The Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archaeology serves to complement the research mission of the Cobb Institute by providing exhibits and related opportunities for outreach education for the university community and the general public. Its gallery principally displays artifacts related to the Native American cultures of the Southeastern United States and the civilizations of the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean regions. The most recent exhibits have featured materials from the Institute’s major on-going field projects. These include displays of artifacts from excavations at Lyon’s Bluff, a 14-15th century A.D. Mississippian period settlement site in Oktibbeha County, MS; and from work at Tell Halif in southern Israel where late 8th century B.C. Israelite period household remains were found. (Link to museum pictures)

Named to honor Lois Dowdle Cobb the Museum’s holdings include a number of important collections of Middle Eastern artifacts. Among these are materials provided through donations in 1979 by Joseph M. Kemper of Washington, DC; between 1979 and 1984 by Mr. Lloyd Rapport, of Washington, DC: in 1986 by Ambassador Raymond L. Garthoff of Washington, DC; in 1991 by Mr. Gerald L. Dunham, of Burke, Virginia; and most recently, since 2002, by Dr. Theodore G. Grieder, of El Prado, New Mexico. The Museum also houses a significant collection of casts of ancient Near Eastern sculptures and panels which it holds on long term loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Among these are replicas of the Code of Hammurabi, the Moabite Stone, the Black Obelisk of Shalmanezer III and the Rosetta Stone. In addition, the holdings include a significant collection of ancient coins assembled by the Institute’s first director, E.J. Vardaman.

Displays of materials from the Southeastern United States are assembled from the Institute’s substantial collections of curated materials and from excavations and work in progress. These include interpretive exhibits on pottery manufacture and the chronology of pottery and flint tool types, along with displays of faunal and environmental remains and other artifacts relating to the Native American inhabitants of the Southeastern United States prior to and following European contact.

The Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum serves as an integral part of the outreach program of the Cobb Institute. It is open to visitors on regularly scheduled hours. University and school groups are encouraged to schedule group visits to the museum. One week advanced notice is required. Information and reservations can be obtained by contacting the Cobb Institute’s main office. Administrative Secretary Katheen Elliott, tel. 662-325-3826, email: kme@ra.msstate.edu

Parts of the Museum’s collections of artifacts are displayed on its Virtual Museum web site. Click the button below to access the Virtual Museum.