Mississippi State University students enrolled in the Introduction to the Business of Museums course have put together an exhibit called “Tiny Itty-Bitty Little Guys: The Cobb’s Micro Museum” at the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology.
Thomas Vo, a student in the course and the director of marketing for the exhibit, said the team wanted to create an exhibit the public could find appealing.
“Within the Cobb’s collection are a bunch of artifacts and relics measuring under four inches, so we wanted to emphasize the Micro Museum display we are working on,” Vo said.
Laney Hammond, an exhibition designer, said she hopes the exhibit will bring more attention to the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology.
“The goal of this exhibit is to allow an accessible exhibit for all; we would really love for more students, visitors of MSU and anyone who is wanting to visit the Cobb to have a memorable experience. We hope to achieve this through the Little Guys exhibit at the Cobb,” Hammond said.
The exhibit focuses on twelve small, artfully organized pieces, including a Greek coin from 350-250 B.C., an Israeli clay juglet from 700 B.C. and an Egyptian stone cat from around 250 B.C.
Another piece is a Native American arrowhead found on the Lyon’s Bluff site in Oktibbeha County. Lyon’s Bluff is a village and mound site which was investigated periodically from the 1930s into the early 2000s. Pieces found at the site are still being analyzed, including the arrowhead.
Students have also put together a scavenger hunt to encourage visitors to look for these pieces and get involved in the exhibit.
The exhibit opened May 3. Summer visitors can schedule an appointment by calling the MSU Welcome Center at 662-325-5203. During a school semester, the museum is open during its normal business hours, which vary each semester.
Rabi Siddiqui, the student museum curator for the exhibit, said the exhibit hopes to connect visitors to cultures of the past.
“Tiny Itty-Bitty Little Guys: The Cobb’s Micro Museum is a way to engage with people by showing that the culture of seeing and making cute little things can be found throughout all time,” Siddiqui said. “The exhibit also intends to revive the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology by creating a narrative flow within the space, with the little guys dotted throughout the museum like a scavenger hunt. I loved contributing to bring this museum back to life. My role as curator is all about research, but specifically how the public interacts with research.”
Lori Neuenfeldt, the course instructor, said this class is a great opportunity for undergraduate students.
“It’s significant that the Cobb allowed us access to train on proper handling and display of artifacts. MSU is incredibly lucky to have a museum that encourages hands-on undergraduate learning,” Neuenfeldt said.
Neuenfeldt said the museum has plans for future public outreach programs.
“Along with ongoing field excavations and archaeological research, the Cobb Institute holds numerous public programs throughout the year. The museum hosts tours for elementary and middle school students or arranges visits to go to schools. The biggest public programs are Science Night at the Museums in February and Archaeology Month in October,” Neuenfeldt said.
Neuenfeldt said the Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology is named after Lois Dowdle Cobb, an editor, writer, educator, administrator, home economist and trustee. Cobb and her husband Cully traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East. In 1971, they funded the Cobb Institute of Archaeology.
The institute was completed in October 1975. In 1979, Lois Dowdle Cobb was celebrated with the dedication of a copy of the Lion Panel from the Ishtar Gate in ancient Babylon which can be seen on the landing at the entrance to the museum.
More information about the Cobb Institute of Archaeology can be found on their website.
The Cobb's collection contains many small artifacts. Some are part of active research.
