Oct. 10, 2012
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Archaeological excavations that took place at the Flint Run Paleoindian Complex in Warren County, Virginia, will be the topic of discussion on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville. The 7 p.m. lecture is free and open to the public.
Joan M. Walker, president of the Thunderbird Research Corporation in Woodstock, Va., will present the talk, discussing archaeological sites in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where evidence of some of North America’s earliest inhabitants was found. A diverse team of scientists examined the sites, studying soils and geology, reconstructing prehistoric environments, and interpreting manufacture and use of tools found at the sites. The work resulted in valuable insights into the flint knapping clusters, living areas and a possible Paleoindian house pattern left behind by people living in the area more than 10,000 years ago.
The 2012 lecture and film series continues Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, with a lecture titled “Native Wisdom: Lessons from the Elders and the Land,” by Robert Pirner, lecturer in Native American Studies at West Virginia University.
For more information about the lecture and film series, which is held in conjunction with the Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the West Virginia Archaeological Society, contact Andrea Keller at Andrea.K.Keller@wv.gov or (304) 843-4128.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek features one of the largest conical burial mounds in the New World and is one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds in the world. 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 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.
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