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January 20, 2023
MoAW
presents
The Shadow Fossils
530 Million Years Ago
THE BURGESS FAUNA
Discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott in 1909, the Middle Cambrian deposits of the Burgess Shale of British Columbia represent the period of abundant genetic diffusion that followed the initial explosion of rapidly diversifying animal forms at the dawn of the Cambrian. These extraordinary “shadow fossils”, known as the Burgess fauna, are the filmy remains of creatures that were buried alive about 530 million years ago by a series of mudslides at the base of a massive algal reef, leaving an unparalleled record of the soft-bodied animal life indigenous to a primordial sea that stretched from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific of Southern California. Miraculously preserved to the finest detail as reflective imprints of carbonized film on black shale, these primitive marine organisms are startling evidence of the presence of all existing animal phyla in the Middle Cambrian seas, alongside a number of extinct forms that defy classification in any known groups. From the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia. U.S. National Museum.
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Phylum Arthropoda,
Class Trilobita
Olenoides serratus
Middle Cambrian, British Columbia
Preserved in exceedingly rare condition, with its soft-tissued antennae and limbs intact, including gills and chewing bases, this small but widespread denizen of the ancient reef habitats is one of the oldest and best-known of the early spined trilobites. Belonging to the corynexochid order, Olenoides was characterized by eyes of medium size with a pygidium (tail) of smaller size than its cephalon (head). Although its soft parts were protected by a sturdy exoskeleton (which periodically shed as it grew), it was a passive and defenseless scavenger that lived by filtering tiny particles of food from the muddy sea floor.
Phylum Arthropoda,
Oder Limulavida
Sidneyia inexpectans
Middle Cambrian, British Columbia
Swimming by means of a tail fan resembling those of crustaceans, this predatory arthropod exhibits the combined characteristics of distinct family groups which have subsequently diverged (chelicerates and crustaceans). It fed by passing food from its rear limbs to its mouth, as do most marine arthropods, whose legs are outfitted with spiny teeth. The digested remains of tiny trilobites have been found in the guts of some specimens.
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Kingdom animalia,
Pylum Arthropoda
Waptia fieldensis
Middle Cambrian, British Columbia
Although superficially shrimplike, this primordial marine creature is ranked among the unplaceable early arthropods of unique anatomical form. Among the most common of the Burgess arthropods and dwelling almost exclusively on the shallow sea floor where it extracted small particles of food from the muddy sediment, it was probably a weak swimmer and did not actively pursue prey.
Kingdom Animalia,
Phylum Chordata
Pikaia gracilens
Middle Cambrian, British Columbia
The unlikely preservation of this tiny marine organism supplies one of the most important clues to the enigmatic origin of the vertebrates. Despite its long-standing classification as an annelid worm, its profound reinterpretation in 1979 by Simon Conway Morris and Harry Whittington revealed the distinguishing bands of muscles and dorsal notochord extending the length of its body which identify this swimming infiltrator-feeder of the shallow seas as the oldest known chordate, a direct ancestor of the vertebrates. Outnumbered by vast varieties of arthropods and coelenterates, the first proto-fishes appear to have been represented exclusively by this single species in the Cambrian seas of western Canada where this rare and important creature (along with its myriad descendants) once faced a very tenuous future in terms of survival.
These specimens and many more are on view exclusively at the Museum of Ancient Wonders.
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CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY | |
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ALL UNDER HEAVEN
Earth, Heaven,
and the Afterlife
A Very Special Gift From
Marlene and Bruce Kanter,
Heather James Fine Art
Tim Walsh
Michael H. Healy
Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven, is the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.
50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C.E. to 1920s C.E.) of ancient Asian cultures, from mysterious funerary objects and life-size protective temple guardians to delicate terracotta sculptures created for the tombs of the deceased. A tapestry of silk and gold thread, a rare lacquered cosmetic box, earthen vessels, and bronze statues, these ancient treasures from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, celebrate everlasting happiness, remembrance, and eternal life.
This grand collection of 50 Asian antiquities is divided into three sections: Earthly possessions, objects used by the living, the temple icons of Buddha and Shiva (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.
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PALEO: The Story of Life
4.6 billion years of fossil history
Drawn from the world’s foremost fossil collections, the unprecedented treasury of fossil casts known as PALEO: The Story of Life brings together in one exhibition some of the most exciting finds in the history of paleontology from over a century of worldwide excavations, exhibited in geological, chronological order.
From 2.5 billion-year-old single cellular cyanobacteria responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere to the first multicellular life of 700 million years ago, PALEO: The Story of Life spans 4.6 billion years in scope. From the Precambrian to the Paleozoic Era, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods of the Mesozoic Era to mammals and prehistoric humans of the Cenozoic Era (including the famous Lucy skeleton), this internationally acclaimed, comprehensive collection dramatically illustrates the awesome story of prehistoric life on Earth.
Displaying casts of rare fossils from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, this prestigious collection includes skeletons, skulls, claws, and eggs gathered from such revered museums as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, The Royal Ontario Museum, the Carnegie Museum, and the National Museums of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, as well as many others.
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THE CRAB NEBULA (M1) IN TAURUS.
Photographed with the 26-inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory. Copyright Regents, University of California. Lick Observatory photograph.
STARSCAPE:
A Journey To The
Beginning of Time
This spectacular collection of 33 space photographs combines breathtaking digitalized images from the historic Mariner, Viking, and Voyager probes with stunning photographs from the Apollo lunar missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. Gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Hansen Planetarium, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos.
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photo: Steven Salisbury
LUCY:
(Australopithecus afarensis)
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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The Cathedral City Woman's Club, 1946
Cathedral City
Historical Society
presents
Then and Now
A 40th-year anniversary exhibition of the history of Cathedral City
A comprehensive photographic timeline of the history of Cathedral City greets you upon entering the lobby of the Museum of Ancient Wonders. This is an exhibition of recollections of the people and places that created Cathedral City's early history and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its burgeoning progress, from the past to the present, THEN AND NOW is a loving tribute to the City of Cathedral City on view through March 31, 2023.
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Metal Sculptures created by Ricardo Breceda
JURASSIC WONDERS
11 Lifesize Metal Dinosaurs
Public Art Display
created by
Ricardo Breceda
MoAW presents JURASSIC WONDERS, a public art installation in collaboration with Cathedral City's Mayor and City Council, displaying 11 lifesize Dinosaurs created by renowned artist Ricardo Breceda. Divided into 4 stunning dioramas on the corner of Buddy Rogers Drive and East Palm Canyon Drive across the street from City Hall, this magnificent exhibition will be on view through January 2023.
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TUTANKHAMUN
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. To share in the commemoration, MoAW's "Wonderful Things" exhibition is on a nationwide tour. Click on the link below to see the installation on the banks of the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding CA.
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Become A Member of MoAW
THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ALL SEASONS
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to more than 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.
Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call at (442) 268-5004.
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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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, establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
The last admission is taken one hour before closing.
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents
$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums. Contributions are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted.
MoAW IS SPONSORED WITH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
BY THE FOLLOWING:
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Alberto Acosta, Executive Director & Chief Curator
Joseph McCabe, CFO & Director of Development
DEW FOUNDATION
By contributing financial support, DEW Foundation joins hands with effective charitable organizations to meet human needs and promote the common good worldwide, encouraging and empowering our family’s personal involvement.
Art Laboe Foundation, Inc.
A beloved resident of Palm Springs, Art Laboe was an American disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".
Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
The mission of the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
is to support Arts & Culture, Youth, Educational, Medical and,
Social Servies, and Community activities that enhance the quality of life.
Municipalities & Societies
Cathedral City Historical Society
Council Members Raymond Gregory &
Nancy Ross, Cathedral City
City of Rancho Mirage
Members and Patrons
Zachary Weingart
Mark Walsh
Karen Speros
Nancy Dobrozdravic
Mary Madison
CSM Traducciones
Margie St. Anthony
Tarek & Mohamed Ragab, of the Egyptian Art Center
Marty Martin, CEO of Origins Institute, Inc.
Scott Robertson & Staff, New Leaf Caterers, Cathedral City
Willie Rhine & Albert Gonzales, 849 Restaurant, Palm Springs
Jack and Sandra Rivers, Canyon Printing, Cathedral City
THANK YOU
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