August 11, 2010
Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will present two “Exhibit Expedition” tours in the Delf Norona Museum on Sunday, Aug. 15, and Tuesday, Aug. 17. The tours will take place from 2 - 3:30 p.m. The family-oriented program includes an exploration of artifacts in the museum’s exhibits and will end with hands-on activities. The “Exhibit Expedition” tours are free and the public is invited to attend.
On Sunday, Aug. 15, the tour will focus on pottery making. Grave Creek Mound’s collection on display includes several examples of prehistoric pottery as well as an exhibit of china made by the Homer Laughlin China Company from Newell, W.Va. After the tour, visitors can make paper pottery puzzle plates and discover the secret to the manufacturing codes printed on the back of pieces of Homer Laughlin china.
The tour on Tuesday, Aug. 17, will concentrate on bead making. The museum’s Discovery Table features a “Bead the Heat” copper bead-making activity throughout the month of August. In addition, expedition members can use stone-tipped drills to make pendants, and colorful plastic beads will be available to add to the final creation.
“This is a great program which provides visitors with a unique opportunity to explore the offerings of the museum in more detail,” said David Rotenizer, site manager of Grave Creek Mound.
Visitors also are encouraged to see the museum’s final film in its summer documentary series, Searching for the Great Hopewell Road, on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. The 57-minute film examines the evidence for the existence of an arrow-straight 60-mile-long ancient highway connecting Newark and Chillicothe, Ohio, two main ceremonial centers of the prehistoric Hopewell people. For more information about the “Exhibit Expedition” tours, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator at Grave Creek Mound, at (304) 843-4128 or e-mail her at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov. Indicate in the message if you are interested in receiving notification of other upcoming programs at the mound.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features the largest conical burial mound in the New World which ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere in the world. A massive undertaking, construction of the mound by the Adena people took place in successive stages from 250-150 B.C. and required the movement of 57,000 tons of earth, approximately three million individual basket loads.
Exhibits and displays in the Delf Norona Museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The complex also has a new wing which houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Curation Facility, as well as a study room for researchers and a library. Contact the complex for information regarding group registration and detailed driving directions. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. Access to the mound and gift shop closes 30 minutes before the museum.
A new outdoor exhibit, The Interpretive Garden, was recently planted and features crops grown by Native Americans based on archaeological evidence. Visitors can also see three traveling exhibits on display, Marble King: the World’s Finest Marbles; Homer Laughlin China Company; Ladies Fashion Dolls of the Nineteenth Century by Pete Ballard and Women of Design: Embassies, Mansions and Stately Homes – Pat Bibbee and Vivien Woofter.
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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