Talking pots in display tell of lives long ago Pots talk as far as KU students in anthropologist John Hoopes' course in archaeological ceramics are concerned. It is through artifacts, some of which are more than 2,000 years old, that KU students heard the peoples of ancient Costa Rica talking about their daily lives. Hoopes taught the course last fall and what his students heard, in part, is now on exhibit at the KU Museum of Anthropology through Aug. 15. The vessels represent several different time periods, from the first few centuries B.C. to the eve of the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century.
Anthropologists usually gather information about culture by talking to the people who experience it.
Unfortunately, this is not possible with ancient populations that no longer exist. We must learn about these cultures from the objects that people made and used. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free. This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus.