Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex to Host Day-long Archaeology Symposium on June 8

 News…

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. – The Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, the West Virginia University Native American Studies Program and the West Virginia Humanities Council invite the public to a free, all-day symposium on Saturday, June 8, that will highlight scientific research ranging from the 17th century pottery found at Kanawha River Valley villages to the archaeological interpretation of Revolutionary War-era forts in West Virginia and remote sensing tools used to research the region’s earthen mounds.

The symposium, “Then and Now: Archaeology, History, and Preservation in the Mountain State Region,” will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Grave Creek Mound auditorium, 801 Jefferson Ave., Moundsville.

“The program promises to be informative and engaging for professionals and scholars, as well as those who have an interest in learning about modern archaeology and the history it can yield,” said David Rotenizer, site manager at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex.

Rebecca J. Morehouse, curator of state collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, will deliver the symposium keynote address: “Life Beyond the Field: Research, Conservation, and Curation at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.”

Other presentations include:
·     Jarrod Burks, of Ohio Valley Archaeology, Inc.: “Ohio Valley Native American Earthwork Sites and New Discoveries through Remote Sensing.”
·     Darla Spencer, of Cultural Resource Analysts: “Evidence for Siouan-Speaking Groups in Southern West Virginia.”
·     Pamela McClung-Casto, Fairmont State University education specialist with NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation Education Resource Center: “Kern’s Fort 1772-2013.”
·     Kim A. McBride, Kentucky Archaeological Survey: “Militia and Settler Forts: Crucial Components of late 18th century Euro-American Settlement of West Virginia.”
·     Ywone Edwards-Ingram, staff archaeologist/coordinator of African American Archaeology, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: “Archaeology and the Cultural Heritage of African Americans in Virginia.”

A complimentary luncheon and welcome packet are available to guests who register online by June 3, 2013, at http://nas.wvu.edu or by phone at: (304) 293-4626. Registration is available on the day of the event at Grave Creek Mound.

The Grave Creek symposium culminates a weeklong volunteer-service effort organized by WVU’s Native American Studies Program in which Grave Creek curators will supervise volunteers as they clean, number and package artifacts for storage in new archival-quality containers.

Volunteers will help host an evening film series June 4-6 at the Grave Creek auditorium. The first film, to be shown June 4, is “Carolina Stories: Finding Clovis,” an archaeological adventure featuring the Topper Site in Allendale County, S.C.

On June 5 the public is invited to watch “Secrets of the Valley: Prehistory of the Kanawha,” which explores the lives of paleo-Indians, as well as Archaic, Woodland and Fort Ancient people in a series of archaeological digs from Gauley Bridge to Point Pleasant in West Virginia; followed by “Ancient Fire at Cliff Palace Pond,” which features the Daniel Boone National Forest where soil core studies show how American Indians used fire to manage the environment for more than 3,000 years.

The June 6 showing is “Historic Archeology: Beneath Kentucky’s Fields & Streets,” a documentary that highlights such historical archaeological sites as Mammoth Cave, Shaker Village, Camp Nelson and the Covington riverfront.

Films start at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

The week of activities is funded by a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Council along with support from the Division of Culture and History and WVU’s Native American Studies Program and Cultural Resource Management/Public History Program.

For more information, contact Rotenizer at (304) 843-4128 or by email at David.E.Rotenizer@wv.gov.

Operated by the Division, Grave Creek features one of the largest conical burial mounds built by the Adena people between 250-150 B.C. 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. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Mondays.

The Division is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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