Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will host a series of public programs for adults and kids who are interested in exploring West Virginia’s prehistory on selected Saturdays in March. Entitled March Madness at the Mound, the series will take place on March 8, March 15 and March 22.
The March 8 program, “Mound Mysteries,” will take place from 10 a.m. - noon. It will provide a detailed look at Grave Creek Mound and explore some lesser known facts about the site. This will include an in-depth look at the 1938 excavation of the mound when its two main tombs were discovered. Visitors will make a three-dimensional model of the mound using a topographic map of the site. The program is suitable for students in grades four through eight, and they must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required for this class.
On March 15 from 2 - 4 p.m., the program, “Mound Museum Memories,” will focus on the 30th anniversary of the Delf Norona Museum with an illustrated talk on the museum’s past, present and future. This session is suitable for older students and adults. Registration is not required.
The final program, “Mighty Mammoths and Mastodons,” will have two sessions from 10 a.m. - noon and again from 2 - 4 p.m., on March 22. This session is a show-and-tell format, presenting the Ice Age environment, the plants and animals that lived in that time period and the people who lived among them. Participants will make wooly mammoth puppets out of paper bags. The program is for children in kindergarten through third grade, and they must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required.
The fee for the three programs is included in the admission fees for the Museum of $3 per adult and $2 per child/student.
For more information about March Madness at the Mound or to register for the March 8 and March 22 programs, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator for the Mound, at (304) 843-4128 or e-mail her at andrea.keller@wvculture.org.
Operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex features one of the largest and most famous burial mounds built by the prehistoric Adena people. A massive undertaking, construction of the mound took place in successive stages from about 250-150 B.C., and required the movement of more than 60,000 tons of earth. Exhibits and displays in the complex’s museum interpret what is known about the lives of these prehistoric people and the construction of the mound. The Archaeological Complex is located at 801 Jefferson Ave., in Moundsville. Contact the museum for information regarding admission fees, group registration and detailed driving directions. The museum is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
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 Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural 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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