MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in Moundsville kicks off 2023 with a winter craft activity, Marble Golf, and the final two episodes of America’s Untold Stories, a documentary series that focuses on the settlement of St. Augustine in Florida. These programs are free and open to the public.
Marble Golf consists of 10 tabletop golf course “greens” that are played using glass marbles instead of golf balls and clubs. The “greens” were designed and constructed by studio art students at Moundsville Middle School under the guidance of teacher Tabetha Morgan. While supplies last, visitors who complete the course will be rewarded with a bag of marbles to take home. The course begins near the “Marble King: West Virginia’s Gift to the World!” exhibit, which inspired the project. The activity will be available Tuesdays through Saturdays in January from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Winter is the theme at the museum’s Discovery Table, where snowman pictures can be made from quilt batting accessorized with buttons, pipe cleaners, fabric, and more. Two bulletin board displays will offer information about snowflakes and artifacts found in the museum’s exhibits that may have helped prehistoric Native Americans survive winter.
The Second Saturday Film Series continues Saturday, Jan. 14, when the last two episodes of America’s Untold Story will be shown. The programs are part of the PBS Secrets of the Dead series and follow the early history of St. Augustine in Florida that did not make it into the textbooks. Episode 3: “The British Are Coming” will begin at 1 p.m., followed by Episode 4: “The 14th and 15th Colonies” at 2 p.m. Each episode is approximately one hour long.
In Episode 3, British forces attack the Spanish missions around St. Augustine, enslaving many of the mission’s Native American converts. African American enslavement is also discussed, with a difference between Spanish and English slavery. While the Spanish considered their slaves to be human beings with certain civil rights, the English saw them as chattel or property with no rights. In Episode 4, the British have taken over Florida and East and West Florida have become the 14th and 15th colonies. The series concludes with the American Revolution, continuation of slavery, and the removal of Native Americans.
The Complex’s program series typically held on the last Thursday of each month will resume in February.
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 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. Access to the Mound and other outdoor areas closes at 4:30 pm.
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.