The University of Arizona
 

Arizona State Museum History

Arizona State Museum (ASM) is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest. Established in 1893 as Arizona's Territorial Museum, ASM is the official repository for the state's archaeological collections, the official permitting agency for archaeological activities on public lands, and employs many of the world’s leading experts in Southwest anthropology and related fields. Located on the campus of the University of Arizona (UA), ASM is also a very active research and teaching unit with educational programs for students of all ages and all levels.

The museum’s vast and varied collections are recognized world wide as resources for research and teaching. Hundreds of thousands of artifacts from numerous excavations shed light on the prehistoric Hohokam, Mogollon, and Ancestral Pueblo cultures. More than 26,000 catalogued ethnographic objects document the lifeways of historic and living Native peoples of the region. The museum's library, archives and photographic collections hold unique materials and primary documents garnered by pioneers of Southwest anthropology, as well as by leading figures in related disciplines. At some 20,000 whole vessels, ASM’s Southwest Native pottery collection is the world’s largest and most comprehensive.

A significant portion of the museum’s renown comes from the fieldwork of its former directors, each one a giant in the discipline known for cutting-edge research: Byron Cummings (1915-38), Emil Haury (1938-64), Raymond H. Thompson (1964-98), and George J. Gumerman (1998-2002).

The museum has had many homes on the UA campus. It has moved from a single room in Old Main (1891-1904), to a shared space with the library in the Douglass Building (1905-14), to Agriculture Hall (1915-29), to quarters in the lower regions of Arizona Stadium (1930-35), to a brand new building in 1936. In 1977 the museum expanded across the street to the former UA library building. Today, ASM’s two historic buildings are the first to welcome students and visitors as they enter UA's main gate at University and Park.

Well into its second century, ASM is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate and is the proud home of the Pottery Project -- an official project of Save America's Treasures. The museum's ever-growing collections and top-notch researchers continue to rank among the world's most significant resources for the study of Southwest anthropology. Through a full calendar of public events and educational programs, and in conjunction with volunteer and membership programs, ASM continues to serve the University of Arizona, Tucson, the state, and beyond.

The museum’s current director, Hartman H. Lomawaima (associate director, 1994-Aug 2002; interim director, Aug. 2002- Feb. 2004; director, Feb. 2004- ), is Hopi from the village of Sipalovi on Second Mesa. He holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University and has extensive, nationwide experience in museum administration. Over the next few years, Hartman will guide the museum’s participation in the development of an urban cultural district called Rio Nuevo -- a site that has supported human occupation for more than 3,000 years and considered the birthplace of Tucson.

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