Dates: September 17, 2016–January 8, 2017
In honor of Knoxville’s 225th anniversary, this exhibition explores the city’s heritage as seen through archaeological discoveries in the “Heart of the Valley.”
Using historic artifacts unearthed in and around Knoxville, along with historical images, maps, documents, and oral histories, the exhibition tells the story of Knoxville’s development from a frontier settlement to an industrialized city.
- A sampling of objects unearthed at a Knoxville archaeological dig: buttons, toothbrush, and bone handles.
- Unearthing a large cistern at the old City Hall in downtown Knoxville.
- “Bird’s Eye View of the City of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, 1871, A. Ruger (drawing), Merchants Lithography Company, Courtesy of Library of Congress Geography and Map Division, 73694529.
Curated by Tim Baumann, Curator of Archaeology, McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture and Charlie Faulkner, Distinguished Professor of Humanities, University of Tennessee Department of Anthropology. Presented by Visit Knoxville, the City of Knoxville, and McCarty Holsaple McCarty.