Monday, Jan. 09, 2006

Kennewick museum provides Kennewick Man exhibit (w/ video highlights)

By Anna King, Herald staff writer

Kennewick Man is again resting along the Columbia River shore.

Or rather, a plastic skeleton bought on eBay along with an original casting of Kennewick Man's skull is resting amid river rocks set in a new Kennewick Man display at the East Benton County Historical Society Museum.

Corene Hulse, the Kennewick museum's administrator, couldn't be more pleased to welcome the body double of Kennewick's most famous resident.

"I'm pleased as punch with it all," she said. "We needed a permanent display -- he's a part of our history."

The display, which is 24 feet long and 12 feet high, includes a river scene with the bones, a mural of the Horse Heaven Hills painted by Kennewick artist Ede Johnson and informational plaques about the famous find of the 9,200-year-old skeleton.

Museum curator Steven Sandlin said he found the plastic skeleton of a 5.6-foot male on eBay for $100. The skull, however, is more authentic, he said.

He explained the skull is a mold that archaeologist James Chatters, who helped recover many of the bones when they first were discovered, made with his friend Ron Gerton.

"They were afraid that the government would take that away so it remained a secret," Sandlin said. Later, a casting was made from the mold for the museum.

Both the casting and the plastic skeleton have been painted to more closely resemble the original skeleton, Sandlin said.

Hulse said the display and its information discuss all sides of the story. Native American concerns and scientific information will be presented.

"We are trying to tell a story and not form any opinion," she said. "It's up for controversy."

The display cost $8,000 and took about two years to build. Many donations and volunteer work made the project possible.

Other pieces of the exhibit include a group of mounted bufflehead ducks, a mastodon bone found near Hanford High School, a leaf fossil and a woolly mammoth's knee joint. As Kennewick Man's story evolves, informational plaques will be added to the museum's collection.

"We built a long wall there specifically for that," Hulse said.

Kennewick Man's real remains are being stored at the University of Washington's Burke Museum in Seattle.

Video montage

Kennewick museum to open Kennewick Man display