The Hall of Asian Peoples contains several dioramas on Mongolia and related peoples from northern and Central Asia. Students can investigate the diffusion of art, music, architectural styles, and religion between the nomadic and sedentary populations.

Shamanism. Across northern Asia and into Mongolia, nomadic people such as the Yakut practice shamanism. Each culture has its own unique expression of this ancient religion, but a common element is the idea that certain individuals can communicate with the spirit world by going into trances. In this diorama a shaman is performing a healing ceremony. The Soviet influence can be seen in the icon on the wall, which would normally be turned over during this ceremony.

Heritage of the Mongols. This display shows the lineage of groups claiming relationship with Chinggis Khan, including Khubilai Khan, the Mughals in India, Timuland, and Hulugu in Central Asia. A side diagram describes the formation of the pastoral nomadic state.

Tribes of Central Asia. You are looking at an Uzbek man and woman in Central Asia, another pastoral society. There is also a diagram of a yurt (ger), as well as artifacts reflecting the importance of the horse in daily life. Students can find examples of musical instruments in this diorama as well as in the China and Pamir sections.

Tribes of Central Asia: Daily Life. Examine the examples of Central Asian weaving, clothing, and jewelry, as well as items for food preparation.

Tibetan Buddhism. This section displays beautiful examples of the art and sculpture of Tibetan Buddhism. The paintings, called thankas, are used for meditation and include images of manifestations of Buddha, famous teachers such as Tsongkhapa, and the eighth Dalai Lama. Many of the sculptures depict the deities in union. These are not erotic sculptures but representations of the goal of meditation — the union of compassion (the male) and wisdom or emptiness (the female). Tsam dances were performed at monasteries particularly at the New Year. Students can find ritual hats, instruments, and masks used during these religious performances. The black hats were worn by unmasked dancers.

Russian Influence in Asia. Russia began moving into Siberia 300 years ago, ultimately into Mongolia. Early relations were based on trade and missionary work, but later Russia came to dominate these countries politically. Students can examine the tea artifacts as an example of cultural diffusion — an item from China passed through Mongolia and Siberia to be drunk by Europeans.

China: The Frontier. Observe the picture of the Great Wall with a camel caravan approaching in the distance. The skeleton is probably a leader from an ancient tribe related to the Mongols, the Hsiung Nu. Contrast the mountainous northern regions of Mongolia and the lifestyle of nomads and traders with the plains of northern China and the lifestyle of wheat-growing agriculturalists.

Area: 604,100 square miles
Population: 2,400,000 — cities and towns 51%; rural 49%
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Currency: Tugrug ($1.00 = 902 Tugrug)
Parliamentary government is called the People's Great Hural, composed of over a dozen political parties with an elected President and Prime Minister.

Mongolia Observed. Students can observe Mongolian culture in a collection of archival and recent photographs of Mongolia. Yvette Borup Andrews and Museum scientists took photographs on AMNH expeditions between 1919 and 1931. The newer photographs were taken by Robert Peck of the Philadelphia Academy of Science, who has been documenting Mongolian life since 1994. The first two images in the exhibition represent the two groups of researchers with Mongolians. The first section focuses on religious life, ordinary Buddhist monks and respected lamas, monasteries, and religious dances, as well as shamans. Ask students to make observations about the character of ritual life. Ask them what the camera may have missed. During the Communist period, however, many of these activities were stopped. What is a possible effect of this break in tradition?

Naadam is highlighted in the second series of photographs. These photographs show the sporting events of horseback riding and wrestling, as well as the social aspects of the festival. Students should see a difference in the old and new festival sites. Finally, nomadic life is depicted in the last images. Students can pick out the different herding animals — camels, yaks, and sheep. There are many good images of Mongolians assembling a ger, as well as of life in a ger. Ask the students to find examples of cultural modernization, as well as continuity, in the different periods recorded. Ask them why they think photographers past and present have photographed so many of the same things.

Fighting Dinosaurs: New Discoveries from Mongolia. Mongolia is a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils. Following Roy Chapman Andrews' discoveries in the 1920s, Museum scientists returned to Mongolia in the 1990s to make even more remarkable discoveries with the help of Mongolian paleontologists. The "Fighting Dinosaurs" exhibition showcases the extraordinary dinosaur, bird, lizard, and mammal fossils discovered in the Gobi Desert. Students will learn how these finds enhance our understanding of life in Mongolia 80 million years ago and shed new light on the rise of modern bird and animal groups.

There is also a good representation of the present ecology of Mongolia in the exhibition. Despite the semi-arid environment of steppes and deserts from the age of the dinosaurs up until the present, Mongolia has a wealth of biodiversity. Students can examine the display of Gobi animal life and learn how scientists gain a better understanding of the past by studying species that are alive today.