Ghangis Khan Exhibit

Location: North Carolina Museum of Natural Science
Address: 11 West Jones Street  Raleigh, NC 27601
Admission: $14 
Child Friendly: Not really. Middle-schoolers maybe more likely high schoolers and up. 


First off let me say that I had no clue this traveling exhibit was so expensive to get into. And for the hefty price (more than I make in an hour) it was not worth it. Don't get me wrong, it was cool but not worth the $14 dollars. Sorry, I don't have any pictures from inside the exhibit, but do the sensitive nature of the artifacts, photography was not allowed.


I came into this exhibit with high hopes and left a little bit disappointed and wanting more. The exhibit begins with a video briefly detailing the accomplishments of Ghangis Khan and how he expanded his vast empire. First you step into a small room which details the lineage of Ghangis Khan. From there you move into the familial life of the Mongol peoples, with half of a recreated yurt. It briefly details the social structure and life of the nomadic peoples. 


Then the exhibit moves into details about the skilled archers and weaponry of the Mongols. There are several artifacts which include a composite bow, metal armor, and a few impressive sabers. This area draws attention to the skill of Mongolian archers, whom attacked their enemies on horseback and could fire their arrows hanging from the side of the horse. 


A large portion of the exhibit is dedicated the military conquests of Khan, with an LED light projection onto the floor the expansion of his empire over time. This area also highlights some of the weaponry used by Khan, such as the trebuchet and battery rams and the different battle tactics he used to conquer most of the known world. 


The exhibit does a good job of detailing the means in which Khan controlled his empire. It details how Khan established a system of writing in order to record his conquest and establish a vast political structure. There are scrolls which show examples of the early Mongolian language. On display are also examples of pottery and items which were traded along the silk road, which ran through Khan's empire. 


At the end of the museum, is a nice surprise. On display is the remains of a Mongolian women, found in the mountains. Be warned, it is real, so if your squeamish this might not be for you. The women herself, is short by today's standard, but was considered unusual tall. She is buried in several robes (also, on display) which indicate that she was of considerable wealth and stature.  This does mark a clear end to the exhibit. Leaving this room, you enter one final area which shows the influence of the Mongolian art and culture in past and present day artifacts. 


Overall, the exhibit took about an hour to complete. There wasn't a clear flow, causing people to often step in front of us whenever we were trying to read some of the labels. Some of the display areas were small corridors more like short hallways, invariably causing bottlenecks in traffic. I left with mixed feelings. Some of the artifacts in there were really cool, however this came at the steep price of admission (presumably for the exhibit's main attraction at the end).


All I can say is a I left a little bit wiser about the history of the Ghangis Khan and the Mongolian people as a whole, which I suppose is the important thing. 

North Carolina Museum of History

(Sorry, I didn't realize I was taking a video)

Location: 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC
Admission: Free
Child Friendly: Yes, however I would recommend for children who are at least 6+
Web address: North Carolina Museum of History

Today, we went and explored the North Carolina Museum of History located in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Recently the museum just added a new permanent collection that spans the entire history of the state covering the entire first floor of the museum. Overall I was impressed with the overall quality and caliber of the new exhibits.
The exhibit begins with the history of North Carolina's first native inhabitants. It features an array of ceramic artifacts that have been excavated from around the state, as well as, early tools. Perhaps the most impressive of all is a recreated dwelling that is the focal point of this area.

Blackbeard's flag

Next, you move throughout the exhibit to details about the early contact between natives and settlers. It details items traded between the people and how early settlers survived in the new colony. However, this display could easily be missed as you are quickly distracted by the adjacent exhibit on everyone's favorite... Pirates. Arrrghh.  No, really, it's pretty neat. The staff cleverly creates the setting of being inside the haul of a pirate ship and tells story of pirating off the North Carolina coast, highlighting the state's most notorious pirate, Edward Teache aka, Blackbeard.

Cannon you can aim at various ships (fun for the kiddies)

From there, the museum moves on to life in the early colony. It describes the variety of settlers who came to North Carolina and the regions in which different immigrants migrated to. It highlights early life, early handicrafts and agriculture. Another impressive exhibit, is that of the two-room house of carpenter Solomon Robson, which is restored within the exhibition area. This area of the museum highlights life on small farms and several chores. This area is fun, kids can pick up buckets and see what it would be like to carry it from the well to the house, there's a chicken hatching an egg, and yes, even the chance to "milk" a cow. Of course, I tried and was unsuccessful.

From colonial life to rebellion, the exhibit transition to the revolutionary history and North Carolina's role in the war. I didn't spend much time in this area, revolutionary history has never been a favorite (sorry to all you military history buffs!) Next you move to the early history of the United States, the forming of the Confederacy and the inevitable Civil War. Note, a large portion of the overall exhibit space is dedicated the the Civil War and there is an impressive array of artifacts. Once again, military history has never sparked my interest so I kind of wandered through this section, occasionally stopping to read labels.


Coming out of the wartime section, there are several good exhibits which highlight the political and social attitudes at the turn of the century. I especially liked their exhibit on the Wilmington Race Riots, a little known skeleton in the closet of North Carolina history. Into the modern age, there are exhibits on the various industries within the state, most notably textiles, furniture and the almighty tobacco crop. There is a neat section here in which they recreate an old textile mirror and you can hear and feel what it would have been like working in one of the shops.



Out of the turn of the century and into the Great Depression, World War I, and the New Deal. This area highlights the early 20th century history the state and features a recruitment office, pictures that WPA worker's took in the state and the handicrafts that kept the Appalachian region thriving. From here you move into an exhibit that shows the role of North Carolina in World War II. It shows the mobilized war effort throughout the country and how everything, even the smallest scrap metal or leftover cooking grease could be used for the war. It transitions into the Civil Rights movement, and there is even the counter from Woolworth's, where the famous Greensboro sit-in's took place.

This essentially marks the end of the exhibition space. There is a short video at the end which takes the museum-goer to present day history, however I have to say we skipped it. I felt it a little lazy to skip ahead to present day in such a fashion, but then again perhaps history since 1970's is too young to begin interperting. I'll leave that for you to decide.


I think if your bring children here, they should be at least kindergarten age or else they will be bored. Trust me, I brought the four year old I nanny here and he was not impressed or engaged at all. eHowever, for the more curious six or seven year old, this is great.  The museum is highly interactive, there are a variety of labels which quiz your knowledge coming into the exhibit, as well as, things to touch, pick up and an un-godly number of small video clips to watch. All in all, I believe this section of the museum to be geared towards an older audience but it still delivers to the kids.

Overall, I was impressed with the total package. I have come to the museum many times in the past and I have to say, this was the first time I felt the museum was on par with larger museum such as the newer  Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center in Williamsburg, VA. It's about time the state installed a permanent exhibit chronicling its history and well done guys. Kudos to the staff and all those involved in to adding this to the museum.

i say tomato you say tomatoe

So the summer is here and with it is an abundance of tomatoes in the kitchen. Forgive me if the next couple of posts are mainly tomato related. Tonight I decided to be adventurous and cook up a homemade pizza, everything from scratch.

Sauce:
 - 20 to 30 garden fresh cherry tomatoes
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Basil
- Crushed red pepper

I kind of winged it and just let everything simmer together on low heat until I was ready to make the pizza.

For the crust I followed the instruction on a pizza yeast packet.

As for the top of the pizza it is a combination of farmer's market green and red peppers. I wish you could smell the peppers. As soon as I cut into them I could smell the crisp, sweetness within. Along with the peppers is some sliced mushrooms and chopped sweet onion. I'm sure there are more veggies in the fridge that could go along but what would I have to eat for the rest of the week?