Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will present a series of public programs on Mondays in August from 1 - 2:30 p.m., inspired by current exhibits on display in the Delf Norona Museum. The activities are designed for families with children in grades two through five. The programs are free and the public is invited to attend. Advance registration is required in order to ensure that supplies are plentiful, and the children must be accompanied by an adult.
On Monday, Aug. 3, visitors are invited to bring a doll or action figure to complement the Ladies Fashion Dolls of the Nineteenth Century exhibit. Kids will learn about the dolls on exhibit as well as dolls from other cultures. The program also will explore colors and textures of fabrics used in the exhibit, and children will make paper dolls and jumping jacks to take home.
The following Monday, Aug. 10, will focus on dishes in conjunction with the Great Wall of China exhibit made by the Homer Laughlin China Company. Participants will learn about historic pottery, look for maker’s marks on actual pieces of pottery, and design their own maker’s mark. Students also can examine the colorful plates made by the Homer Laughlin China Company and design a paper plate puzzle which simulates the broken pottery shards that are usually found by archaeologists.
Wrapping up the month, on Aug. 17, children will discover what archaeologists learned about Grave Creek Mound during excavations and core drilling the 1970s and how the scientists study dirt and interpret archaeological sites. Kids will create a miniature site that they can excavate and learn how post hole patterns of houses are found by archaeologists.
For more information about the August activities or to register to attend the sessions, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator for the complex, at (304) 843-4128, ext. 202, or by e-mail at andrea.keller@wvculture.org.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest and most famous burial mounds built by the prehistoric Adena people. A massive undertaking, construction of the mound took place in successive stages from about 250-150 B.C., and required the movement of more than 60,000 tons of earth. Exhibits and displays in the complex’s museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The Archaeological Complex is located at 801 Jefferson Ave., in Moundsville. Contact the museum for information regarding group registration and detailed driving directions. The museum is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Access to the mound closes 30 minutes before the museum.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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