Houston, United States
The world premiere exhibition Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia opens Friday, Aug. 31. Visitors to the Houston Museum of Natural Science will be the first in the world outside of Ethiopia to see Lucy, the 3.2 million year old hominid that has become the world's most famous fossil. Even three decades after her discovery, Lucy continues to profoundly influence our understanding of human origins.
In the exhibit
More than 150 artifacts illuminate Ethiopia's rich heritage. See ancient stone tools found in Ethiopia; a wide selection of objects from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, like illuminated manuscripts and crosses; a selection of Korans from the holy city of Harar; and the first coins minted by an indigenous African civilization. Paintings, musical instruments, basketry, pottery, military weapons and medals and more will also be on display.
In the last gallery, visitors are surrounded by a stunning, 78-foot mural depicting the array of human ancestors found in Ethiopia over 6 million years. As the landscape changes over time, so do the hominids and ancient animals roaming its plains. In the center of this gallery, the fossilized remains of Lucy are on display. A 3-D, scientific reconstruction of what she would have looked like in life is on view nearby.
www.lucyexhibit.org
At www.lucyexhibit.org, launching Aug. 24, visitors can learn more about life in Lucy's time, human origins, the culture of Ethiopia through the ages and more. The site also features a blog from the exhibition curator as well as educational and press materials.
Press conference
Beginning at 9 a.m. Aug. 28, the exhibition opens to media. A press conference featuring Museum President Joel Bartsch, Museum Curator of Anthropology Dirk Van Tuerenhout and Director, National Museum in Addis Ababa Ms. Mamitu Yilma, will be held in the exhibit at 10 a.m. Aug. 28. The event will also be available via webcast at www.hmns.org.
Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia is an international exhibition organized by The Houston Museum of Natural Science in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Exhibition Coordinating Committee.
Source: Business Wire (Business Wire India)