March 22, 2019
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — John Boilegh, archaeologist for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mineral Resources, will present “Oetzi the Iceman’s Survival Kit” at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 28. The lecture is part of the Complex’s 2019 Lecture and Film Series. The program is free and open to the public.
Over 5,300 years ago, a man now known as Oetzi the Iceman was murdered in the Austrian Alps where his body became mummified by being covered by glacial ice. Today, Oetzi’s body, clothing and tools indicate that he was a hunter and a traveler. Boilegh, who draws on more than 20 years of experience in archaeology and experimenting with prehistoric technology, will take a closer look at his traveling gear, draw parallels with camping gear used today and talk about survival skills that have been practiced for thousands of years.
Boilegh studied anthropology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and natural resources/wildlife at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. He notes, “I feel that the multidisciplinary approach that archaeology offers gives me opportunities to not only learn and study about the lives and cultures of the past, but I personally get to study survival and outdoor skills from the people that invented them too. A total win-win for me.”
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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