March is Archeology Month!
A range of events are set to take place across Southwest Arkansas next month to celebrate archeology. Archeology Month takes place every March in the state and this year is the 50th anniversary of Arkansas Archeological Survey. According to their site, ‘the event is an annual celebration commemorating Arkansas’s cultural heritage as revealed through the archeology of both prehistoric and historic eras.’
Below is a look at some of the events that are part of the program.
The Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Conservation Education Center in Columbus will have a week long range of programs over Spring Break, March 18-25. The area is known for having the nation’s largest contiguous tract of blackland prairie in public ownership. The free event taking place there is called Archeology of the Prairie and participants will learn about the lives of the Caddo Indians and more. More information can be found by calling 870-983-2790.
In El Dorado, there will be an Art in Archeology program on March 25 from 7 a.m.- 6 p.m downtown. Arkansas Archeological Survey archeologists will have a table at the El Dorado Art Walk, displaying pre- and post-contact ceramics and their decorative elements. For more details call 870-866-9048.
There will be an exhibit in Hot Springs at the Garland County Library March 1-31 care of the Ouachita Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society. The exhibit is called Archeology and American Indian History in the Ouachita Mountains and includes a display of artifacts illustrating the history of American Indians in the region. The library is located at 1427 Malvern Ave. On March 4, the library will also host a program at 2:30 p.m. called Archeology in the Ouachita Mountains. Dr. Mary Beth Trubitt, an archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey, will discuss Native American history and archeology in the Ouachita Mountains. For more information on either of the programs, call 501-623-4161.
There will be a Lab Day at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia on March 11 from 9 a.m.- 4p.m. On this day, the SAU Research Station will welcome volunteers who want to help assist with archeological research by sorting artifacts. On March 14 at 7 p.m., the campus will also host the program Field to Finish: The General Land Office (GLO) Notes in the 21st Century. Dr. John Dennis with give a talk on the GLO notes and how they are used in archeology and history. For more details on either program, call 870-235-4230.
Also on the lineup is a Historic Archeology Display from March 17-19 at Historic Washington State Park during the 49th annual Jonquil Festival at the park. Visitors can visit the booth of the Arkansas Archeological Survey, where they can view displays on historic archeology. Also from March 20-25, the park will have a program called Gopher Archeology each day starting at 10 a.m. Participants will explore gopher mounds and learn guided hands-on use of archeological principles to ‘scoop, screen, classify, map, and document historical artifacts to add to the park’s collection’. For more information call 870-983-2684.