Research Case: One Museum, Two Collections: Ethnobotany in the American Southwest and Mexico

On view in this case are several cultural artifacts and botanical specimens acquired in the 19th century by Edward Palmer (1830-1911), who helped define the new field of ethnobotany, which studies the complex interconnections between humans and plants. Through this ongoing work of connecting natural science with culture, museum researchers have been able to increase the scientific and historical value of the museum's collections and today are helping to preserve the heritage of the communities of the American Southwest and Mexico.