Feb. 22, 2019
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Hank D. Lutton, archaeologist and historian, will present “Vanished Monuments: The Lost Prehistoric Mounds and Landscapes of the Upper Ohio Valley” at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The program, co-hosted with the Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, will begin at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The presentation will explore some of the prehistoric monuments and ritualistic complexes of the Ohio River Valley that were removed from the landscape and are today largely lost to public memory. The presentation will demonstrate how many of these monumental mounds were components of broader, intricately designed ceremonial landscapes. This event is part of the “On the Road” program and the Society’s 2019 Winter Lecture Series. Additional information regarding the Society can be found at http://greatstoneviaduct.org/.
A native of Jefferson County, Ohio, Lutton is a registered professional archaeologist who specializes in historical archaeology, particularly the artifacts, lifeways, and landscapes of the colonial and Early Republic periods. Lutton has worked as a curator at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex for three years. Prior to that he was a project archaeologist at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. As an undergrad at George Washington University, he majored in political science and minored in history and literature. Lutton received an M.A. in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary’s Anthropology Department.
This program will take place in addition to the screening of the film “Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, and is part of the monthly Lecture and Film Series held at the Complex. This 60-minute film, produced by the Public Broadcasting Service, follows scientists and historians as they discover the story behind the remains of an African American woman unearthed at a construction site in Queens, N.Y.
Operated by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250 - 150 B.C. and ranks as one of the largest earthen mortuary mounds anywhere 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.
Admission to Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex is free. The Delf Norona Museum, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Outdoor access closes at 4:30 p.m.
For more information about activities and programs at Grave Creek Mound, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator, at (304) 843-4128 or andrea.k.keller@wv.gov or visit www.facebook.com/gravecreekmound and www.twitter.com/gravecreekmound.
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