The exhibit is about Lucy – the 3.2 million year old Australopithecus afarensis. This I knew going in. I knew we’d see Lucy. What I didn’t expect was the amazing history lesson about Ethiopia that preceded Lucy.It makes sense. Lucy was discovered in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is rich in history, culture, tradition, and politics. Room after room of artifacts, visual story boards and your own personal listening device to get the scoop on specific items tagged in each room. We learned about the Rastafarian movement and their very interesting tie to Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia. We learned about the stone churches of King Lalibela that were sculpted directly from the bedrock. We learned about kings and queens, wars, cultural traditions, coffee, religion and the progression of humankind.
Lucy’s Legacy is fun for all ages – a great family experience. Along with me on this journey was my sister, my parents and my niece who is 11 years old. We each found something that intrigued us. We each came away talking about the same things and different things. In true PacSci fashion, there were hands on items that keep the kids learning and intrigued, from fossils that you could touch, to spices that you could smell – watch out for the dinosaur poo.
I’ve studied a lot of world cultures, always been interested in and appreciative of how others’ environments have grown, but somehow I missed Ethiopia – until now.
Don’t miss Lucy’s Legacy at Pacific Science Center until March 8.
http://www.pacsci.org/LUCY/
Here’s the blog that I read prior to my visit:
http://www.nerdseyeview.com/blog/2008/10/20/we-love-lucy-field-trip-to-the-pacific-science-center/
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