Pequot Museum unveils collection of 17th Century battlefield artifacts

English woodcut of the Battle of Mistick Fort (“Mistick Massacre”), 1638.

Mashantucket, Conn. - The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center will unveil the largest collection of 17^th Century battlefield artifacts on display in New England in its new Pequot War Exhibit, opening on Oct. 1 in the museum’s Pequot War Gallery, according to a release.

 

"Showcasing more than 50 recently-recovered objects from the Battle of Mistick Fort (May 26, 1637), the exhibit is the culmination of an innovative, seven-year battlefield archaeology and preservation project led by the museum, and was also made possible through extensive public, private and tribal support," the release said.

 

Further, visitors will be "introduced to the exhibit through a Pequot narrative of the events surrounding the battle, one of the most controversial and significant events in the Colonial and Native history of America," the release said. 

 

"On display are never-before-seen military and personal items carried by Native warriors and Colonial soldiers on the day of battle. Visitors will explore artifacts including Native amulets, knives, ornaments, hair pieces, and jewelry, as well as European hand-hammered gun parts and musical instruments recovered from the battlefield. A large sample of lead musket balls as well as brass arrow points fired during battle – and bent upon impact with armor – are also on display."

 

“Our exhibit reveals exciting and significant new insights into the military tactics, arms and equipment employed by Native and English forces alike,” said Jason Mancini, director of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, also in the release. “It also showcases the science, technology and methods used in surveying the Mistick Fort Battlefield, which are among the most advanced in the field. The exhibit is bound to captivate visitors, whether they’re interested in archaeology or military, tribal, or early American history.”

 

"Part of the museum’s Battlefields of the Pequot War project, Mistick Fort Battlefield is the earliest surveyed battlefield in New England. With grants from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, and by partnering with the Office of the Connecticut State Archaeologist, the Connecticut State Historian, and local historical societies and museums, the Pequot Museum continues its archaeological survey to better understand all aspects of the Pequot War."

 

The new Pequot War Exhibit will serve as a foundation for future expansions in the Pequot War Gallery, the release said. More information on the "Battlefields of the Pequot War" project can be found at http://pequotwar.org/.

 

 

 

Editor's note: All information and the photo in this post were contributed. Click one of the buttons below to share it.

New Haven warming centers and snow removal tips

 New Haven is activating “warming centers” for the public to provide relief from the cold. Learn more here: (Scroll down for information on safe snow removal)

Warming Center New Haven

Snow removal:

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New Haven Museum: the Department store and New England

NEW HAVEN - At one time the words "Meet me at the clock”  were "understood by New Haveners as meeting at the corner of Chapel and Temple streets, the main entrance to Malley’s department store and the location of the store’s clock," according to a release by the New Haven Museum.

"Department stores were more than just landmarks, they shaped a way of life in the city," the statement said. "Shartenberg’s, Malley’s and Gamble Desmond once dominated the streetscape along Chapel Street—until redevelopment came to the city, as it did throughout New England, in the middle of the 20^th century."

So, as part of the Museum’s 150^th Anniversary lecture series, at 5:30 p.m. April 4,  Richard Longstreth, professor of American Studies and director of the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at George Washington University, presents “The Department Store Transformed: New England 1950-1970,” the statement said. 

"In his lecture, Longstreth will explore ways in which department stores sought to

reinvent themselves after WWII in order to remain competitive amid the rise of national chain stores and a customer base ever more removed from the traditional city center. In particular, he will focus on Hartford’s G. Fox and New Haven’s Church Street redevelopment area," the statement said.

In photos: Top, Aerial view of Church Street Project, May 1964. Collection of New Haven Museum and Models & rendering of Front Block Complex, 1964. Collection of New Haven Museum.

Editor's note: All information and the photo in this post were contributed.

Climate Change in New England at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

NEW HAVEN - Learn more about how New England climate is changing and how might it affect you beginning Dec.15 at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

A new exhibit, "Seasons of Change: Global Warming in Your Backyard,” is an "interactive traveling exhibition from Brown University's Center for Environmental Studies and Clean Air-Cool Planet's New England Science Center Collaborative, opens at the Peabody" then.

The exhibit "illustrates how climate change is impacting the landscape of New England over the change of the seasons. Although New England climate change is the focus, global climate change is addressed as well," according to a release.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 24.

 

"This family-friendly exhibition uses computer games, videos and hands-on specimens to illustrate the science of global warming and climate change," the release said. 

"As visitors control a global climate change simulation and compare coastal flooding today with projections for the year 2100, they will have help formulating answers to the question: What will you miss most about your current climate? The ultimate message is that it’s not staying the same." 

Also according to the release: "New England is already experiencing changes that are consistent with global warming: rising temperatures and sea levels, decreasing snow cover and earlier springs. With these changes, we can also expect more extreme weather: more summer days above 100°F; more damaging nor'easters; and more seasonal droughts. Scientists also predict a 10 percent increase in precipitation in the next 50 years, including fewer, more intense rain events and more winter rainstorms. Coastal regions will be at greater risk of flooding and erosion.

"Changes in climate are in turn affecting our local flora and fauna in the form of altered habitat, breeding and migration patterns and the availability of food. Invasive insects are eating through forest habitats. Migratory bird ranges are shifting in response to warmer weather and changing forest composition. Higher temperatures and decreased water quality pose health risks for cold-water fish like brook trout. And how will our beloved New England diet of lobster, cod and scallops be affected? With rising temperatures in the North Atlantic putting these marine species at increasing risk, these foods and others will become scarcer. As our climate continues to change, some species will adapt. Others may have nowhere to go."

"Seasons of Change was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation and support from the Environmental Defense Fund, the release said The presenting sponsor is Energize CT.

Editor's note: All information and the photo in this post were contributed.