October 4, 2010
Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will be the host site for the 2010 annual meeting of the West Virginia Archeological Society on Saturday, Oct. 9. The meeting is being co-sponsored by the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the society. Registration takes place at 8 a.m., and the meeting begins at 9 a.m. There is a $7 fee for members of the society, $10 for non-members and $5 for students.
Highlights of the meeting include presentations regarding recent and current archaeological projects throughout West Virginia by various archaeologists and researchers.
The West Virginia Archeological Society (WVAS), now in its 61st year, is a statewide organization dedicated to the preservation and documentation of the Mountain State’s archaeological heritage. It is open to professional and avocational archaeologists as well as the interested public.
“It has been several years since this meeting has been held in the northern part of the state, and Grave Creek Mound is delighted to serve as the host site this year,” said David Rotenizer, manager at the facility. “This program is just one of various statewide events being held in conjunction with West Virginia Archaeology Month,” he continued.
For more information about the society or the annual meeting, visit the WVAS Web site at www.wvarch.org.
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.
Visitors can explore the Interpretive Garden which was planted in early June with the help of the Marshall County Master Gardeners. The garden showcases plants similar to those that were grown by prehistoric Native Americans in the region, including pumpkins and gourds which are reaching fruition. They also can see four traveling exhibits on display, Women of Design: Embassies, Mansions, and Stately Homes–Pat Bibbee and Vivien Woofter; Marble King: the World’s Finest Marbles; Homer Laughlin China Company; and Ladies Fashion Dolls of the Nineteenth Century by Pete Ballard.
For more information about Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator at the facility, 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.
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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