New Smithsonian Exhibits....anyone like flowers or forensics?

Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake will open to the public on February 7 and Orchids through Darwin’s Eyes which opened last week on January 24.

Written in Bone is a 4,800 square foot exhibition featuring archaeological discoveries and historical research detailing the historic importance of colonial Jamestown and its contribution to the colonization of North America.
The exhibition displays approximately 340 objects, human bones and artifacts from the Museum’s collections and those on loan from over 20 archaeological organizations and museums, including the archaeological sites of English Colonial America, Jamestown, Va., and St. Mary’s City, Md. Focusing primarily on the human story, Written in Bone reveals what life and death was like 400 years ago for the earliest English and African settlers and Native Americans in the Chesapeake Bay region.
The exhibition also includes a 600 square foot Forensic Anthropology Lab that will allow visitors a firsthand experience in examining bones, insects, pollen grains and stages of dental development to search for clues used in forensic cases.


Also, please do not miss the opportunity to join Doug Owsley and Kari Bruwelheide, lead curators for the exhibition, for a personal tour as they explore history anew through these 17th century bone biographies. Written in Bone is located on the second floor between the Osteology and Western Cultures Halls and will be on view through February 6, 2011. Curator-led tours will be given on Tuesday, February 10 and Wednesday, February 18 at 9:30 AM.

In celebration of Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, we are delighted to present the 15th annual orchid exhibition, Orchids through Darwin’s Eyes.
This exhibition is a collaborative effort between the Museum, the Horticulture Services Division and the U.S. Botanic Garden to showcase the Smithsonian’s research and its diverse orchid collection of which more than 300 plants representing 50 varieties are on display.
After Charles Darwin selected orchids to help prove his theories of natural selection and evolution, scientists have included them in their studies to learn more about how plants have evolved and adapted to survive in almost every type of environment around the world. Orchids through Darwin’s Eyes examines the ways in which he influenced today’s naturalists, horticulturalists and scientists through live orchid displays, excerpts from his writings, a family tree of orchid genealogy and recent evolutionary discoveries related to the orchid family. Please take the opportunity to view these exotic and unique flowers. The exhibition is located on the first floor in the Special Exhibit Gallery (near “Mammals”) and will run through April 26, 2009.