Archaeology Now Presents “Pachamama: The Andean Mother Goddess of Earth and Time” at HMNS DISCOVER Lecture Series

Learn about Bolivian culture on Thursday, January 10th at 6:30 p.m. at Houston Museum of Natural Science

Lecture and Boat Display Offer Rare Glimpses of Life in the Andes

If becoming more cultured is on the top of your New Year’s resolutions, check out an upcoming program hosted by Archaeology Now (the Archaeological Institute of America, Houston Society or AIA).

The organization, in collaboration with the Bolivian Consul General of Houston and the Institute of Hispanic Culture, will present “Pachamama: The Andean Mother Goddess of Earth and Time” as part of its DISCOVER Lecture Series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Dancers in indigenous feathered costumes will perform after the talk. 

Tickets are available at http://www.hmns.org/education/adults/distinguished-lectures. 

In addition to the lecture, attendees will receive an extra glimpse into Bolivian culture as part of the program. A boat constructed entirely out of reed from Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, using thousand-year-old techniques and a gift from the Bolivian Consulate in Houston to Archaeology Now, will be on display for attendees to view.

To ensure that Houstonians have ongoing exposure to the Bolivian culture, Archaeology Now donated it to the Houston Museum of Science.

The boat, named “Yunta Wiñay,” which means “friends forever” in Quechua language, recently finished a voyage to nine different schools in the Houston area, touching nearly 3600 students about the history of ancient seafaring as part of Archaeology Now’s educational programming.

The presentation gave young minds the opportunity to discuss the idea of how culture shapes identity.

Jo Burkholder, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of the Pachamama Project at the University of Wisconsin will present her findings on Pachamama, the mother goddess in the indigenous belief systems of the Andes Mountains.

 “We are delighted to have the Bolivian Ambassador and Dr. Burkholder joining us for this special event that will further explore identity, the theme for this year’s programming,” said Becky Lao, executive director of Archaeology Now. “The lecture will center on how a belief system can help create identity and how worship of a powerful goddess still survives today and binds disparate cultures together in the Andean Basin.”

The international generosity that underwrote educational outreach has already impacted thousands of Houstonians explained Lao.

For more information, visit www.hmns.org.  For a calendar of upcoming lectures, visit www.archaeologynow.org.