During your visit to the Virginia Museum of Natural History, don't miss the displays on the museum's upper level. 

Experience displays of pre-Columbian effigies — figural representations of gods, rulers, important mythical figures, animals, or just individuals. Many of the effigies on display date from circa A.D. 600. Some of the finer pieces are probably later as they are stylistically similar to pieces found from the time of Cortes’ defeat of Montezuma II in 1521. Several of these pieces were broken off of pottery vessels; others may be from stand-alone figurines.

Venture onto the bridge over-looking the museum's Harvest Foundation Great Hall and Lobby to view a massive model of Jefferson's Ground Sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii). Residents of Virginia during the Ice Age, these ground sloths became extinct around 9,000 years ago.  They survive nowhere on earth today.  They may have looked somewhat like bears, but their closest living relatives are tree sloths, armadillos, and anteaters.

	•	'CLAWD' - JEFFERSON'S GROUND SLOTH MODEL: Get up-close with this touchable model of Megalonyx jeffersonii.			•	ARCHAEOLOGY DISPLAYS: Experience fascinating displays of pre-Columbian effigies.