UNR Museum of People, Place, and Time

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UNR Museum of People, Place, and Time

The Museum of People, Place, and Time is University of Nevada, Reno's anthropology museum.

We feature object-based storytelling in collaboration with Nevada's communities. Find us in the Ansari Building, Room 528 at the University of Nevada, Reno!

06/03/2026

Some archaeologists use experiments to test expectations about things that happened in the past. Our current exhibit features several University of Nevada College of Liberal Arts alumni's experimental archaeology projects.

This week we are featuring Linsie Lafayette, class of 2006. Linsie is currently the Western Regional Director for the Archaeological Conservancy. Her Master's thesis explored whether Western Stemmed Tradition points were better suited to tip spears or for use as knives. Linsie used replica stemmed points as both spear points and as butchering knives.

Come visit us in Ansari 528 to learn more about Linsie's experiment and results!

06/02/2026

We have a new activity in the Museum! Visitors can use stamps to design their own dart/spear or create a mini environment for Ice Age animals.

The stamp designs were created by alumni Megan McGuinness (M.A., RPA) of Cloud Shadow Fieldworks, LLC.

For more info on Megan’s work and artifact illustration check the link: https://cloudshadowfieldworks.com/

05/27/2026

Some archaeologists use experiments to test expectations about things that happened in the past. Our current exhibit features several University of Nevada College of Liberal Arts alumni's experimental archaeology projects.

This week we are featuring Michael Lenzi, class of 2015. Michael currently serves as Director and Principal Investigator for ASM Affiliates in Sacramento. His Master's thesis focused on lithic crescents, which are lunate flaked stone tools found throughout the Great Basin and California. Michael's project investigated what these tools were used for. He used replicated crescents to tip spears, cut leather, and scrape willow bark; studying how effective they were for each task.

Come visit us in Ansari 528 to learn more about Michael's experiment and results!

05/19/2026

Our current exhibit, Fantastic Flintknapping, features several University of Nevada College of Liberal Arts alumni who conducted experimental archaeology projects. But what does that mean?

Experimental archaeology relies on the scientific method to understand the past. It involves replication to try and recreate past events. First, archaeologists develop a research question. Second, they propose an explanation, called a hypothesis, that may answer the question. Third, they develop predictions for what they will see if their hypothesis is correct. These predictions must be testable and connect a cause and effect. For example, if people built a campfire long ago then we should find charcoal and ash.

Archaeologists can conduct experiments to test their hypothesis. They might make a campfire in their backyard to determine if it creates charcoal and ash. If they discover a similar charcoal and ash stain at a site, then they may conclude that people built a fire there in the past!

For the next several weeks we will be highlighting the alumni projects we have on display in the Museum!

Pictured here: Alumna Linsie Lafayette wraps sinew covered in beeswax around a wooden handle. This allowed her to haft, or attach, this replicated obsidian spear point to a knife handle.

05/16/2026

Reposing from The Archaeology Channel

Tomorrow Gwen Clancy's (Adjunct Professor and Independent Filmmaker) film "Pony Express: Living the Ride" will be showing at the The Archaeology Channel International Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon!

This film chronicles contemporary horseback riders as they re-enact the Pony Express, while also highlighting Paiute perspectives, and providing archaeological context.

If you want to learn more about the archaeological objects highlighted in the film check out this short from the film. It includes our previous Director, Dr. Carolyn White, discussing some of the objects from Pony Express stations that are housed at UNR-MPPT: https://youtu.be/WvwWVoGx96s?si=ZFf9MG3mxAx8Jwr7

05/15/2026

Congratulations to all the UNR graduates, especially those celebrating today's University of Nevada College of Liberal Arts graduation! We are open today from 10 am to 4 pm - come check us out in Ansari 528.

This large rusty metal star (~1 foot across) was found at Shermantown, a silver mining boomtown (ca. 1870) located in the White Pine district near Ely, Nevada. While not explicitly used to celebrate graduations, this star has a broken attachment on the back and appears to have been used for decorative purposes (potentially as a barn star/wall hanging or yard decoration).

05/07/2026

Starting today (May 7th, 2026) the Museum will be transitioning to our summer hours. We will be open on Friday, May 15th for University of Nevada College of Liberal Arts graduation!

This summer we will be focusing on behind the scenes work in our repository space, so the public facing museum will by open by appointment only. However, we're looking forward to welcoming students on field trips throughout the summer!

If you, or a group you are a part of, want to schedule an appointment to view our exhibit during the summer, please email us: [email protected]

05/05/2026

Today we are celebrating undergraduate achievement! Congrats to Caroline Syzdek for being awarded the Department of Anthropology Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award!

Caroline has been working with the Museum for three years, first as a Museum Studies Intern and now as an Undergraduate Museum Technician. During this time Caroline has helped with everything - from tearing down the old museum space, building new exhibits, working at public outreach events, and rehousing countless archaeological objects. We're proud she is being recognized for her accomplishments in the Museum and in her other research positions in the department. Congratulations, Caroline!

04/29/2026

This week, students in ANTH 449C: Laboratory Methods for Archaeology joined us to work on a Historic Archaeology Lab using our Teaching Collections!

They practiced identifying historic glass bottles like this “Omega Oil — It’s Green” bottle.

Omega Oil was produced in New York City at the turn of the 19th century by the Omega Chemical Company. This medicinal oil was supposed to cure a range of ailments, including rheumatism, in as little as two hours! Supposedly the green color came from an herb used in the recipe which grew only in a specific part of Switzerland…

04/27/2026

This Monday we are spotlighting Ervin Lent Sr.!

Our current exhibit, Fantastic Flintknapping, highlights modern flintknappers from different walks of life. These makers keep the knowledge and tradition of flintknapping alive. Some do it to make beautiful objects. Some do it to better understand the past. All of them have devoted their lives to honing their craft. Come learn their stories, told through objects they have made and knowledge they have shared.

Ervin Lent Jr. was Poga-duka’a, a citizen of the Sunflower Seed Eaters, a group within the Northern Paiute Nation. Taking inspiration from his uncle, Ralph Charlie, he began flintkapping in the 1990s. He demonstrated his traditional knowledge and shared it with people in places like Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, North Fork, Bishop, Bridgeport, and Yosemite. Ervin was instrumental in restoring traditional art in both his family and community.

Through his growth and mastery of the art, he shared and learned from others interested in maintaining their traditional lifeways. Ervin made obsidian replicas of lances, choppers, war clubs, arrows, blades, atlatls and darts.

To learn more about Erving and to see his work come visit us in Ansari 528!

Thank you to our intern Jacob for helping create this post.

Address

1664 N. Virginia Street, Ansari Building Room 528
Reno, NV
89557

Telephone

+17756826306

Website

https://linktr.ee/UNR_MPPT, https://www.unr.edu/anthropology/research-and-facilities/museum-of-people-place-and-time

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