Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville will present a workshop for children which will investigate the kind of spring planting the ancient Adena people might have done around the time they were building the mound from 250 - 150 B.C. The activity will take place on Saturday, May 24, from 10 - 11:30 a.m., and again from 2 - 3:30 p.m.
The workshop, entitled “Adena Spring Planting,” will explore archaeological evidence which shows the Adena people had sunflowers, squash, and other plants with starchy seeds that many consider to be weeds today. Goosefoot, which grows in garden beds today, is one of the most well known of these starchy plants. Participants also will learn about wild and domesticated plants and the tools the mound builders may have used to cultivate their gardens. Children will be able to plant sunflower seeds in containers to take home.
The workshop is open to children in kindergarten through fourth grade, and they must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required. The materials fee for the workshop is $2 per child/student.
Visitors to Grave Creek Mound also are invited to celebrate spring by creating colorful tissue paper flowers in an activity titled “Mayflowers at the Mound.” There is a table set up with all the materials and instructions needed to create the tissue paper creations. Participants can make the flowers in the Museum through June 15.
For more information about “Mayflowers at the Mound,” or to register for the “Adena Spring Planting” program on May 24, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator for the Mound, at (304) 843-4128, ext. 200, 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 group registration and detailed driving directions. The museum is free and 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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