Yale Peabody’s Latest Exhibition Has A Place

In The Museum’s Permanent History Files

NEW HAVEN — High in the Peruvian cloud forest the Inca country palace of Machu Picchu is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world. When local farmers first showed members of the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition to the site, it had survived in a near pristine state since the Inca abandoned it in the early 16th Century.

The expedition was led by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham III, who later became the governor of Connecticut. He excavated hundreds of objects that tell the story of everyday life at Machu Picchu and, by agreement with the Peruvian government, these materials became part of the Yale Peabody Museum’s collections.

Many of these objects are now on view to the public for the first time in a major exhibition, “Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas,” at Peabody Museum of Natural History through May 4. Together with the 11,000 photographs Bingham took, the collections form a unique scientific, historic, and artistic resource that enables scientists –– and now museum visitors –– to reconstruct the daily life of Machu Picchu at its zenith 500 years ago.

Co-curated by Curator of Anthropology Professor Richard Burger and Curatorial Affiliate and Peruvian archaeologist Lucy Salazar, the exhibition invites visitors to travel into the past, first to Machu Picchu with the 1911 Yale Peruvian Scientific Expedition, and then further back to the late 15th Century when this Inca country palace was a bustling community with an important religious, political, and social role in the Inca empire.

The exhibition has many interactive components, including replicas of the house of the Inca king and an ancient Inca road, a curator’s tour of the Inca palace complex, and an interactive laboratory that shows how archaeologists in the 21st Century interpret the 15th Century.

“Machu Picchu” is filled with stunning panoramic photographs and the finest surviving examples of Inca art on loan from Peru, Europe, and other major collections in the United States.

A full-color exhibition catalog has been published by Yale University Press. Edited by exhibition curators Professor Burger and Ms Salazar, Machu Picchu: Unveiling The Mystery of The Incas is the definitive guide to the mysteries and treasures of Machu Picchu.

The beautifully illustrated book, written by leading American and Peruvian scholars, provides an unprecedented overview of the site, its place within the Inca empire, the mysteries surrounding its establishment and abandonment, and the discoveries made there since the excavations by archaeologist Hiram Bingham III.

The catalog includes new and archival photographs of the site as well as color illustrations and explanations of 120 gold, silver, ceramic, bone, and textile works recovered there.

After its presentation at the Peabody, the exhibition is scheduled to travel across the country. Its future showings will be June 22-September 7 at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, Calif.; October 18-January 4, 2004, at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Penn.; Denver Museum of Nature and Science, February 3-May 9; The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Tex., June 12-August 29; and The Field Museum in Chicago, Ill., October 8, 2004-February 1, 2005. After this two-plus-year tour, the exhibition will return to the Peabody and become part of its permanent collection.

Family Day

Macchu Picchu Family Day will be presented at the Peabody on Saturday, April 26, from 10 am to 4 pm. The event will feature live llamas at the museum, story telling, and performances by the traditional Andean music groups Inca Son and Inca Sapi, performing in full costume.

There will be many hands-on activities and demonstrations for all ages on topics including Inca astronomy, mathematics, agriculture, and weaving. Activities will include making quipus, a complex set of knotted strings that was used for recordkeeping by the Inca state. The demonstrations will highlight, say planners, “some of the great achievements of ‘Inca science.’”

Experts will also be on hand to give presentations and answer questions about Inca astronomy and certain constructions at Machu Picchu used to observe solar cycles. The astonishing advancements in farming and agricultural techniques will effectively be brought to life by real examples of native Andean foods.

Suggestions For Visiting

Museum staff has noticed that the largest crowds seem to be showing up after 2:30 on weekend afternoons.

“We encourage you to plan your visit for earlier in the day on Saturday and Sunday,” a recent press release states. “The best time to visit is on weekday afternoons and Thursday evenings.”

To help alleviate overcrowding, the Peabody has also arranged extended exhibition hours on Thursday evenings –– until 8 pm –– through May 1.

On the other hand, visitors should be aware that some halls may be closed to the public on weekday mornings during the school year due to school group programs, especially in the spring. Call ahead before driving down to New Haven.

The Yale Peabody Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and from noon to 5 pm on Sunday. Regular admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for senior citizens and children between the ages of 3 and 15. The entire museum is wheelchair accessible.

For recorded up-to-date event information call the Peabody Museum’s InfoTape at 203-432-5050 or visit www.peabody.yale.edu. For information on scheduling group tours or school programs call 203-432-3775.