{{short description|Museum}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox museum |name = Livingstone Museum |image = Livingstone Museum, Livingstone (Maramba) Krzysztof Błażyca 2011.jpg |caption = Livingstone Museum, Zambia |map_type = Zambia |map_caption = Location of Livingstone Museum in Zambia |coordinates = {{coord|-17.8481|25.8553|display=inline}} |established = 1934 |dissolved = |location = [[Livingstone, Zambia|Livingstone]] {{flag|Zambia}} |type = |visitors = |director = |curator = |public_transit = |website = }} The '''Livingstone Museum''', formerly the '''David Livingstone Memorial Museum''' and after that, the '''Rhodes-Livingstone Museum''', is the largest and the oldest museum in [[Zambia]], located in [[Livingstone, Zambia|Livingstone]] near [[Victoria Falls]]. The museum has exhibits of artifacts related to local history and [[prehistory]], including photographs and musical instruments, and also holds possessions and memorabilia - including letters and journals - of [[David Livingstone]], the explorer and missionary.
==History== The [[Livingstone, Zambia|Livingstone]] Museum is the largest and the oldest museum in Zambia, established in 1934 as the David Livingstone Memorial Museum.<ref name="LivingstoneHolmes1990"/><ref name="Office1958">{{cite book|author=Great Britain. Colonial Office|title=Report on Northern Rhodesia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cpgSAAAAIAAJ|year=1958|publisher=H.M. Stationery Off.|page=82}}</ref> In 1948, Captain A.W. Whittington offered to sell the two specimens of a fossilized human [[femur]] ("[[Rhodesian man]]") to the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, but the museum could not afford to make the purchase.<ref name="Ireland1968">{{cite book|title=Man|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-orAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=4 July 2011|year=1968|publisher=Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland}}</ref><ref name=jstorfemur>{{cite journal|last1=Clark|first1=J. Desmond|author-link1=J. Desmond Clark|first2=Don R. |last2=Brothwell |first3=Rosemary |last3=Powers |first4=Kenneth P. |last4=Oakley |title=Rhodesian Man: Notes on a New Femur Fragment|journal=Man|year=1968|jstor=2799415 |volume=3 |issue=1|pages=105–111|doi=10.2307/2799415}}</ref> A new Spanish colonial-style building was launched in the year 1951. Jock Millar, former mayor of Livingstone, requested that [[Susman Brothers|Harry Susman]] donate a 'four-faced' tower clock to the museum, but before it was unveiled in the museum, Susman died.<ref name="Macmillan2005">{{cite book|last=Macmillan|first=Hugh|title=An African trading empire: the story of Susman Brothers & Wulfsohn, 1901–2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KWh2S2d68XoC&pg=PA192|year=2005|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-85043-853-3|page=192}}</ref>
In 1960 the museum recreated villages from five ethnic groups to give visitors a sense of traditional tribal life and to present the "way of life during the bronze and iron age."<ref>{{cite book|title=Official guide to African Craft Village, Rhodes-Livingstone Museum, Livingstone, s. d.|year= 1960|page=3}}</ref> Following Independence in 1964, in 1966 the name of the museum was changed to The Livingstone Museum.<ref name="LivingstoneHolmes1990">{{cite book|first1=David|last1=Livingstone|first2=Timothy|last2=Holmes|title=David Livingstone: letters & documents, 1841–1872 : the Zambian collection at the Livingstone Museum, containing a wealth of restored, previously unknown or unpublished texts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mh0xAQAAIAAJ|page=xiii|accessdate=3 July 2011|year=1990|publisher=Livingstone Museum|isbn=978-0-85255-041-0}}</ref><ref name=Brit>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344899/Livingstone-Museum|title=Livingstone Museum|accessdate=3 July 2011|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref name=Open>{{Cite web|url=http://www.openafrica.org/participant/Livingstone-Museum|title=Livingstone Museum|accessdate=3 July 2011|publisher=Openafrica.org}}</ref> In 2003 the buildings were renovated with funds from the [[European Union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artshub.co.uk/uk/news-article/news/visual-arts/european-union-releases-k15bn-for-livingstone-museum-renovations-32008|title=European Union releases K1.5bn for Livingstone Museum renovations|publisher=Artshub.co.uk|accessdate=4 July 2011|archive-date=25 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325002234/http://www.artshub.co.uk/uk/news-article/news/visual-arts/european-union-releases-k15bn-for-livingstone-museum-renovations-32008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Over the years, the museum has been a trustee of numerous archaeological expeditions in Zambia. In 1956 the museum was a trustee, along with National Monuments Commission of [[Northern Rhodesia]] (a former name for Zambia) and the [[Wenner-Gren Foundation]], of the excavation of the [[Kalambo Falls]] Prehistoric Site.<ref name="ClarkCormack2001">{{cite book|last1=Clark|first1=John Desmond|author-link1=J. Desmond Clark|last2=Cormack|first2=Julie|title=Kalambo Falls Prehistoric Site: The earlier cultures: middle and earlier stone age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QYGwagdt9MQC&pg=PA18|year=2001|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-20071-4|page=18}}</ref>
In 2005, a statue of [[David Livingstone]] was erected in front of the museum in memory like that of a statue of [[Emil Holub]], a noted Czech doctor, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer who made the first map of the Victoria Falls region.<ref name="Mwakikagile2010">{{cite book|last=Mwakikagile|first=Godfrey|title=Zambia: The Land and Its People|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mGrWpzs6ILUC&pg=PA190|accessdate=4 July 2011|date=May 2010|publisher=Godfrey Mwakikagile|isbn=978-9987-9322-5-2|page=190}}</ref>
==Geography== The Livingstone Museum is located in the heart of the [[Livingstone, Zambia|Livingstone town]] on the Mosi-o-Tunya Road. It is 10 km away from the [[Victoria Falls]], on the Zambian side.<ref name="LivingstoneHolmes1990"/><ref name=Open/> Road access is from three directions. The {{convert|11|km}} drive from across the border near the town of Victoria Falls crosses over the famous Victoria Falls Bridge. The second approach is {{convert|60|km}} from [[Botswana]] involving crossing the border at [[Kazungula]] by ferry. Livingstone is {{convert|470|km}} from [[Lusaka]], taking the southbound Kafue Road, crossing the [[Kafue River]] Bridge and taking a right turn towards [[Mazabuka]].<ref name=Africa>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guideforafrica.com/zambia/livingstone.html|title=Livingstone Zambia: Livingstone Museum|accessdate=3 July 2011|publisher=Guide to Africa}}</ref>
==Layout== The museum provides an important insight into the national and cultural heritage of Zambia.<ref name="Unesco1982">{{cite book|author=Unesco|title=Museum|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oZHoAAAAMAAJ|year=1982|publisher=UNESCO.}}</ref> An open archaeological site is located next to the museum next to the falls which has unearthed items from the early Stone Age to the present, covering some 250,000 years.<ref name="HolmesWong2008">{{cite book|last1=Holmes|first1=Timothy|last2=Wong|first2=Winnie|title=Zambia|url=https://archive.org/details/zambia0000holm|url-access=registration|accessdate=4 July 2011|date=September 2008|publisher=Marshall Cavendish|isbn=978-0-7614-3039-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/zambia0000holm/page/15 15]}}</ref> Experts from the museum, such as Dr. [[J. Desmond Clark]], once director, have provided an important contribution to research in the [[country]].<ref name="Scudder1962">{{cite book|last=Scudder|first=Thayer|title=The ecology of the Gwembe Tonga|url=https://archive.org/details/ecologyofgwembet0000scud|url-access=registration|accessdate=4 July 2011|date=1 January 1962|publisher=Manchester University Press ND|isbn=978-0-7190-1276-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/ecologyofgwembet0000scud/page/6 6]}}</ref> The museum has also provided expertise and support to archaeological expeditions in neighboring [[South Africa]],<ref name="Society1984">{{cite book|title=The South African archaeological bulletin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aB7TAAAAMAAJ|year=1984|publisher=South African Archaeological Society.}}</ref>
The museum is laid out in five galleries namely, the Archaeology gallery, the Ethnographic gallery, the History gallery, the Art gallery and Livingstone gallery.<ref name=Brit/><ref name=Open/> They cover topics such as [[archaeology]], [[ethnography]], [[history]] and [[natural history]], [[mammalogy]], [[ornithology]], [[herpetology]], [[entomology]], [[botany]] and [[ichthyology]].
The Archaeology gallery has exhibits of human evolution and cultural development in Zambia starting with [[Stone Age]] to [[Iron Age]].<ref name=Open/> [[File:LivingstoneMuseumZambia.jpg|thumb|right|The front of the Livingstone Museum]] The [[Ethnography]] and Art gallery has exhibits of the different cultures of the country. Handicrafts and musical instruments are part of this gallery.<ref name=Open/>
The History gallery traces the origins of the [[Bantu people]], the era of [[British colonial rule]] and the period until Zambia achieved independence from the colonial rule. Also on display are exhibits of [[Endemism|endemic]] animals as seen in their natural habitats in Zambia.<ref name=Open/>
The Livingstone gallery has an extensive collection of David Livingstone memorabilia, which were donated by the Livingstone family. The museum also has a large library of books on archaeology and wildlife and also some of the journals published by Livingston.<ref name=Open/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001475/147599eb.pdf|title=Library Services in Northern Rhodesia|page=3|accessdate=3 July 2011|publisher=Unesco.org|date=27 July 1953}}</ref>
The museum often has special exhibits; the witchcraft exhibit was said to be "especially interesting, if somewhat hair-raising."<ref name="McIntyre2008">{{cite book|last=McIntyre|first=Chris|title=Zambia: the Bradt travel guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p1DfesuY5HsC&pg=PA195|year=2008|publisher=[[Bradt Travel Guides]]|isbn=978-1-84162-226-2|page=195}}</ref> It also features sculptures and paintings by Zambian artists.<ref name="McIntyre2008"/>
==Publications== The museum started publishing "Occasional Papers" from 1948 but published the 16 papers in 1967 as a new series titled "Zambian Museum Papers", based on extensive research of Zambia's prehistory, history, ethnography and natural history. These papers were authored by specialists in each field. The papers provide substantial information on each of the large number of labelled exhibits systematically displayed in the museum.<ref name="Stefaniszyn1974">{{cite book|first=Bronislaw|last=Stefaniszyn|title=The material culture of the Ambo of Northern Rhodesia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T7rnAAAAIAAJ&pg=PR6|accessdate=3 July 2011|year=1974|publisher=Manchester University Press ND|isbn=978-0-7190-1273-0|page=6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!380071!0|title = The Occasional papers of the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum. Nos. 1-16 in one volume}}</ref> * no.1 The material culture of the Fort Jameson, Ngoni. * no.2 African dances of Northern Rhodesia. * no.3 The material culture of the Lunda-Lovale peoples.- * no.4 African music in Northern Rhodesia and some other places. * no.5 Trade routes, trade and currency in East Africa. * no.6 Life among the cattle-owning Plateau Tonga: The material culture of a Northern Rhodesia native tribe. * no.7 The discovery of Africa: A history of the exploration of Africa as reflected in the maps in the collection of the Rhodes-Livingstone Museum. * no.8 Some pioneer missions of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. * no.9 David Livingstone: A short portrait of the great missionary-explorer. * no.10 Lunda rites and ceremonies. * no.11 Some African poison plants and medicines of Northern Rhodesia. * no.12 The fishing devices of central and southern Africa. * no.13 Rubber: A footnote to Northern Rhodesian history. * ''African dances of Northern Rhodesia'' by William Vernon Brelsford, 1959<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/African-Northern-Rhodesia-Occasional-Rhodes-Livingstone/dp/B0007JGQB6|title = African dances of Northern Rhodesia|date = January 1959| publisher=Rhodes-Livingstone Museum }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Museums in Zambia]] [[Category:Museums established in 1934]] [[Category:Livingstone, Zambia]] [[Category:1934 establishments in Northern Rhodesia]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Southern Province, Zambia]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Southern Province, Zambia]] [[Category:David Livingstone]]