“Mystery of the Mayan Medallion" at the Putnam Museum -- through June 1.
Through Sunday, June 1
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
Sponsored in part by Arconic and developed by the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Putnam Museum & Science Center's new traveling exhibition Mystery of the Mayan Medallion will, through June 1, take visiting explorers through a multitude of archaeological dig sites, prompting them to gather clues and learn what happened to a group of lost scientists and a prized jade medallion.
In Palenque, Mexico, an archaeological team has mysteriously disappeared while investigating a priceless jade medallion buried in the ruins. Luckily, the team left behind clues at their dig site to help locate the precious artifact. With the immersive exhibit Mystery of the Mayan Medallion, museum guests are invited to explore the many facets of dig sites and archaeology, as well as gather clues through math, biology, glyphs, and more. All ages can explore how ethnobiologists use food, insects, and animals to understand cultures, as well as how epigraphers decode glyphs and symbols to learn about ancient Mayan life. Patrons can even calculate and record time like Mayan architects through the passing of the sun and stars, and crawl through a tomb to discover skeletal remains.
Kelly Lao, Vice President of Museum Experiences, said, “This exhibit is really an exciting way for people to learn about ancient Mayan culture alongside careers that are needed for archaeological dig sites. We had a blast learning about the bugs and animals while looking for clues among all the interactive stations.”
Mystery of the Mayan Medallion follows a path through many stations. In one area, visitors are prompted to examine poisonous insects and animal skulls. In another, they can piece together broken pottery, or examine how light shines through Mayan buildings to keep track of the seasons. Throughout all of the stations, the immersive nature of the exhibit transports guests to a jungle atmosphere vomplete with rain gods, vines, and tarantulas.
In keeping with the exhibit's theme, the Putnam is showing the original Indiana Jones trilogy during their Thursday Nights movie series, with Raiders of the Lost Ark being shown on February 20, Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom on February 27, and Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade on March 6. All films start at 7 p.m. for $10 per ticket, and Meg & the Lost Scepter, a 15-minute animated film with many nods to the Indiana Jones franchise, is also currently playing, with admission to the short only $3.
The traveling exhibition Mystery of the Mayan Medallion can be enjoyed at the Putnam Museum & Science Center through June 1, the Davenport venue open on Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Exhibit entrance is free with $10 general museum admission, and more information is available by calling (563)324-1933 and visiting Putnam.org.
