Did famed human ancestor ‘Lucy’ fall to her death?
“It may well have been the case that adaptations that permitted her to live more efficiently on the ground compromised her ability to move safely in the trees—and may have predisposed her kind to more falls.” - John Kappelman, the University of Texas at Austin.
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Southern Ape From The Afar
The genealogy of humankind emerges with the line of australopithecine hominids, which appears to have begun between 4 and 5 million years ago with the appearance of Australopithecus anamensis (“Southern Ape of the Lake”) and its earliest descendants, the well-documented Australopithecus afarensis (“Southern Ape from Afar”). Presumably descended from a divergent group of Miocene apes such as Kenyapithecus, these early species of gracile australopiths are the most primitive known. Among the oldest and most complete remains of an erect-walking ancestral hominid ever found, this amazing afarensis skeleton is dated at about 3.2 million years. Known throughout the world as “Lucy” (from a Beatles song), it was discovered in Radar, Ethiopia in 1974 by Donald Johanson and Tom Gray. Lucy was 3-and-a-half feet tall and about 25 years old when she died. Though her scarcely worn wisdom teeth had only recently erupted, she was already showing signs of bone disease on her spine. Whether she accidentally drowned or quietly laid down in the sand and died, her remains were deposited in the shore of an ancient lake and covered over by sediment until eventually exposed by rain.
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Lucy herself had an apelike face with a low forehead, resembling far more her recent arboreal, chimp-like ancestors than her more distant Homo descendants. With slimmer hips and narrower birth canals, females apparently gave birth to infants with far smaller heads and brains. Possessing smaller canines than their quadrupedal ancestors, they presumably foraged in family groups for fruits and seeds along the vanished lakes and streams of Ethiopia and Tanzania, possibly sleeping in high tree branches to avoid predators. Disappearing 2.5 million years ago, this hominid species gave rise to all of the subsequently varied tribes of Australopithecus and Homo.
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A controversy arose over the naming of the species because the closer in time the separate species of hominids are to their original common ancestor, the more they look alike, making it difficult to distinguish between them. Close to the ancestor of the gorilla and even closer to that of the chimpanzee, afarensis was among the earliest of the divergent line that led to Homo; in fact, the origin of the human race can be traced directly back to this ancient tribe of gracile australopiths. Ranging from 3 to 5 feet in height and weighing from 60 to 90 pounds, afarensis had long arms with slightly curved finger and toe bones, suggesting at least a partially arboreal life. Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins. National Museum of Ethiopia.
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MoAW
presents
Ancient Reflections
in Contemporary Art
An art exhibition that juxtaposes contemporary paintings and sculpture against a background of 18th Dynasty Egyptian artifacts will be viewed on May 7 and 8, 2021. “Primary colors used throughout antiquity is the thread that binds contemporary art with antiquity,” according to the exhibition’s curator Darrick Lackey with FineArtConsulting.
Although artists of antiquity employed primary colors to convey status, power, and celestial bodies, they laid the foundation for contemporary artists to use similar colors as a means for facilitating an understanding of contemporary culture.
The two-day exhibition is hosted by the Museum of Ancient Wonders on, Friday, May 7th, and Saturday, May 8th - Admission is free during the 6:00 p m. to 8:00 p.m. exhibition period.
Contemporary artworks by Stephanie Cate,
Paul Fuguet,
John Lee,
and Carol Listenberger
are available for purchase, and light refreshments will be served.
The Museum of Ancient Wonders is fully compliant with state and local COVID-19 safety protocols. Guest are required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
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MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities while establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
(last admission is taken at 5:00 p.m.)
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
(last admission is taken at 4:00 p.m.)
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the California Association of Museums.
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Coming Attraction
March through September 2022
the Museum of Ancient Wonders
presents
VESSELS OF THE GODS
Treasures of the Ancient Greeks
1650 to 410 B.C.E
Reflecting the brilliance of a millennium of ancient Aegean culture, four distinct periods produced the designs of these vases: Minoan, Mycenaean, Corinthian, and Attic. Essentially consisting of silhouetted figures drawn against a background of red, black, or white, this art form gradually dies out after the Persian wars, c. 475-450 B.C. Shaped and painted by hand, these exquisite reproductions were created in Greece by master artists from the originals housed in The National Museum, Athens, The Heraklion Museum, The Thera Museum, The Corinth Museum, The Delphi Museum, The Louvre Museum, The Vatican Museum, and The Museo Civico, Brescia.
Please, feel free to preview this collection on MoAW's website: www.moaw.org
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Next Week:
Do you have a favorite piece at MoAW you would like to see highlighted in our weekly email? You can visit www.moaw.org, see the collections tab, visit the catalogs, and view Spotlights From The Past.
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Members Perks
So many reasons to join MoAW, you help keep the museum open, allow us to acquire new artifacts, plan and present programs including the Second Friday Fantasy, and help local students learn about ancient civilizations and prehistoric life.
For all that you do to help us we thank you in many ways:
- Unlimited free admission for one year
- Free Guest Passes (see Membership levels for details)
- Invitations to Members-Only exhibition receptions and programs
- Priority registration and discounts on programs and special events
- Special rental rates for hosting events (see membership levels for details)
- Copies of exhibition catalogs (see Membership levels for details)
- Unique travel opportunities through the Museum Travel Alliance
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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ON DISPLAY AT THE
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT WONDERS
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FACES OF AFRICA:
A Mystical View of
Tribal Heritage
(38 Replica Masks and Sculptures)
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TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
(124 Egyptian replicas)
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MESOZOICA:
The Age of Dinosaurs
(Approximately 100 fossil cast dinosaur elements and fully-mounted skeletons from around the world.)
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LUCY:
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and the National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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