Oct. 12, 2012
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will join with the Archaeological Institute of America as it celebrates its 2nd Annual National Archaeology Day. Family-oriented activities will take place from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20. The day’s events are free and open to the public.
Saturday’s activities will feature non-stop archaeology films in the Delf Norona Museum’s theater and a museum search. Participants can create a paper plate puzzle and discover the meaning of maker’s marks on historic pottery. Visitors also can view a new exhibit in the observation window of the research wing titled “What’s in a name? Ceramic Maker’s Marks from Blennerhassett Island.”
For more information about the celebration, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator at the facility, at (304) 843-4128 or e-mail her at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds in the New World and is one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds in the world. It was built by the Adena people between 250 and 150 B.C. 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 houses the West Virginia Archaeological Research and Collections Management Facility, a study room for researchers and a library. The Delf Norona Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
-30-
