June 17, 2022

MoAW

presents

LUCY

Australopithecus afarensis

The Story of Human Origins

Steven Salisbury, Photographer

“Whenever I look at a bone, I always see the fingerprints of the god who amused himself with sculpting it.” Pablo Picasso

As art sometimes reflects nature, so, in turn, does nature occasionally reflect art. These bones, and teeth, and talons tell a story. A story of living molecules beginning to reproduce themselves in an ancient sea and gradually crawling out onto dry land. A story of dynasties of giant, complex creatures dominating land, sea, and sky, descended from the tiniest and simplest of ancestors in an incredible chain of reproduction and diversification. A story of strength, ferocity, and gentleness in titanic proportions, in other words, the story of the ingenious adaptability of life in the face of death. For in this struggle we see dramatic evidence of nature’s unrelentingly exploratory forces at work. Viewed as a progression of sculptures, one could say that a distinct style emerges early and gradually refines itself over millions of years, sometimes simple, sometimes quite baroque, and usually astonishingly practical. A story without words, cleft by humankind from stone.  - Marty Martin, Playwright

University of Michigan

Museum of Natural History, Ann Arbor

THE CENOZOIC ERA

from 65 million years ago to the present

A series of glaciations distinguishes the era that includes the present. By the time the dust settled on top of the last Cretaceous sediment, another era had dawned, the Cenozoic ("Recent Life"), giving rise to rapidly diversifying groups of mammals. No longer relying on their diminutive size for survival in a world dominated by giants, the mammals immediately assumed the roles of chief competitors for supremacy over the newly abundant territory left by the passing of the dinosaurs, producing such giants of their own as the great wooly mammoths of the Ice Age. As the early mammals diversified throughout the Paleocene ("Ancient Recent") and the subsequent Eocene ("Recent Dawn") epochs, from 64 to 36 million years ago, many of the modern mammal groups began to appear in the fossil record. Of these early mammals, several became extinct as rainforests retreated from the frost during the Oligocene ("Few Recent"), which ended 26 million years ago. The Miocene ("Less Recent"), which followed, lasted until 6 million years ago. Along with the appearance of large, new mountain ranges, the spreading of grasslands during this period gave rise to a vast radiation of grazing animals. As the climate became colder throughout the Pliocene ("More Recent"), from 6 to 1.6 million years ago, numerous mammals became extinct while modern plants and animals appeared, including early humankind. During the Pleistocene ("Most Recent") epoch, from 1.6 million to 10,000 years ago, vast continental glaciers spread and receded as over half of the giant mammals became extinct following the appearance of modern humans. 

Diorama - American Museum of Natural History, NYC

Order Primates,

Family Hominidae

Australopithecus afarensis

Middle Pliocene, Ethiopia

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 of 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 on the shore of an ancient lake and covered over by sediment until eventually exposed by rain. 

Lucy herself had an apelike face with a low forehead, resembling far more her recent arboreal, chimp-like ancestors than her 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.

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.

Disappearing 2.5 million years ago, this hominid species gave rise to all of the subsequently varied tribes of Australopithecus and Homo. Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins. National Museum of Ethiopia.

National Geographic

"Evolution explains our biological evolution, but human beings are unique creatures...And that uniqueness of being human, language, art, culture, our dependency on culture for survival, comes from the combination of traditional biological evolution." -Donald Johanson.

CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY

Figure of Maitreya

China

Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)

Painted Wood

ALL UNDER HEAVEN

Treasures of the East

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 an ancient phrase used to define the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.

50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C. to 1850 A.D.) 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, Indonesia, 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). Representing China, Japan, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.

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.

Twin Tower Gateway to Cathedral City

(1925 to 1940)

Cathedral City

Historical Society

presents

Then and Now

A 40th-year anniversary exhibition of the history of Cathedral City

A comprehensive photographic and artifact-rich timeline of the history of Cathedral City will greet 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.

Saturn With Six Moons

Voyager I Photographic Montage

On Display In Association With PALEO: The Story of Life

STARSCAPE:

Eary Days of the Universe

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. 

Order Primates, Family Hominidae

Australopithecus afarensis

Middle Pliocene, Ethiopia

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

JURASSIC WONDERS

11 Lifesize Metal Dinosaurs

Public Art Display

created by

Ricardo Breceda

MoAW proudly presents JURASSIC WONDERS, a public art installation in collaboration with Cathedral City's distinguished Mayor and Councilmembers displaying 11 dramatic lifesize metal dinosaurs created by renowned artist Ricardo Breceda. Curated by Alberto Acosta, the Museum of Ancient Wonders, into 4 stunning interactive dioramas, they are located on the corner of Buddy Rogers Drive and East Palm Canyon Drive across the street from City Hall until December 31, 2022.

Become A Member of MoAW

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, (442) 268-5004.

Click below for more information and to join.

THANK YOU

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.

MoAW IS SPONSORED BY

Alberto Acosta, Executive Director & Chief Curator

Joseph McCabe, Director of Development

Museum of Ancient Wonders

ART LABOE FOUNDATION, INC.