Livingstone Museum
Encyclopedia
The Livingstone Museum, formerly David Livingstone Memorial Museum and Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, is the largest and the oldest museum in Zambia
, located in Livingstone
near Victoria Falls
. The museum has exhibits of artifacts related to local history and prehistory
, including photographs, musical instruments, and possessions of David Livingstone
, the explorer and missionary.
("Rhodesian man
") to the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, but the museum could not afford to make the purchase. A new Spanish colonial-style building was opened in 1951. Jock Millar, former mayor of Livingstone, requested that Harry Susman
donate a 'four-faced' tower clock to the museum, but before it was unveiled in the museum, Susman died.
In 1960 the museum recreated villages from five ethnic groups to give visitors a sense of traditional tribal life and to present the "way of life during the bronze and iron age." Its original name the Rhodes–Livingstone Museum was changed to Livingstone Museum in 1966. In 2003 the buildings were renovated with funds from the European Union
.
Over the years, the museum has been a trustee of numerous archaeological expeditions in Zambia. In 1956 the museum was a trustee, along with National Monuments Commission of Northern Rhodesia (a former name for Zambia) and the Wenner-Gren Foundation, of the excavation of the Kalambo Falls
Prehistoric Site.
In 2005, a statue of David Livingstone
was erected in front of the museum in memory as was a statue of Emil Holub
, a noted Czech doctor, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer who made the first map of the Victoria Falls region.
on the Mosi-o-Tunya Road. It is 10 km away from the Victoria Falls, on the Zambian side. Road access is from three directions. The 11 km drive from across the border near the town of Victoria Falls crosses over the famous Victoria Falls Bridge. The second approach is 60 km from Botswana
involving crossing the border at Kazungula
by ferry. Livingstone is 470 km from Lusaka
, taking the southbound Kafue Road, crossing the Kafue River
Bridge and taking a right turn towards Mazabuka
.
, once director, have provided an important contribution to research in the country. The museum has also provided expertise and support to archaeological expeditions in neighboring South Africa
,
The museum is laid out in five galleries namely, the Archaeology gallery, the Ethnographic gallery, the History gallery, the Art gallery and Livingstone gallery. They cover topics such as archaeology
, ethnography
, history
and natural history
, mammalogy
, ornithology
, herpetology
, entomology
, botany
and ichthyology
.
The Archaeology gallery has exhibits of human evolution and cultural development in Zambia starting with Stone Age
to Iron Age
.
The Ethnography and Art gallery has exhibits of the different cultures of the country. Handicrafts and musical instruments are part of this gallery.
The History gallery traces the origins of the Bantu people, the era of British colonial rule and the period till Zambia achieved independence from the colonial rule. Also on display are exhibits of endemic animals as seen in their natural habitats in Zambia.
The Livingstone gallery has an extensive collection of David Livingstone memorabilia, which were donated by the Livingstone family. The museum also has a large library of books on archaeology and wildlife and also some of the journals published by Livingston.
The museum often has special exhibits; the witchcraft exhibit was said to be "especially interesting, if somewhat hair-raising." It also features sculptures and paintings by Zambian artists.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, located in Livingstone
Livingstone, Zambia
Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
near Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
. The museum has exhibits of artifacts related to local history and prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
, including photographs, musical instruments, and possessions of David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
, the explorer and missionary.
History
The Livingstone Museum is the largest and the oldest museum in Zambia, established in the 1934 as the David Livingstone Memorial Museum. In 1948, Captain A.W. Whittington offered to sell the two specimens of a fossilized human femurFemur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
("Rhodesian man
Rhodesian Man
Kabwe skull or Kabwe cranium, or Broken Hill 1 is a hominin fossil that was frequently classified as belonging to Homo rhodesiensis. The cranium was found in an lead and zinc mine in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia in 1921 by Tom Zwiglaar, a Swiss miner...
") to the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, but the museum could not afford to make the purchase. A new Spanish colonial-style building was opened in 1951. Jock Millar, former mayor of Livingstone, requested that Harry Susman
Susman Brothers
Susman Brothers was a business partnership that united brothers Elie Susman and Harry Susman after they crossed the Zambezi river in 1901. The brothers were Jewish businessmen from Riteve, western Russia, now Lithuania. They founded, owned, and operated several large businesses in Africa. Elie...
donate a 'four-faced' tower clock to the museum, but before it was unveiled in the museum, Susman died.
In 1960 the museum recreated villages from five ethnic groups to give visitors a sense of traditional tribal life and to present the "way of life during the bronze and iron age." Its original name the Rhodes–Livingstone Museum was changed to Livingstone Museum in 1966. In 2003 the buildings were renovated with funds from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Over the years, the museum has been a trustee of numerous archaeological expeditions in Zambia. In 1956 the museum was a trustee, along with National Monuments Commission of Northern Rhodesia (a former name for Zambia) and the Wenner-Gren Foundation, of the excavation of the Kalambo Falls
Kalambo Falls
Kalambo Falls on the Kalambo River is a 772ft single drop waterfall on the border of Zambia and Tanzania at the southeast end of Lake Tanganyika. The falls are some of the tallest uninterrupted falls in Africa...
Prehistoric Site.
In 2005, a statue of David Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
was erected in front of the museum in memory as was a statue of Emil Holub
Emil Holub
Emil Holub was a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa. In a 2005 poll, he was voted #90 of the 100 greatest Czechs.-Early life:...
, a noted Czech doctor, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer who made the first map of the Victoria Falls region.
Geography
The Livingstone Museum is located in the heart of the Livingstone townLivingstone, Zambia
Livingstone or Maramba is a historic colonial city and present capital of the Southern Province of Zambia, a tourism centre for the Victoria Falls lying north of the Zambezi River, and a border town with road and rail connections to Zimbabwe on the other side of the Falls...
on the Mosi-o-Tunya Road. It is 10 km away from the Victoria Falls, on the Zambian side. Road access is from three directions. The 11 km drive from across the border near the town of Victoria Falls crosses over the famous Victoria Falls Bridge. The second approach is 60 km from Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
involving crossing the border at Kazungula
Kazungula
Kazungula is a small border town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying on the north bank of the Zambezi River about 70 km west of Livingstone, at an almost quadripoint where four countries nearly meet...
by ferry. Livingstone is 470 km from Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, taking the southbound Kafue Road, crossing the Kafue River
Kafue River
The Kafue River sustains one of the world's great wildlife environments. It is a major tributary of the Zambezi, and of Zambia's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban, and the longest and largest lying wholly within Zambia....
Bridge and taking a right turn towards Mazabuka
Mazabuka
Mazabuka is a town in the Southern Province of Zambia, lying south west of Lusaka, on the main road and railway to Livingstone. The town has grown around sugar cane plantations, and currently Zambia Sugar is Zambia's leading sugar producer. It lies near the Mwanachingwala Conservation Area...
.
Layout
The museum provides an important insight into the national and cultural heritage of Zambia. An open archaeological site is located next to the museum next to the falls which has unearthed items from the early Stone Age to the present, covering some 250,000 years. Experts from the museum, such as Dr. J. Desmond ClarkJ. Desmond Clark
John Desmond Clark was a British archaeologist noted particularly for his work on prehistoric Africa.Educated at Monkton Combe School near Bath, J. Desmond Clark graduated with a B.A...
, once director, have provided an important contribution to research in the country. The museum has also provided expertise and support to archaeological expeditions in neighboring South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
,
The museum is laid out in five galleries namely, the Archaeology gallery, the Ethnographic gallery, the History gallery, the Art gallery and Livingstone gallery. They cover topics such as archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, mammalogy
Mammalogy
In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous systems...
, ornithology
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
, herpetology
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
, entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and ichthyology
Ichthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
.
The Archaeology gallery has exhibits of human evolution and cultural development in Zambia starting with Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
to Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
.
The Ethnography and Art gallery has exhibits of the different cultures of the country. Handicrafts and musical instruments are part of this gallery.
The History gallery traces the origins of the Bantu people, the era of British colonial rule and the period till Zambia achieved independence from the colonial rule. Also on display are exhibits of endemic animals as seen in their natural habitats in Zambia.
The Livingstone gallery has an extensive collection of David Livingstone memorabilia, which were donated by the Livingstone family. The museum also has a large library of books on archaeology and wildlife and also some of the journals published by Livingston.
The museum often has special exhibits; the witchcraft exhibit was said to be "especially interesting, if somewhat hair-raising." It also features sculptures and paintings by Zambian artists.