he ethnographic and archaeological collections of the Section of Anthropology are featured in three major exhibition halls that emphasize current anthropological thought. The Egyptian collection, amassed through the activities of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Egypt Exploration Society, forms the basis for the Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt. Included in the hall is a 3,800-year-old funerary boat from the pyramid complex of Senwosret III, one of six such craft ever discovered at the site of Dashur. The hall also features a reproduction of a middle-class tomb, interactive video programs, and 634 artifacts to illustrate the aspects of ancient Egyptian daily life. To insure the accuracy of the presentations, museum staff made research trips to Egypt, and consultants verified specimens and reviewed the interpretations of the objects on display. Many of the Section's Arctic specimens can be seen in Polar World: Wyckoff Hall of Arctic Life, which portrays 4,500 years of cultural change and adaptation among the Inuit. Dioramas, photographs, artifacts, and a reproduction of an igloo illustrate the effects of environmental warming and cooling, the consequences of European exploration, the impact of the whaling industry, and the influence of government policies on Inuit culture. The Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians emphasizes the interactions of American Indian people with the natural world. Through exploration of five groups, the Lakota of the Plains, the Tlingit of the Northwest Coast, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois of the Northeast, and the American Indians living in urban areas, visitors gain an appreciation for the diversity and creativity of native peoples. North, South, East, West: American Indians and the Natural World explores some of the hall's major themes.

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