Museum’s accessions come from the South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n continent. One of the notable collections of the MPC is the ancient Andean textiles. The Spoerl Collection and the Cheesman Collection account for the majority of these textiles. The Spoerl Collection contains mostly textiles and textile production tools but the Cheesman Collection contains other ancient and modern artifacts from South America. The majority of the textiles from both collections date from the prehistoric period in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. There have been no exhibits or publications on these objects so they remain largely unknown to the public.
- The Spoerl Collection contains 581 items and includes: Ancient Andean textiles, textile fragments, cordage fragments, textile tools.
- The Cheesman Collection contains 759 items and includes: Ancient Andean textiles, textile fragments, textile tools, pottery (bowls, jars, effigiesEffigyAn effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
, figurines), projectile points.
Mesoamerica and Central America
The Museum’s also has many accessions from Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Four select collections that contain a variety of artifacts from ancient and modern cultures of this region are the Cluff, Barlow, Bowen, and Krenusz Collections. The Barlow Collection is specifically from Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and contains mostly ancient pottery. However, there are other artifacts such as axe heads and projectile points within the collection. The Birrell Collection contains ethnographic textiles from Mesoamerica and South America. Many of the pieces within this collection are women’s clothing such as skirts, sashes, hair wraps and huipils. The collection also contains a variety of woven blankets, rugs, and bags. However, it is important to note that the MPC ethnographic textile collection is not limited to Mesoamerica and South America but contains examples from other parts of the world. The Bowen Collection contains fine examples of ancient Mesoamerican pottery. The Krenusz Collection contains little pottery but has other important pieces like metal axe heads, blades and projectile points. The jade figurines and jewelry are also a highlight of this collection. Some of the most unique objects from the Krenusz Collection are the ancient Mexican stamps which display a variety of animal and geometric designs. The Cluff Collection contains unusual black pottery which was acquired on an expedition by Benjamin Cluff to the American Southwest and Mesoamerica in the early 20th century.
- The Barlow Collection contains 270 items and includes: Ancient Costa Rican and Nicaraguan pottery (jars, bowls, effigiesEffigyAn effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
, figurines, sherds), axe heads, projectile points. - The Birrell Collection contains 355 items and includes: Ethnographic textiles from South America and Mesoamerica, women’s clothing (skirts, sashes, hair warps, huipils), blankets, rugs, bags and purses.
- The Bowen Collection contains 98 items and includes: Ancient pottery (jars, bowls, figurines), manos, metateMetateA metate is a mortar, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind calcified maize and other organic materials during food preparation...
s, cord sandals, projectile points, lithics. - The Cluff Collection contains 182 items and includes: Early 20th century black glazed pottery (jars, effigies, bowls, figurines, ladles, spoons).
- The Krenusz Collection contains 692 items and includes: Ancient metal axe heads, blades, scrapers, projectile points, stamps, ear spools, jade figurines and jewelry.
The American Southwest and Great Basin
The American Southwest and the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
is another region that accounts for a large portion of the Museum’s collections. One select collection from this area is the Dillman Collection. This collection contains a variety of Ute
Ute
-Tribes:*Ute people, an American Indian people now living primarily in Utah and Colorado**Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Reservation, Colorado**Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah...
objects made in the 1930s on Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
reservations in eastern Utah. This collection contains mostly baskets and leather pieces but there are some archeological objects as well. The leather pieces in particular exhibit the superb craftsmanship of the Ute artists and show how their beliefs influenced their work. Part of this collection was on display in the early 1990s.
The recently acquired Reidhead Collection from the site of Fourmile Ruin in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
is another impressive holding of the Museum. Altogether this collection contains 8,712 items including 1,000 whole vessels and 2,000 arrowheads. The pottery is the main highlight of this collection and displays a variety of Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
Yellow Ware and White Mountain Red Ware. Additionally, there are a variety of other artifacts which reveal more about the Native American civilization at Fourmile Ruin. Some of the objects from this collection are part of the Museum's current exhibit New Lives: Building Community at Fourmile Ruin.
The Turley Collection contains objects from Casas Grandes.
Casas Grandes
Casas Grandes is the contemporary name given to a pre-Columbian archaeological zone and its central site, located in northwestern Mexico in the modern-day Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is one of the largest and most complex sites in the region...
Most of the collection contains pottery styles such as Ramos Black, Madera Black-on-Red and Villa Ahumada. Although the majority of the pottery in this collection is in the form of pots and bowls, there are also impressive examples of effigy jars
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
.The pottery displays a variety of geometric designs and patterns and is frequently intermixed with representative drawings of animals and plants.
- The Dillman Collection contains 709 items and includes: Ancient and ca. 1930s Ute baskets, leather pieces (moccasins, belts, purses, pouches, gloves), game pieces, manosManos"Manos" is a Spanish word for hands. It can also refer to:*Manos: The Hands of Fate, an infamously low-quality 1966 horror film- People with the surname Manos :* The Manos family, a Greek family which was one of the lesser Phanariot families...
, metateMetateA metate is a mortar, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind calcified maize and other organic materials during food preparation...
s, some pottery. - The Reidhead Collection contains 8,712 items and includes: Ancient pottery from Fourmile Ruin (bowls, jars, ladles, effigiesEffigyAn effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
, canteens), pottery sherds, projectile points, shell beads, jewelry, blankets, and sandals. - The Turley Collection contains 683 items and includes : Casas Grandes pottery (bowls, jars, effigiesEffigyAn effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
, figurines), projectile points, bone awls, metateMetateA metate is a mortar, a ground stone tool used for processing grain and seeds. In traditional Mesoamerican culture, metates were typically used by women who would grind calcified maize and other organic materials during food preparation...
s and manos, necklaces, pendants, game pieces, bells, grinders, and scrapers.
Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
is another important area of collections. Two select collections that contribute to the Polynesian collection are the Snow Collection and the Clark Collection. Both of these contain a number of tapa cloth
Tapa cloth
Tapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
s and mats. The Snow Collection also displays many examples of jewelry and fans and the Dacosta Clark Collection contains spears, blades and clothing. Other Polynesian collections contain a variety of baskets, carved figurines and totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
s, and ceremonial clothing. These objects provide a deeper understanding of the cultures of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
- The Snow Collection contains 211 items and includes; tapa cloths and mats, jewelry, fans, purses, fishing tools, spears, and daggers.
- The Dacosta Clark Collection contains 105 items and includes: tapa clothTapa clothTapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
s and mats, jewelry, fans, blades, spears, shells, baskets, women’s skirts.
Brigham Young University Department of Anthropology Excavations
The Museum also has extensive excavated collections from the Department of Anthropology. There are over 100,000 lots which contain over 1,000,000 individual artifacts of sherds, lithics, projectile points and soil samples. The artifacts come from various archaeological sites across Utah with an emphasis in the areas of Utah Valley and southeastern and central Utah. Along with the Excavated Collections, the Museum also holds a large collection of photographs and notes that document archeological sites and artifacts researched by the BYU Anthropology Department. There are over 30,000 photographs that document the various sites and artifacts found in Southern Mexico and Utah. Field notes from expeditions and digs conducted by the BYU Anthropology Department are also available from as early as the 1930s.
- Excavated Collections contains over 100,000 lots (over 1,000,000 individual artifacts) and includes:excavated sherds, lithics, projectile points, and soil samples etc. from Utah archaeological sites.
- Archaeological Archives contains 30,000 items and includes: photographs(including slides and negatives) and notes documenting archeological sites and artifacts from Mexico and Utah dating from ca. 1930 to the present.
Public Programs
The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, events, and activities including: semi-monthly family home evenings, monthly date nights, summer programs for children, weekly story time for toddlers and preschool age children, annual participation in Utah Prehistory Week and national Celebrate Your Museum Day. Additionally, docentDocent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
led tours are available during regular Museum hours. Visiting Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
can complete a worksheet related to the exhibits to earn a scout activity patch.