The El Paso Museum of Archaeology presents information about the prehistory of the area surrounding

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

. The museum is located in Wilderness Park, and is adjacent to the National Border Patrol Museum at the base of the Franklin Mountains. It is located near several archaeological sites, including rock art in the Franklin Mountains and Mogollon pueblo sites. The museum attracts about 42,000 visitors every year.

History

The museum was opened in 1977. The site of the museum was chosen because of the number of archaeological sites in the area. Wilderness Park, where the museum is located, was established with help from the El Paso Heritage Foundation. The El Paso Archaeological Society contracted with the City of El Paso to maintaine the museum.

Exhibits and facilities

The museum has a collection of permanent archaeological artifacts reflecting 14,000 years of prehistory in the El Paso area the greater Southwest and northern Mexico. The museum's artifacts have been appraised at a price of around $2 million. Artifacts on display include 800-year-old

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

fiber cloth, various trade items, pottery and jewelry. Other items include

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, ...

art and objects from Mexico. A series of dioramas provide an insight into ancient history of the region. The dioramas depict the cultures of the

Casas Grandes Casas Grandes (Spanish for ''Great Houses''; also known as Paquimé) is a prehistoric archaeological site in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Construction of the site is attributed to the Mogollon culture. Casas Grandes has been design ...

and Jornada Mogollon. The El Paso Museum of Archaeology has won grants to support various programs. In 2014, Humanities Texas awarded $1,000 for the support of speakers and exhibits.

Festivals and activities

Archery_at_the_El_Paso_Museum_of_Archaeology

In the spring, the museum hosts the Annual Franklin Mountain Poppies Fest which includes flowers, activities, food and wildlife encounters. The museum offers conferences; a signature event is the biennial Jornada Mogollon Conference which takes place on odd-numbered years. The museum's mission statement is, "The El Paso Museum of Archaeology is dedicated to the narration, interpretation and preservation of archaeological and anthropological artifacts through research, exhibits, education, and special programs, with a focus on the prehistory and culture of the El Paso area and the Southwest". Group tours are free and available when booked in advance.

Nature

Family activities include nature trails for exploring the flora, fauna and geology of the region. The museum has about 15 acres of natural area surrounding the building. There are over 250 varieties of native

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lo ...

plants to view along a mile-long nature trail and outside the building. In addition, there are viewing areas for the Franklin Mountains, Mount Sierra Blanca and outdoor exhibits based on replicas of

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

life.

References

External links