Pachamama: The Andean Mother Goddess of Earth and Time

Archaeology Now, in collaboration with the Bolivian Consul General of Houston and the Institute of Hispanic Culture, will present “Pachamama: The Andean Mother Goddess of Earth and Time” as part of its DISCOVER Lecture Series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. 

On Thursday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m., Archaeology Now, in collaboration with the Bolivian Consul General of Houston and the Institute of Hispanic Culture, will present “Pachamama: The Andean Mother Goddess of Earth and Time” as part of its DISCOVER Lecture Series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Dancers in indigenous feathered costumers will perform after the talk.  

Jo Burkholder, Ph. D., Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of the Pachamama Project at the University of Wisconsin will present her findings on Pachamama, the mother goddess in the indigenous belief systems of the Andes Mountains. 

In addition to the lecture, attendees will receive an extra glimpse into Bolivian culture as part of the program. A boat constructed entirely out of reed from Lake Titicaca in Bolivia, using thousand-year-old techniques and a gift from the Bolivian Consulate in Houston to Archaeology Now, will be on display for attendees to view. To ensure that Houstonians have ongoing exposure to the Bolivian culture, Archaeology Now donated it to the Houston Museum of Science. The boat, named “Yunta Wiñay,” which means “friends forever” in Quechua language, recently finished a voyage to nine different schools in the Houston area, touching nearly 3600 students about the history of ancient seafaring as part of Archaeology Now’s educational programming. The presentation gave young minds the opportunity to discuss the idea of how culture shapes identity.