Indiana Jones where are you now?

Although it might not possess artifacts that would make the great Dr. Jones challenge the Temple of Doom, the NIU Anthropology Museum boasts a rather impressive collection.

Located on the first floor of the Stevens Building, the museum has over 100,000 pieces on display. The collection consists mostly of osteological pieces (bones) and assorted archaeological pieces, with about 5,400 ethnographic artifacts.

According to Milton Deemer, director of the museum, the museum was established in 1965 by the faculty of the anthropology department.

“Anthropology and sociology used to be one department,” said Deemer. “When they split, this was one project the anthropology department first started. The displays used to be in the hallways until the early ‘70’s when we got the rooms in the Stevens Building.”

In its early years, the university supplied funds for the museum to purchase pieces, but with time the money has decreased. The museum now relies mostly on donations by private individuals.

When choosing pieces for the museum, Deemer has several criteria.

“First, the piece must be useful to the collection. Our pieces mostly come from southeast Asia, North American Indians, and New Guinea. Second, the donators must prove that the piece is legal and genuine, because some people sometimes smuggle things out of countries. And finally, the piece must be in good enough shape for display,” he said.

The museum has free admission and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call Deemer at 753-0230.

According to Deemer, there are many interesting and unique features in the museum. “We have one of the largest collections in the country of Khon masks from Thailand. The masks are worn by dancers and each one represents a different character. The masks are decorated with stones and gold,” he said.

Stones and gold? Hmm, maybe Indiana Jones had a hand in this after all.