Exhibit Closing

Press Release

Media Contact

Anna McKean

801.422.1414

mpc@byu.edu

For Immediate Release

3/21/2012

Award-Winning Exhibit Closing

After two years of bringing Utah Valley history to life, BYU’s Museum of Peoples and Cultures’ (MPC) exhibition Beneath Your Feet: Uncovering the Archaeology of Utah Valley will be coming down after March 30th.  Nearly 45,000 people have visited Beneath Your Feet since its opening in April of 2010.  This exhibition has played a large role in many of the MPC’s educational programs over the past two years, and received the “Leadership in History” award from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). 

This exhibit offers a perspective on Utah Valley’s history that people don’t usually get to see.  Beneath Your Feet provides an interesting glimpse into the lives of the Fremont people—who inhabited Utah Valley approximately 1000 years ago.  It focuses on how the Fremont used the abundant resources of the valley and Utah Lake to their advantage.  The exhibition explores what life might have been like for these ancient people, who lived right here in our own neighborhoods.  There is also information on the archaeological process and the importance of preserving artifacts and archaeological sites for future generations to enjoy.

“Working with this exhibition has been so interesting and enjoyable,” Kari Nelson, Curator of Education at the MPC, said.  “Not only does it teach about the Fremont who lived here a thousand years ago, but visitors also learn about the science and process of archaeology and the important role it plays in preserving and understanding the past – and not just in far away, exotic places – there is a lot of interesting work done even right here in Utah Valley.”

Before this award-winning exhibition closes, take the opportunity to step out of everyday life and into the past to discover the history that is literally beneath the homes, streets and sidewalks around us.

            Admission to the MPC is free, and it is open Monday through Friday from 9-5 (with extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursday, open until 7).  A Survivor Date Night held on March 30 will be the last event of the exhibit.  For more information or questions regarding the date night, contact the MPC at mpc@byu.edu or call 801.422.0020.