DAVENPORT, Iowa, March 19, 2025 – The Putnam Museum and Science Center is opening a new temporary exhibit in the World Culture Gallery on Saturday, March 22nd.
Indigenous Roots of Mexican Americans, developed by the museum’s curatorial staff, features artifacts and textiles from areas in Mexico that are housed together with 250,000 objects in the Putnam’s collections.
The exhibit explores Indigenous and pre-Hispanic ancestry that exists within many Quad Citizens and traces this shared heritage back 20,000 years to early examples of hunter gatherers on the continent. The agricultural history of maize (corn) and its effect on the creation of large cities and civic infrastructure, such as canals and pressurized water systems, is detailed.
Christina Kastell, the Curator of History and Anthropology said about the new exhibit, “This exhibit represents the ancestry of many of our
Mexican American neighbors, so it is really exciting to be able to make this connection in our community.”
Cultural milestones and developments are also listed such as mathematics, chocolate, chewing gum, body armor, domesticated turkeys, and metallurgy. The exhibit features full outfits and dresses alongside the artifacts crucial to these early indigenous cultures.
The museum is open 7 days week at 1717 W 12th Street Davenport, Iowa. For more information, visit www.putnam.org.
About the Putnam
The Putnam Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, brings to life a sense of place, time and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits ranging from Unearthing Ancient Egypt to our family-favorite science galleries, as well as an array of programs and internationally recognized traveling exhibits. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere.
For more information about events and exhibits, visit putnam.org.
