Arkansas Archeology Month 2002 was celebrated in October, for the first time for the entire month. Fifty-six different events were listed at 29 venues throughout the state, nearly double the number of events from the previous year. In addition, special programs were brought to schools across the state, increasing the number of people who enjoyed Archeology Month programs. Reported attendance at Archeology Month events numbered 4,971, meaning that it was likely that more than 5,000 people were reached through this annual event.
The
theme for 2002 was "Made From Clay: Cooking & Craftsmanship,"
which seemed to be an easy one for programmers to use. Programs for Archeology
Month 2002 included demonstrations, exhibits, workshops, slide shows,
and open houses and were sponsored by museums, libraries, state parks,
archeological offices, and various chapters of the Arkansas
Archeological Society.
Participating state parks included Logoly, Mammoth Spring, Ozark Folk Center, Parkin, Powhatan Courthouse, and Toltec Mounds. Participating museums included the ATU Museum, Russellville; Bella Vista Historical Museum; Arkansas Post Museum, Gillett; Jefferson County Historical Museum, Pine Bluff; Museum of Discovery, Little Rock; Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Springdale; University of Arkansas Museum, Fayetteville; and the Texarkana Museums System. Libraries, colleges, and other participants included the Arkansas Archeological Survey, Blytheville Public Library, Garland County Library, Henderson State University Library, Mississippi County Community College, Terra Studios, and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, and Monticello. Information about some of the activities follow.
The Museum and Survey station at Arkansas Tech in Russellville hosted an open house, which included a video about mochaware ceramics, a slide-talk on making Native American ceramics, and demonstrations of flint knapping and blowguns. Toltec Mounds sponsored a pine needle basket workshop, a slide-talk on Caddoan pottery, and a tour of the site. Parkin sponsored an artifact identification day and two workshops on Native American pottery.
The Texarkana Museums System sponsored their first Archeology Fair, with presentations by the Arkansas Archeological Society, the Texas Archeological Society, and the Caddo Nation. Over 1,000 people turned out for the event. The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, in Springdale, hosted a mini-exhibit on Ceramics for the Parlor, Pantry, and Table, and sponsored three slide-talks on cemetery projects and the Grandview dig. The Ozark Folk Center sponsored a demonstration of their wood-fired pottery kiln.
In 2003, Archeology
Month will move to March. The theme will be "Archeology & the
Louisiana Purchase." Events, exhibits, and other activities will
be scheduled throughout the entire month, allowing many opportunities
for everyone to be able to participate. For more information, contact
Mary Kwas, Archeology Month Coordinator, at mkwas@uark.edu
or 479-575-6549, or check the pages of this web site.
Activity Ideas for Archeology Month 2002
See Also: Archeology Week Archives
