The Walter Roth Museum on Monday added a number of books on the general history of archaeology to its collection; a gift from former Ambassador to Brazil Cheryl Miles.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Miles handed over the collection to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony. The books cover the basic history of archaeology from South American countries such as Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. The donation also included some artefacts collected from Brazil. These included items made from fish scales, ceramic and traditional pottery, objects with engravings, masks, dolls, pots from Amazon areas, head-dresses and rattles.

Anthony said the donation is timely and will complement the ministry’s plans to do more research on Amerindian history. The ministry has also established a small area for a research library and Anthony is hopeful for similar donations to add to its collection as well as the Museum’s.

The Walter Roth Museum was founded in 1974 from the collection of the late Guyanese archaeologist Dr Denis Williams. It was first called the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology and Art History.
It is the first Museum of Anthropology in the English speaking Caribbean.