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March 1, 2024
MoAW
presents
PALEO:
The Story of Life
The History of the First Vertebrates
to Leave the Water
to Walk on Dry Land
On display exclusively at the Museum of Ancient Wonders
and
Honoring Women's History Month
Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Billie Jean King
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THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PALEOZOIC ERA
from 570 million to 345 million years ago
Known as the Cambrian explosion, about 570 million years ago dense populations of complex sea creatures suddenly appeared, marking the beginning of the Cambrian period and the Paleozoic era. First discovered in northern Wales (once known as Cambria), fossils of this period document the early establishment of all modern animal phyla, followed by the emergence of primitive, jawless fish in the Ordovician (500 million years ago), named for an ancient Celtic tribe of western Wales, the Ordovices, whose farms were built on rocks rich in fossils.
Following the Ordovician, rich formations found along the border of Wales and England derive their name from the savage tribe of Silures that inhabited the region during the Roman occupation. Throughout the Silurian (435 million years ago), plants and insects invaded the land. In the Devonian (395 million years ago), characterized by fossils first discovered in Devon, England, advanced lobe-finned fish and tetrapod amphibians appeared in the freshwater streams of the newly formed Old Red Sandstone Continent which united Greenland with Europe and North America. At the close of both the Ordovician and Devonian periods, Gondwanaland drifted over the south pole, triggering the onset of glacial episodes accompanied by mass extinctions of marine life.
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Order Crossopterygii,
Suborder Thipidistia
Eusthenopteron foordi
Late Devonian, Canada
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As the Late Devonian freshwater streams and ponds shrank or dried up during periods of drought, the primordial, lobe-finned lungfish of the period developed rudimentary adaptations to the hostile environment of land before spreading into the seas. Special bone features that enabled them to crawl on their fins evolved not for the purpose of escaping the aquatic environment, but as a means of reaching fresher water when shrinking pools became crowded and putrid or the streams became too muddy. | |
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A formidable predator resembling the modern pike and perfectly preserved with its fins and scales intact, this elongated freshwater fish was highly adapted to the severe climatic fluctuations (often daily) of the Devonian. With tear ducts to keep its eyes moist and lungs derived from a simple air bladder originally employed to keep the bodies of fish right side up, Eusthenopteron (“Good Strong Fin”) was able to breathe out of the water during times of drought and stagnation while other fish suffered asphyxiation. Some of the descendants of this ruggedly adaptive crossopterygian fish gave rise to tetrapod amphibians, the others, to saltwater coelacanths. The apparent progenitor of all terrestrial vertebrates, it was extinct by the dawn of the Permian. Royal Ontario Museum.
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Class Amphibia,
Subclass Labyrinthodontia
Ichthyostega
Late Devonian, Greenland
The origin of terrestrial vertebrate life appears to have begun in Greenland with the appearance of the first tetrapod amphibians. Among the earliest of these creatures, Ichthyostega (“Fish Plate”) inhabited freshwater lakes and streams during the Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous. Derived from crossopterygian fish, this air-breathing predator still retained many of the primitive fishlike structures of its ancestors. Although it possessed scales and a long tail fin, it also had a sturdy backbone and 4 short limbs, each equipped with 7 digits, enabling it to waddle about on dry land for limited periods of time before having to return to water. Unlike the amphibians that were to follow, Ichthyostega lacked notches for ears, an indication that it had no auditory sense.
Its direct relation to crossopterygian fish is evidenced by their virtually identical tooth patterns, a distinctive characteristic with ichthyostega passed on to the varied generations of labyrinthodont amphibians which it produced. In fact, this important creature is believed to have given rise to all of the diverse and prolific groups of reptiles, birds, and mammals that followed. Although well-documented in the fossil record, Ichthyostega is known only from incomplete remains. Skull reconstruction courtesy of the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
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Sleeping Hermaphroditus
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
(7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680)
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Announcing the Future
LGBTQ+ World History Museum
In association with the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
presents
BCE to LGBTQ+
Out of the darkness, into the light.
10,000 Years of LGBTQ+ History
In one exhibition, BCE to LGBTQ+ dramatically illustrates a vast and universal depiction of LGBTQ+ history, from the mythological to the rulers, warriors, artists, scientists, entertainers, and activists who have contributed to civilization, from ancient epochs and periods to modern society, experienced in a geographical, chronological timeline.
Encompassing 10,000 years, from Mediterranean rock art of 9,600 years ago to ancient Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and on to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Early, Middle, and Late civilization, with a gender-diverse history presented in a global perspective.
This unprecedented exhibition allows visitors to explore and appreciate the human history of LGBTQ+ experiences, contributions, tribulations, and triumphs throughout the millennia to the 21st Century. An immersive experience, BCE to LGBTQ+, Out of the Darkness, Into the Light is a vivid history of humankind’s natural diversity, adaptation, and resilience to thrive.
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Billie Jean King
Visionary. Pioneer. Legend.
As a tennis champion and social activist, Billie Jean King lives her life according to the principles of equality, empowerment, and access.
Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943), also known as BJK, is a retired American tennis player who held the world No. 1 ranking. King's remarkable career
Billie Jean King with her wife Ilana Kloss
includes 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She represented the United States in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups, later captaining the U.S. team in the Federation Cup for three years.
Beyond her tennis prowess, King is renowned for her advocacy of gender equality and her significant contributions to social justice. In a landmark event in 1973, at the age of 29, she defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. Additionally, King played pivotal roles in founding the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. Her achievements have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2010, joint winner of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award in 1972 (with John Wooden), and being named one of Time's Persons of the Year in 1975. She has received prestigious honors such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year lifetime achievement award. King's contributions extend beyond tennis; she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in her honor.
Throughout her career, King has been recognized for her lasting impact and influence. She received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and in 2020, the Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in her honor. Further solidifying her legacy, King was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2022.
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FREE ADMISSION TO CATHEDRAL CITY RESIDENTS
The Museum of Ancient Wonders (MoAW) is proud to offer free admission to all Cathedral City residents from November 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024, through the City’s Community Assistance Grant Program. The museum is located at 69028-B E Palm Canyon Dr, Cathedral City, CA 92234.
Cathedral City residents are invited to discover the Valley’s newest museum where they will find world-class exhibitions on display with a focus on prehistoric life and ancient civilizations to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts while providing museum diversity for residents and tourists alike.
Please bring proof of residency and fill out a survey before you leave to achieve free admission.
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CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY |  | |
BEHIND THE MASK:
Ancient African Traditions and Mysticism
From the continent of Africa, thirty-seven ancient masks and sculptures dating from 2,000 years ago until the mid-1800s, representing 12 Central African countries and 27 indigenous communities are presented in the Museum of Ancient Wonders Behind the Mask: Ancient African Traditions and Mysticism, a very special gift from Heather James Fine Art Gallery, Palm Desert.
From a Nok terracotta head of 100 C.E. (Current Era) to the beginning of the 19th Century, this diverse collection of masks and sculptures from antiquity celebrates the tradition of ritual and mysticism from time immemorial. These once-used sacred and revered objects are honored and beloved in addition to being a feared and dangerous entity.
For the people of ancient civilization, masks and sculptures represented the invisible force of nature assigned to them, which may be the spirit of a wise ancestor, a tutelary deity, or any embodiment of supernatural power from the animal kingdom. Used to commemorate the events in their lives, whoever wears a mask combines and unites their strength with the spirit, enhancing value and heightening power, creating a mystical empyreal bond between the past and present, the honored living and the sacred dead. Together for the first time, and a permanent addition to MoAW's inventory of exhibitions, this stunning collection is currently on view exclusively at the Museum of Ancient Wonders.
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ALL UNDER HEAVEN
Earth, Heaven,
and the Afterlife
A Very Special Gift From
Marlene and Bruce Kanter,
Heather James Fine Art
Tim Walsh
Michael H. Healy
Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven, is the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.
50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C.E. to 1920s C.E.) of ancient Asian cultures, from mysterious funerary objects and life-size protective temple guardians to delicate terracotta sculptures created for the tombs of the deceased. A tapestry of silk and gold thread, a rare lacquered cosmetic box, earthen vessels, and bronze statues, these ancient treasures from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, celebrate the ancient world.
This grand collection of 50 Asian antiquities is divided into three sections: Earthly possessions, objects used by the living, the temple icons of Buddha and Shiva (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.
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PALEO: The Story of Life
4.6 billion years of fossil history
Drawn from the world’s foremost fossil collections, the unprecedented treasury of fossil casts known as PALEO: The Story of Life brings together in one exhibition some of the most exciting finds in the history of paleontology and paleoanthropology from over a century of worldwide excavations, exhibited in geological, chronological order.
From 2.5 billion-year-old single cellular cyanobacteria responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere to the first multicellular life 700 million years ago, PALEO: The Story of Life spans 4.6 billion years in scope. From the Precambrian, and Cambrian Eras, to the Paleozoic Era, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods of the Mesozoic Era to mammals and prehistoric humans of the Cenozoic Era (including the famous Lucy skeleton), this internationally acclaimed, comprehensive collection dramatically illustrates the awesome progression of prehistoric life on Earth.
Displaying casts of rare fossils from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, this prestigious collection includes skeletons, skulls, claws, and eggs gathered from such revered museums as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, The Royal Ontario Museum, the Carnegie Museum, and the National Museums of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, as well as many others.
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THE CRAB NEBULA (M1) IN TAURUS.
Photographed with the 26-inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory. Copyright Regents, University of California. Lick Observatory photograph.
STARSCAPE:
A Journey To The
Beginning of Time
This spectacular collection of 33 space photographs combines breathtaking digitalized images from the historic Mariner, Viking, and Voyager probes with stunning photographs from the Apollo lunar missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. Gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Hansen Planetarium, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos.
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photo: Steven Salisbury
LUCY:
(Australopithecus afarensis)
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and
the National Museum of Ethiopia,
Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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TUTANKHAMUN
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
2022 marked the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. To share in the commemoration, MoAW's "Wonderful Things" exhibition is on a nationwide tour. Click on the link below to see the installation on the banks of the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding CA.
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Please Become A Member of MoAW
by contributing to our efforts
THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ALL SEASONS
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to more than 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.
Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call at (442) 268-5004.
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities, establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation
Monday through Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday - 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
The last admission is taken one hour before closing.
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums. Contributions are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted.
MoAW IS SPONSORED WITH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
BY THE FOLLOWING:
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Alberto Acosta, Executive Director & Chief Curator
Joseph McCabe, Director of Development
Art Laboe Foundation, Inc.
A beloved resident of Palm Springs, Art Laboe was an American disc jockey, songwriter, record producer, and radio station owner. He was generally credited with coining the term "Oldies but Goodies".
Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
The mission of the Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation
is to support Arts & Culture, Youth, Educational, Medical and,
Social Servies, and Community activities that enhance the quality of life.
Municipalities & Societies
City of Cathedral City
Cathedral City Historical Society
City of Rancho Mirage
Members and Patrons
Greg & DeeDee Barton
Geoffrey Gray-Lee
Townsend Public Affairs
Christopher Townsend
Niccolo De Luca
Anastasia Heaton
Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert
Marlene and Bruce Kanter
Tim Walsh
Mike Healy
Bjorn Kielman
Lynne Tucker
Zachary Weingart
Karen Speros
Nancy Dobrozdravic
Mary Madison
Carla San Miguel, CSM Traducciones
Margie St. Anthony
Skot Jones
Dean Keefer
Leo Stevens
David Garcia, ARSVIDA.com
Barbara Kerr
Steven Biller
Joe Smith
Kip Serafin
Sandie Newton
Sarah and Malcolm Beresford
Corky and Barbara Goss
KESQ Eye On The Desert
Tarek & Mohamed Ragab, the Egyptian Art Center
Marty Martin, CEO of Origins Institute, Inc.
Scott Robertson & Staff, New Leaf Caterers, Cathedral City
Willie Rhine & Albert Gonzales, 849 Restaurant, Palm Springs
Jack and Sandra Rivers, Canyon Printing, Cathedral City
Gamma Mu
California LGBTQ+ Legislative Caucus
THANK YOU
Founding Financial Partners Include:
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