bug scavenger hunt

Carlos Museum Bug Scavenger Hunt: Worksheet

Help the conservators investigate evidence of damage caused by past insect activity on Museum objects. Find the following objects in the galleries and read the scenario for clues about the case. Use the information in the bug booklet to choose the most likely culprit in each scenario. After you complete your worksheet, bring your answers to the front reception desk for a prize.

Note: The following scenarios are pretend examples of pest damage that could occur in a museum, but there are no ongoing insect problems at the Carlos. Help us keep our objects safe by keeping food, drink, and candy out of the galleries .

Scenarios:

1.

S

2.

A. Webbing Clothes MothB. Varied Carpet BeetleC. Powder Post Beetle

D. Cellar SpiderE. Silverfish

Conservators first noticed signs of pest damage in the Classical galleries. White, threadlike debris was found in a dark corner inside the Roman Sarcophagus (1999.11.7). Tiny black stain marks were observed on nearby surfaces.

See if you can find other objects with dark, hidden spaces in the Egyptian, Asian, and African galleries.

During a particularly humid summer, the air conditioning in the museum went out briefly. Shortly afterward, conservators spotted damage in the Mirroring the Saints exhibit. The second print on the right side of the room had uneven edges underneath its mat board. Several small holes were observed in the top right corner, and in some spots, the paper appeared to be worn thin.

See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the Egyptian gallery.



3.

4.

5. Conservators found more signs of bug pests on the Egungun Mask Ensemble (1994.004.501). The velvet on the front appeared to have small tears and rips. The damage was located in an area that had been folded and received little light. Blue debris was found in the bottom of the box in which the object was kept.



See if you can find other objects made of wood in the African gallery.

Conservators found traces of bug activity on the Doublecloth Textile with Men and Llamas (2002.001.028) in the Art of the Americas gallery. The fabric had spots where the threads appeared thin and bare, but no holes went all the way through. In the shadows near the object’s stand, conservators noticed small, fuzzy looking bits of debris.



See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the Art of the Americas gallery.



See if you can find objects made from similar materials in the African gallery.

While the weather was still humid, another area of damage was discovered on the Coffin of Baket (2005.77.1a,b) in the Egyptian gallery. Pin-sized holes were observed on the surface of the wood, and small piles of wood dust were noticed underneath the object.

Answers:

bug scavenger hunt

Education

museum objects

following objects

varied carpet beetle

webbing clothes moth

powder post beetled

objects safe

cellar spider

african gallery