In the vault again with Eric Singleton, Ph.D., our Curator of Ethnology to get a look at some objects from our upcoming exhibition “Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World.” Seth from Marketing wanted me to “link” to some earlier “blogs” in case you missed them. So, here’s the link: CLICK THIS LINK
Tim: Let’s get right to it. What’s this cool looking piece?
Eric: This is an engraved marine shell bead from AD 1200–1450. This was discovered in the Le Flore County, Oklahoma, at the Spiro site.
Tim: A marine shell? In Oklahoma? How did it get here?
Eric: The shell came from the Florida keys. They were then transported by walking or canoe to Spiro or one of the other ceremonial centers.
Tim: That’s amazing! Was this a piece of jewelry that the Mississippian people would just kinda wear out and about?
Eric: It was likely used in a ritual context and therefore would have only been worn in a specific setting.
Tim: Do we know whose face that is? Was it some local guy? Like a Director of Security or Social Media Deputy? Lol!
Eric: We’re not really sure what the face represents. It could be a real person, but in all likelihood, it is probably tied to a supernatural character or deity.
Tim: I love getting the sneak peek to see all this in our vault!
The exhibition opens February 12th, but if you’re a Museum Member you can come to an exclusive event on February 11th and get early access to other cool exhibitions like this one. Become a Member today!
[movedo_divider line_type=”double-line” padding_top=”15″ padding_bottom=”15″]This important exhibition would not have been possible without the generosity of our sponsors. Thank you.
